Popular mythconceptions

[Motorboatin]

I'm sure that makes them less dangerous.

Plus, because they would normally weigh less than a cable of similar strength, more energy is absorbed moving the additional mass before it hits something.
(Although writing that makes me wonder - where does that energy go?Not light, maybe some heat? A little noise?)

This energy went into the boat

 

[Industrial Toys]

Bruce Willis didn't use any blanket when that winch line came off the Dodge on the bridge and was hooked to the ship.

 

[k0ua]

According to Snopes there was a time when this was true:


Do Cement Floors Ruin Car Batteries?

IF old rubber battery cases were so porous that they actually seeped acid and/or allowed current to flow, then explain to me how they were able to sit on their steel battery tray's in their automobiles? Sure must have gone thru a lot of batteries and battery trays. Personally I think this IS and always WAS Bravo Sierra (BS). As in total BS.

 

[oosik]

There's only one thing "super heros" use a blanket for - and it's not that often, at that. Control whip lash - ???

 

[dnw64]

a trick which I haven't seen anybody use in years is two tow chains with a tire (sans rim) between them. If you need to "jerk" the stuck vehicle a little, the tire absorbs the initial shock yet you will still give them a "snap."

Speaking of alternative uses for tires.

Many moons ago my friend and I needed to tow a car maybe 10 miles. Being young and poor we didn't have a car hauler or dolly and didn't want to rent one. We had done short hauls using a chain, but that can be really tricky maintaining tension so you don't get a snap. The solution we came up with was to chain a tire to my snow plow so that it was hanging roughly in the middle of the plow, and adjusted the plow height so it was centered roughly on the middle of the rear bumper and pushed it. Worked great! On downhill runs the car just coasted, and it was easy to come up behind it and give it a push when needed. Probably not very legal...

 

[sixdogs]

Yes, very well. A light jacket will do the trick.

When in AK, I belonged to a four wheel drive club. We ALWAYS draped an old Army wool blanket over the winch line. You DARN WELL better believe the blanket will absorb the recoil.

You want to see a "deer in the headlight" look. Have a winch line snap - come whizzing back - split the windshield on the winching vehicle right in half.

We used a wadded up chain hung over the pull chain near the stuck car or whatever. I never had one break but they say it absorbs the energy.

Another thing we did was loop the chain under, rather than over when hooking up. Belief was any broken chain would snap down rather than up. Not so sure on that, especially if the chain broke in the middle but we never had a chain or rope break. I have, however, seen puckered bumpers and a smashed windshields and those were a lasting impression.

 

[the old grind]

- If there's no convenient place to connect to the frame, Dad's tractor will pull Mom's car up a steep, icy driveway by rolling down the car's windows and threading a towing strap across the dashboard to take hold of it by the A-pillars.

- Subsequent door frame leaks and a cracked windshield do not constitute evidence of this method in the face of denial, and there was no jerking motion used to get the Cavalier moving.

- No witnesses, no kludge.

 

[4get gto]

- If there's no convenient place to connect to the frame, Dad's tractor will pull Mom's car up a steep, icy driveway by rolling down the car's windows and threading a towing strap across the dashboard to take hold of it by the A-pillars.

- Subsequent door frame leaks and a cracked windshield do not constitute evidence of this method in the face of denial, and there was no jerking motion used to get the Cavalier moving.

- No witnesses, no kludge.

BillyBob, BobbyRay and BettyLou says that way works great.. :thumbsup: :laughing:

 

[Oaktree]

IF old rubber battery cases were so porous that they actually seeped acid and/or allowed current to flow, then explain to me how they were able to sit on their steel battery tray's in their automobiles? Sure must have gone thru a lot of batteries and battery trays.

I dunno, I remember seeing a lot of rotted out battery trays in cars back in the 60s. Of course with the amount of salt they put on roads here, the cars themselves didn't last more than 5-6 years back then either.

 

[k0ua]

I dunno, I remember seeing a lot of rotted out battery trays in cars back in the 60s. Of course with the amount of salt they put on roads here, the cars themselves didn't last more than 5-6 years back then either.

Well, if there was anything crying out to be made out of polymer it is a battery tray. Making them out of steel is sheer folly and always has been. There is always some fumes that come out of lead acid batteries around the posts, out of the caps etc. Let alone if a crack should actually form around the posts etc.