Looking for some guidance on recommended recovery strap minimum breaking strength. What do you recommended for our vehicles (130 for me) or when having to use it on friends? I'm currently trying decide between 24k lbs and 33k lbs and read it should be 3x or 5x the vehicle weight but is that curb weight and I also read if it's "too high" that can be a problem. Looking for the groups guidance. Thanks.

Note, this is not a request on how to recover a vehicle, I'm studied up on that, just want to understand what recovery strap I should have in the vehicle (not asking about brand).​​​​​​​

 

​​​​​​I've always used Voodoo. Great product and they are incredibly helpful if you call and ask for a recommendation.

Besides, who else did this?

 

If you’re talking about a static recovery strap, I don’t think buying one that has a higher load rating will result in any issues or damage.

OTOH, for a dynamic strap or rope…one where you’re using the momentum and stored energy from the stretch of the straps to help “******” you out, the load rating, if too high compared to your vehicle, can damage your vehicle because it won’t stretch enough and be too stiff.

For my “****** strap”, I started with the wet weight, plus accessories, and my load compared to the max GVW. In my case IIRC it didn’t change the load rating of the rope I purchased.

Basically the answer is it depends😁

 

I have found for a recovery strap, a "kinetic" rope (at least 30% stretch) will be the best to pull someone out, without putting too much "shock" forces on the vehicles. I recommend the Yankum Ropes 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope "Python" [ WLL 5,700-9,000 lbs] [MBS 28,600 lbs]. Great company with excellent durable products. Using a tree strap as a bridle works well to distribute the loads when pulling someone out, especially since the defender (if equipped) has tow rear tow loops. Soft shackles and a "closed" loop system are key for safety.

https://yankum.com/collections/kinet...-recovery-rope

Below are some pictures of most of the gear in my recovery kit, I do have some other Factor55 gear not shown in the picture (Rope Retention Pulley, HitchLink 2.0, soft shackles...) I do have the factory winch mounted on the AU Bullbar.

 

my preference based on research is Yankum Rope kinetic rope. Strap wise I don't like the idea of using those to pull something, for me they're to lock things down to a trailer. I've seen too many people use a strap to do pulls and watched them fail spectacularly. The only thing I wouldn't use a kinetic rope for is mud. You use a winch for mud because the math behind the suction is nuts and the weight is almost exponentially higher.

I'm not an expert though. but that's my current plan.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Do not use the tow hitch for off-road vehicle recovery - particularly dynamic (like this):


If you look behind the bumper there's a 1 foot (approx) drop from the frame attachment bar.


It's just like using a tow ball with a 1 foot drop as your recovery point. If you're lucky you'll just twist the frame when you use it at the rating discussed above. We've all seen the video of what happens of you're unlucky. This is why you have recovery eyes!

 

It's waving at me! 😍

 

I always wondered why you’d use the hitch vs recovery loops, and because I never got a clear answer, I never got a hitch loop. However I will admit I was tempted to because of those pics above.

So my question is, when is it appropriate to use a hitch mounted recovery eye?…not necessarily on a Defender but vehicles in general.

 

I've only used them on straight pulls with light loads (ATV, SXS, light vehicles...). But generally, I use the dedicated tow loops on the vehicle, especially when the pull is not straight back/forward. I use a bridle set up to split the load forces on the loops when the pull is off center.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm looking for help with ****** straps/recovery straps, NOT tow straps. I'm thinking of the situation where you may be stuck in sand and need some help out. What's the recommended strength? Is it wet weight x 3 or 5 or something? Thanks.