Ratcheting tie downs BROKE in transit!

Dargo · Mar 20, 2005

Anybody else use the 2" wide ratcheting tie downs? I've gotten into the habit of using two of the tie downs on the front of my tractor and two on the rear, and not using chains anymore. I figured since the tie downs said that they had a 10,000 pound capacity that two of them on each end of my tractor would be sufficient. Wrong!!!

While running about 50 mph up a 2 lane highway yesterday I had both front straps break after going over a dip in the road. When they snapped, one of them caught the electric brake plug and also broke it. The only way I knew that the straps broke was my tractor began to exit off of the rear of the trailer. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Now I also ask, have you ever been towing a load and have it become extremely tail heavy? Once the tractor moved to the rear on the trailer, the trailer immediately slung around my 1 ton 4X4 dually diesel Dodge like it was a toy! There are heavy black marks that go within 6" of being off of the left side of the highway (wrong lane) and then within 12" of going off of the right side of the highway. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I literally was all over the road and almost completely sideways. Without trailer brakes, I absolutely had all I could handle and then some trying to get the whole shooting match stopped with the rubber side down!

After what seemed like an eternity, I luckily managed to get the truck and trailer stopped. I have no idea how I didn't lose the tractor off of the trailer and how I kept it out of the ditches on both sides of the highway. I was also extremely lucky that there was no oncoming traffic because I was all over the highway. I still can't believe how much the trailer flung an 8500 pound truck all over the road!

I still can't believe that the only actual damage I had (besides two broken tie down straps - which I promptly threw away) was a flat right rear trailer tire from sliding sideways with a heavy load. The trailer didn't get into my truck, the tractor stayed on the trailer, and the trailer didn't flip.

Anyway, I'm getting a larger trailer that will accomodate my tractor better and I'll never use straps to hold my tractor on a trailer again!!! Both straps broke in the middle. Not at the hook, and not at the ratchet. There was nothing rubbing against the straps where they broke. They just flat snapped. I'm using nothing but chains again!

I only mention this incident to hopefully prevent someone else from having a disaster happen because of (supposedly) strong tie down straps break. I consider myself extremely fortunate and I don't expect to have another "warning" about not using chains to tie my tractor down on my trailer. If you use straps, please reconsider and use chains. Before yesterday I would have thought you were nuts if you told me that my tractor could snap two straps and come off of the trailer when I'm just driving down the highway. I learned my lesson and really got off easy for my ignorance. Sorry to preach, but that could have been a complete disaster yesterday and I could have very easily have not only destroyed my tractor, but there is no way I could have presented my trailer from smashing into oncoming traffic on the highway.

Henro · Mar 20, 2005

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif WOW! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Dargo,

Sure glad you came out of that OK without injury to yourself or anyone else!

I'm going to burn your experience into my memory banks for certain.

Thanks for sharing. You may have helped one or more of us here more than we will ever know, if we take your lead and use chains instead of straps.

Wow...scary...thanks again for taking the time to post this...

Cliff_Johns · Mar 20, 2005

Dargo, that was way to well written. Very scary stuff. I think I'd be shaking for many hours after an experience like that. You must have kept a level head, throughout. Thanks for relating the experience.

Cliff

Scrounger · Mar 20, 2005

Makes you wonder when all you see if tractor trailors with huge load sjust being held down by nylon straps. Thats how I secure my BX and I'm not planning to change to chain, but it makes me wonder.

Grade 70 5/16 is only good for 4700# and my nylons are good to 10K so wonder what is better. Time for Grade 100!

Cliff_Johns · Mar 20, 2005

( Grade 70 5/16 is only good for 4700# and my nylons are good to 10K so wonder what is better. Time for Grade 100! )

I admit I don't understand how straps (or chains for that matter) are rated. Is it like fishing line? I mean, 8lb test isn't something you'd normally use for a 8lb fighting fish is it? That jerking action is the key. I would think for a 5K tractor, you'd need maybe 50K test line? Maybe more? and if your ratchet is good for more than your strap, could you put so much pressure on the strap from tightening it down that a quick jerk could break it just from the ratchet being too tight? I've never trailered my tractor, so I have no idea. I'm just wondering.

Of course, this has probably been discussed to death before in other threads.

Cliff

johnday · Mar 20, 2005

Dargo; I'm wondering if I'm trusting straps too much now. I use 10K straps with a working load of 3300#. I keep them in very good shape with no fraying, don't leave them in the weather unless they are being used. Like you, I have two forward and two rear on my TC. With attachments, I'm carrying about 5500#. I thought I was being safe. Can you think of anything that might have happened? How did you store the straps when not in use? Around any chemicals or in direct sunlight?

At any rate, glad no one was hurt.

Dargo · Mar 20, 2005

As I mentioned, yesterday morning I would not have considered using chains again after the convenience of the nylon straps. My straps are less than 6 months old, have never been left outside or in the sun, and had positively no fraying. They were the more expensive commercial straps I bought from AW Direct, as opposed to the cheaper less expensive 10k straps that are sold by Rural King and Sams Club.

I know I can't tell people what to do, but I feel that I need to relay my story to others who are of the mindset like I was yesterday morning. That is the mindset that told me that there is no way that my tractor could break two of those straps while simply tooling down the highway. As I said, I got off extremely lucky.

As I write this, I'm in the process of ordering some additional heavy D rings, two more chain boomers, and some of the protective covering to put over the chains to keep from scratching my tractor. I am also ordering new grade 100 3/8" chain to replace the "cheap" made in China chain that I got from Rural King. I know quite well what the straps say that they will hold, and it seems that they should have no problem holding a tractor on a trailer. I hate to sound too melodramatic, but yesterday could have been a complete disaster that could have ruined the rest of my life. I'm a reasonable and logical person, but that one experience is quite enough to be a lesson to me. I, too, have seen loads held on semi trailers by straps and thought I'd be plenty safe with my tractor. However, upon further investigation, most of the heavy straps holding loads on semi trailers are the double thickness 4" wide strap rated at 50k pounds. Quite a difference. Again, sorry to preach, but I don't care to ever duplicate that ride I took yesterday! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Oh yes, when you do use a nylon strap, be sure to go by the WLL (working load limit) figure when assessing the strength. Don't use the "breaking strength" (the one commonly advertised). The "breaking strength" is the strength at which under absolute ideal conditions the strap will fail. If you need to hold down 4000 pounds, don't ever use a strap with a WLL limit of under 5000 pounds.

GerardC · Mar 20, 2005

I learned my lesson and really got off easy for my ignorance. 

How do you figure? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif You didn't do anything wrong. Faulty equipment does NOT make you ignorant. Happy to hear that other than what did happen nobody was hurt. Gerard

Dargo · Mar 20, 2005

Thanks Gerald. I'm just a bit rattled after that wild ride I had. Also, based upon what I thought I knew, I didn't think that wild ride would (or could) ever happen.

Junkman · Mar 20, 2005

I had a similar experience while crossing some railroad tracks back in 1964. I was towing my 1926 Buick Master home on a home made dual axle trailer without brakes using a bumper hitch with a 1 7/8" ball on the back of a 1964 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. Needless to say that I had the same whipping effect and was lucky that the oncoming drivers saw my predicament and pulled over to the side. I smashed the rear of the left quarter panel, but that was all. The car stayed on the trailer because it was chained down. That day, I learned the importance of a proper tow vehicle. We both had angels looking over our shoulder. Junk..