Pulling Safely

budlite · Mar 6, 2012

Seen a couple references in the forums the last day or two on using a blanker or tarp thrown over a chain/cable to dampen said chain or cable should it snap under pulling stress. I have wondered what would be a safe way to prevent a backlash from a snapped chain, but a blanket or tarp doesn't seem adequate to what I figure the forces involved would generate. Is this really true? Is there a more foolproof measure, other than not pulling in the first place?

MMagis · Mar 6, 2012

On the extremely rare occasion that I’ve snapped a chain, the weight of the chain itself made it simply collapse to the ground. I can’t promise you that will always happen, but people sometimes over think things.

nwngunner · Mar 6, 2012

a chain with all the links will not store energy like a cable will. A chain should just fall to the ground. When i winch with my truck pulling a tractor out i always take a moving blanket and wet it down so its heavy. To try and make sure if it snaps it just falls.

MasseyWV · Mar 6, 2012

I agree that a cable is far more dangerous than a chain if it should snap. However, it is possible for a chain to snap back under the right circumstances, so I always use a moist blanket as a damper, which has saved me from severe injury on at least one occasion when a chain snapped as I was pulling a stump.

bcp · Mar 6, 2012

Years ago, I was trying to roll a large fir stump a dozer had already removed. I had about 30 feet of 1/4 chain hooked to the front tow hook below the bumper of an Isuzu Trooper. The stump rolled a bit then stopped suddenly. The chain snapped near the stump and the rest of it recoiled over the hood of the Trooper, breaking the windshield. Examination showed the broken link was rusted on most of the surface of the break, so full strength was not available.

Chains can recoil and fly through the air like a cable.

Bruce

Soundguy · Mar 6, 2012

i've slipped chains and cable thru fire hose when pulling...

kebo · Mar 6, 2012

^^^^ Sometimes it's a good idea to raise the hood up when doing this sort of stuff. It's not always possible or feasible to winch or pull with the hood up, but it can possibly prevent a shattered windshield. So, if you are some distance from home, it's probably better to drive back with a dented hood than a windshield all busted up.

rsewill · Mar 6, 2012

Cable is still going to be a problem with a tarp or blanket. Good quality chain should just drop because it doesn't stretch. Just make sure your cable is heavy enough so it doesn't break. I have seen guys wrap a chain around the midpoint of a cable to take the energy out of the cable if it snapped but I think this was just what they happened to have on hand.

pjbci · Mar 6, 2012

Good quality chain does not just drop. In 25 yrs of pulling large tractors, combines, dozers, and 18 wheelers from the mud, I have broken more grade 70 chains than I can count. All but one of them recoiled safely underneath the machines. The one other time it came thru the back glass and into the cab of my 180hp tractor with me. I still dont know why this time was different but it was a painful and expensive experience. I will probaly try the blanket nxt time.

Soundguy · Mar 6, 2012

only time i've pulled with a chain was using my big tractor to pull a dump truck out of a stall.. it snapped and whizzed back on both sides, making a riiiing sound when it hit the dump bed... from then on I used fire hose or a blanket..

nwngunner · Mar 7, 2012

I have never had anything that stuck where a 5/8 chain would break. I have snapped small 3/8 chain pulling logs and stuck trucks. I havnt seen one recoil so that is my bad. I know a buddy in SD, his neighbor had a big 4x4 tracked tractor trying to pull a combine out. They had a one inch steel cable to pull the combine out. The cable snapped at the hook on the combine. It recoiled came though the cab and killed the operator. Cable scares the **** out of me. I try to wrap a chain around a cable when i am doing heavy pulls.

SandburRanch · Mar 7, 2012

I've started wearing a good quality motorcycle helmet when pulling. At least it might give what remains of my brain a fighting chance.

Case485Guy · Mar 7, 2012

I would not use chain or wire rope for pulling. You are better off using a nylon sling or nylon rope. I have had a back window and passenger side mirrors taken out by chain in my personal experience years ago.At work in our pull test beds when we are pulling to destruction testing various slings etc. You definetly would chose the nylon sling or 3 strand nylon rope after seeing the results of wire rope,chain, nylon slings, nylon rope breaking. The best I think is a 1" double braid polyester or samson rope...tad expensive, but strong, light weight.
Why is it said chain does not store energy? When a chain is under full load and breaks, it is moving fast. More times than not when pulling out stuck equipment, its the jerking or shock load to the chain or wire rope that will break it.

nwngunner · Mar 7, 2012

I think its because of the links. Each link starts to move on its own dissipating its stored energy. I have seen of the heavy duty tow straps, they stretch to over 1/3 of their own length. So i bet if they snap they retract and not allow them selfs to go whipping around.

I know on my truck winch i want to get a syn rope so if it breaks it just drops. I remember mythbusters doing a show on the damage a snapped cable can do.

bcp · Mar 7, 2012

nwngunner said:
I have seen of the heavy duty tow straps, they stretch to over 1/3 of their own length. So i bet if they snap they retract and not allow them selfs to go whipping around.

And if whatever that strap is fastened to breaks off, that item will go through your back window at about 800 mph.

Some good information about joining straps:

http://www.tektrek.com.au/images/4WD RECOVERY_How to join recovery straps.pdf

Bruce

pjbci · Mar 7, 2012

bcp said:
And if whatever that strap is fastened to breaks off, that item will go through your back window at about 800 mph.

Bruce

I saw a trailer ball snap off a reciever hitch one time attached to a nylon strap. I assume that trailer ball is still in orbit around the earth because when it left the sling it was moving too fast to see it.

Case485Guy · Mar 7, 2012

pjbci said:
I saw a trailer ball snap off a reciever hitch one time attached to a nylon strap. I assume that trailer ball is still in orbit around the earth because when it left the sling it was moving too fast to see it.

Thats why its not a good idea to hook to a trailer ball with anything to be pulled out.All that shock load on a 1-1/4" or less diameter shank...not the smartest tow point to use.

Jamming · Mar 7, 2012

I only use spectra and plasma rope in the maritime tug boat ops. A chain is a good second choice and a cable is never used for towing unless it's underwater with a plane and not under a static load.
Rule: if it will stretch it will kill you when it lets go.

I use equipment "tug" that can pull 165 thousand pounds of material on a weekly basis, don't hook to a non pull point on any tractor, even a riding mower with a 3/8 rope can kill you if a metal part gives first.

Case485Guy · Mar 8, 2012

Jamming said:
I only use spectra and plasma rope in the maritime tug boat ops. A chain is a good second choice and a cable is never used for towing unless it's underwater with a plane and not under a static load.
Rule: if it will stretch it will kill you when it lets go.

I use equipment "tug" that can pull 165 thousand pounds of material on a weekly basis, don't hook to a non pull point on any tractor, even a riding mower with a 3/8 rope can kill you if a metal part gives first.

Plasma, now there is a cool rope.....stronger than same diameter wire rope and floats on water!

Another option over nylon would be going with a polyester strap.Polyester comes in the same widths and same weight ratings as its nylon counter parts, just no stretch.

I preferr the something that has some stretch to it when pullling out stuck equipment for the reason that will help reduce shock load if you have to jerk on it. In most cases that will happen in my experience, especially if no winch is available. Tow point securement has to be considered and done right, does not matter if you are using chain, nylon,plasma..whatever. Shackled into the frame,.... on a 2" reciever--pull the reciever hitch out, insert the eye into the tube, run hitch pin through the eye.