Tow Strap replacement chunk

jimpen · Mar 8, 2014

My daily driver is a KIA Forte Koup. I drove over a curb a few years ago, on a very snowy night, with it outside a Wal-Mart and got myself stuck, The plow driver didn't have any tow stuff with him. So I went into the store and bought a $25 tow strap. That got me out of the situation and then I carried it with me.

Fast forward a few years and I bought my Mahindra. I tried using the the tow strap to pull fence posts and it wasn't up to the task and broke. So I went out and bought a 10K chain as the replacement. It's pulled more than very big fence post.

So now we get to this winter. My KIA has a front and rear pull hook attached to the frame. I tried to attach the chain to the hooks on the car to get it out of the driveway. The hooks on the chain are too narrow to fit the car attachment points. So I went the foolish route. The one end of the tow strap still has about three-four feet of strap on it. I did a fence post hitch knot from on the end of the chain with the tow strap and then put that under the car. Then hook the chain to the BH and dragged the car out of the driveway. So far so good.

This worked several times this year. But I don't want this to be the permanent solution.

Does anyone know of a company to make just a four-six foot tow strap that would have two different ends? The one end would fit the car attachment points and preferably be long enough not to damage the car. The other end will link to the 10K chain/hook that be doing the pulling. Basically the sewing is what I need through a 10K nylon strap.

bcp · Mar 9, 2014

How about a sling, then add hooks of your choice?

For example:
Harbor Freight sling

Or a custom made or in-stock strap:
The Strapguy

Bruce

BKBoiss · Mar 9, 2014

I second a short sling I know around here you can get them with steel rings in one or both ends not sure where you could find that in your area but I'm sure someone who sells lifting equipment could help you out. Or you could just use a clevis on one end.

jimpen · Mar 9, 2014

The sling doesn't really work. Trying to get it hooked to the attachment loops in inches of snow, in adverse conditions, and then back out 5-10 minutes later is something I put down as a royal PITA.

I may have to e-mail the strapguy if I can't find a commercial version first.

JDgreen227 · Mar 9, 2014

I second the clevis idea presented. By the way, I envy people like you who are fortunate enough to have a pull hook attached to the vehicle frame...that is good design and ALL unibody vehicles should have them.

Blaneypark · Mar 9, 2014

I have takes straps to an Awning shop before. Took the hook, ring, strap and had them sew them to the length i wanted. Cost $10.00 to have them do it.

rd_macgregor · Mar 18, 2014

My wife stuck the Corolla in the snow at the end of our driveway on the weekend. I have a short length of chain with a hook on one end that I threaded through the tow loop and hooked to itself. Then I hooked my tractor chain to the dangling end of the short piece. After I had the car out in the clear, all I had to do was detach the hook of the short chain and pull it out through the tow loop...that way I only had to lie down in the snow once (when I threaded the chain through the tow loop).

jimpen · Mar 18, 2014

rd_macgregor said:
My wife stuck the Corolla in the snow at the end of our driveway on the weekend. I have a short length of chain with a hook on one end that I threaded through the tow loop and hooked to itself.

The way the hooks are setup the chain won't fit through them. Otherwise I would try that.

Gary Fowler · Mar 18, 2014

Since you have a chain with chain hooks, just go to Harbor Freight and buy a shackle that is large enough to slide over your car hooks and still allow room for the chain, run the chain thru the shackle and hook the hook back to the tow chain, then drop the shackle over your cars tow hooks and tow away.