how do i tow(?) winch or drag my rover when the direction of rescue needs to be sideways?!


while rovering alongside a lake on a trail with the wifey the rover took a complete 6 foot slide to the right and got stuck! the left (drivers) side is now in fender deep water and the rest of the vehicle is high and dry.the problem is that in addition to to being in water (a lake actually) the truck is sitting on the embankment leaning towards the water. i cant do a simple front or rear pull cause i believe it will just pull the opposite end into the lake. (i found out the cold wet way that the water is about ******** deep at the bank.)

suggestions on tow points and techniques for dragging my rover sideways?
stock 2000 disco II
thanks

 

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...z/IMG00405.jpg

here is pic of stuck rover. it is tipped WAY more than it looks like it is... at least from the drivers seat

[IMG]local://upfiles/9134/487E6C97E1294F82AC63431998A70995.jpg[/IMG]

 

uhh jeez. that's not a fun situation. you're not gonna be able to pull sideways without an extremely high danger of rolling it. I'd tie two trucks to it. One to pull and the other as an anchor if it starts slipping into the water. you may have some digging ahead of you too.

 

About the only thing you can do is pull from the front pass side, crank the steering wheel hard right and jerk the front end around, the back will get wet but who cares.
Depending on how cold it is there get it out before it freezes otherwise it will be there until spring.

 

it's a rover... get the back wet

 

Here is a funny story, when I drove truck I had a set route.
Well I drove past this farm every Wendsday, it was fall, a farmer got his Ford pickup stuck in the mud in a field.
Buried to the axles.
The mud froze.
The truck sat there all winter.
End of April he finally got it out.
I laughed every week.

 

I hope you get it out and get it out soon!
At that angle it looks like it should've kept tipping into the water... you were mighty lucky!

 

Man, your situation sucks, been there. DO NOT attempt to tow ANY vehicle sideways, what usually happens is you shear all the studs off your hubs (where the wheels used to be) OFF, usually on the inside of the vehicle (side closest to the winch) for some reason the outer side has a little more give. ANCHOR the FRAME (on the passenger side), it looks pretty scary to anchor the "B" pillar (windshield post is "A" pillar....) with the right amount of torque you could spring the pillar. Leave the frame anchored and as said before pull it from the front passenger side, once your on safe ground remove the frame anchor and DON'T forget its on there once you get out, could be similar to driving off with the gas pump hose still attached only worse.

Best of luck,

Robert

 

Well I have to disagree with the "sideways" comment as you have no choice in that situation, and I have never seen a vehicle shear of its wheels.

With the ground being slippy, she will slide round no problem imo.

The "tow" vehicle should have been putat right anglesto your truck and then drag it up the bank from either the front or rear, depending on the strongest tow point, if you have onyl factory tow hitch at front, then I would have gone on the rear at the tow hitch, (if you have one) if not then round the axle.

If you dont it will slide down into the water when towingstraight onthe front or back.

if you tow the front then with the wheels turned hard lock up the bank, the rear will slide round and out she will come forwards up the bank. Not really a problem tbh, because if the ground was slippy enough for you to slide sideways down the bank, she willslide round no probs when under tow.

A long tow rope would be best to to keep the tow vehicle well back up the bank and of the slippy stuff. Which ever way you do it, either the front or back will get wet, but not an issue just a choice you have to make. A "******" recovery would be the "Ideal" tow out of that to jerk it round.

 

Good Point Urban, the ground may be that slippery. Keep the wheels turning maybe. The situation I saw was in the dry, when they started pulling it (a Jeep by the by) dirt built up in front of the tires (very quickly) and acted like chokes - this force (I believe) is what sheared the studs (for the lug nuts)

Only explaining what I saw, Urban has a good point (slippery, I missed) on this

AAAAAA prezents


Robert