Pulling car out of snowbank

[JDgreen227]

I started a thread here on TBN maybe two years ago about (Censored) unibody cars and the inability to find any type of attachment point for a tow strap or chain. Witnessed a wrecker pull a badly mired Grand Caravan out of the snow at a 90 degree angle about four years ago, the wrecker driver used a J-hook attached to the rear suspension. I question the strength of that attachment point but where else can you hook on? I REALLY miss the old body-on-frame cars.

 

[Bob77064]

About six years ago I had to pull a Ford van that was high centered on rocks. This van was body on frame but we could not find a good place on the front to hook on. The driver put the hook and one the axle beams and I pulled to van off the rocks.

 

[Fordman1981]

I pulled a stranger out of the ditch the other day with the police present. It's been a rough winter for everyone. This is what I do sometimes, some people obviously don't have clue, and I will look for an obvious spot but many times can't find one and I will say sorry. A lady was driving in front of me a couple years ago and over-shot a turn and ended up in the far ditch on the side road. I stopped and offered to help, she had a nice tow hitch on the back of her Cherokee, so it would have been easy, but she said she was going to call her husband because they only lived a few minutes away. This was out here in farm country, but I guess she still could have been a little nervous when two guys get out of a truck in the middle of the night (had my BIL with me), but I am sure the husband would have appreciated not having to come out in that crap.

I pulled a cop out if his driveway 2 weeks ago so I didn't have to worry about a cop being present. The crown Vic has nothing to hook a chain or a pull rope to that we could find. He called the station they said to chain to the front sway bar.

 

[dmccarty]

I pulled a WRANGLER, yes a WRANGLER, that was stuck in a bit of snow. Really sad that was since he really should have been able to get that Jeep unstuck. I had the owner hook up the strap to his Jeep and then I pulled him out while driving backwards, uphill, on solid ice. I really think the guy could have gotten out by himself but I was glad to help.

In the last snowstorm, a person made a video of a guy in a white truck pulling a CITY bus up an ice covered hill. Pretty danged amazing. I was really surprised to see that one. The bus was helping and I guess got on some ice and slid to the curb. The extra pull from the truck go 'er going. :thumbsup:

Later,
Dan

 

[downslope]

Not sure if it's ok but I have seen the recovery strap tied to a wheel to pull from.

When stuck in snow, isn't it better to have someone in the stuck car with the engine running, in gear, and trying to move in the direction of pull with wheels turning (spinning) slowly?

I guess you could hook to a wheel depending on direction of pull and whether car was RWD or FWD. Personally, I don't like hooking to suspension components, better to pull from frame/unibody point.

 

[mikehaugen]

I don't know if it's true, but I have heard that the "frame" slots are only for tie-down and not for recovery. That said, I still use them.

 

[Dutch445]

going back a few years (1991 or so) when i still had my old JD 445 GT, the neighbor slid off
the road in his Dodge Ram, and I hooked up (loaded tires, cab and chains, blower on the front) and
pulled him out of the ditch. (ok, yes, the dodge probably helped a little)
but it worked!

 

[bcp]

Cherokee in mud, with what looks like strap to tow hook, breaks suspension. Probably a much harder pull than stuck in snow, but could happen if frozen in place.

 

[JDgreen227]

going back a few years (1991 or so) when i still had my old JD 445 GT, the neighbor slid off
the road in his Dodge Ram, and I hooked up (loaded tires, cab and chains, blower on the front) and
pulled him out of the ditch. (ok, yes, the dodge probably helped a little)
but it worked!

Tell us please, did you pull the Dodge out by front or rear, and what attachment point did you use on the truck? Reminds me of the time I pulled a 3/4 ton 4X4 pickup out, he was mired in deep snow and the rear was on the downgrade, all I had to do was give him a healthy tug from the front using my diff lock (ice underneath) using the chain he hooked to the front tow hooks.

And while we are on this subject, if you had a preference, which type of recovery aid would you prefer to use, a tow strap or a chain?

 

[not2old]

What kind/model of tractor is best for pulling cars out of ditches???

I got my GC2610 Massey TLB stuck once, when I couldn't tell where the edge of the road was. A friend was going by in his 988 Cat loader and pulled me out with minimal effort.