Tuesday, Apr 28, 2015 at 21:23
Gday Bryan, thanks for the good points you raised.
Pulling at an angle is an issue for any snatch recovery (with or without an equaliser strap). ARB give you warning stickers to never pull at an angle greater than the steering provides at full lock. I guess the message there is to turn the front wheels in the direction you are pulling.
As for the 50/50, the force applied will be equal ( an equaliser strap can't distribute forces unequally) but what is different is the angle on each recovery point. So the furtherest point will have a strap at a greater angle, so greater shearing forces will be applied to the bolts on that point. That is where the potential danger lies, and hence the problem with using an equaliser strap at a sharp angle. To attempt a heavy snatch recovery at a sharp angle to a vehicle stuck in mud is asking for trouble. Need a winch.
Equaliser straps come in different lengths and ratings - there is no standard!
A quick google found this:
Just Straps 2.5M and 4000kg
TJM 3M and 8000kg
Mean Mother 2.5M and 8000kg
Terrain Tamer 2.5M and 6000kg.
Also a tree trunk protector can also be used as an equaliser strap - they are usually between 3 and 5 metres long. I have both. It is what we were using 15 years ago - before equalisers became commercially available.
I measured the distance between front recovery points on the 200series - 830mm. If I were to use a 2.5M equaliser, the angle of pull is 72 degrees instead of 90 degrees. If I use a 5M long equaliser, the angle is 80 degrees. Like Sigmund says the rating needs to be reduced, but will depend on the strap length.
But the other important function of the equaliser is to retain the lethal missile that is released if a recovery point breaks.
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