Towing

Those are for towing and not vehicle recovery offroad. What you want for that is a 'snatch strap'. It's more elastic and has no metal projectiles on it.

tw

You can get by with the strap you bought, provided you cut the steel hooks off. (It has sewed ends, right?) The real problem is the Class I hitch; it's only rated at 2,000 lbs. The minimum is normally 2X the weight of the vehicle being pulled out; I get by OK with my OEM Class II hitch, but it's only rated for 3,500 lbs max.

Insert the ball mount into the receiver, remove the ball and install a heavy-duty (min. 5,000 lb.) D-shackle into the hole the ball came out of, and use that as an anchor point. Place a large towel or blanket midway over the snatch strap to limit travel should it snap, drop to

jerryg wrote:

You take that strap and toss it in the garbage before you kill yourself or someone else. Seriously!

There is NO safe way to use a strap with a hook on it to extract period!

I would recommend you get the 'snatch strap' that has elastic properties and sewn hooks. The skinny straps normally don't have the elastic, they are solid for towing. Using one to snatch a vehicle 'will' break stuff.

You cannot use a trailer hitch for extractions. It sits below the plane of the frame so when the impact hits it, it just bends up and tears things. If it is a Class 1 hooked to the bumper mounts, it will just tear the bumper off.

There is a good reason runs like Jeep 101 refuse you entry without proper tow hooks mounted to the frame.

For extractions, you take up the slack in the line gently while putting a coat or even a floor mat over the line in the middle to stop it from going ballistic if it does snap something. You then pull gently to start. 4x4 helps with this.

If they are really in there, you start rocking them. The elastic of the snatch strap will prevent it from coming up 'hard' in this rocking motion, so you can get going pretty good.

I still find the best is for the Jeep to stay put and winch the stuck vehicle. Sometimes you have to hook up two or even 3 Jeeps in a row to hold the one doing the winching in place.

Mike

That being said, which is very good advice

The best th> You take that strap and toss it in the garbage before you kill yourself

We used to use chains in the orchard where I worked all the time, big, thick chains with huge hooks on the end of them. Then we would try to jerk a tractor trailer out of the ditch with a piece of farm equipment that was way too small for the job. We always got it out too. It is a wonder no one ever got killed.

Earle

It depends on the hitch and receiver.

I've used a 5k/lb. D-shackle on my Class II OEM receiver for many recoveries, and it works flawlessly. I don't see a problem with using a min. Class II hitch and a properly-rated D-shackle and a decent strap. (I do not prefer the 'rubber band' variety; I use a solid-webbed 3"er that is rated at 35,000#. I've used the 'stretch' method of snatching, and didn't care for it: if something breaks off/snaps, run like hell.

This is, however, an OEM receiver: it bolts directly to the frame and is mounted directly behind and in-line so that the force is directed rearward, not up and back like (ahem) some of the junk I see bolted on to the back of TJ's these days.

I also carry a 30-ft, 5,000 lb. chain with hooks on each end for HD recovery. How good is it? I use it to pull fully-loaded semi's out of deep mud (with another semi) without a problem.

I also use a heavy furniture blanket midway to prevent snapback should something break; I've broken a few chains and this works well. I've also been known to run a 2nd chain from stuck vehicle to a stationary object such as a tree, just in case it pulls free and lurches into the recovery vehicle. This has saved my bacon many times.

I also use doubling/tripling methods with chain recoveries on vehicles weighing more than 100,000 lbs. I doubt anyone here will ever find a need for this, so I won't elaborate.

IMO, Class I hitches are unacceptable for recovery, period. To the OP, dump the Class I altogether and get something heavier, assuming your Jeep will support towing that much weight.