Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
released without prior warning.

A chain can be useful where a strap might be cut, but a strap is the first
choice.

A strap is also much lighter than a chain of equal length.

A chain is preferred over those straps with hooks on the end.




"William Oliveri" <wuji@bigvalley.net> wrote in message
news:2gv4o3F75p8lU1@uni-berlin.de...
> A while back I picked up some nice chains at a yard sale and had planned
to
> used them if needed for towing. Then I noticed on some of the jeep clubs
> sites they specify tow straps, not chains.
>
> Why is that? Why are tow straps better? Recoil damage if it brakes?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
>
>

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

A chain stores almost no energy under its rated working load but does
have a very high mass. Keep it away from anything that might be elastic
under load (like a recovery strap.) If you overload a chain it will
stretch and store a lot of energy before it fails- and if you ever
overload it you need to throw it out immediately!

And there are two types of straps. The recovery strap is designed to
store large amounts of energy. A tow strap is designed to store as
little energy as possible. They both have their place and you could
often substitute chain for a tow strap. As was already said- never use a
strap with any attached metal.

I use both chain and a tow strap with my hi-lift since I'm too cheap to
buy a winch. The chain goes on one end of the hi-lift and the strap goes
on the other. I could another chain instead of the strap, but 25' of
chain weights over 30lbs and doesn't take an insignificant amount of
space...

I carry 25' of 3/8" grade 70 chain with a grab hook on one end and a
slip hook on the other. The hooks are rated for grade 70 as well. The
rating is 6600lbs working load. The shear pin on the hi-lift will break
well before the chain does.

Recovers 40" at a time! ;)

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

A chain stores almost no energy under its rated working load but does
have a very high mass. Keep it away from anything that might be elastic
under load (like a recovery strap.) If you overload a chain it will
stretch and store a lot of energy before it fails- and if you ever
overload it you need to throw it out immediately!

And there are two types of straps. The recovery strap is designed to
store large amounts of energy. A tow strap is designed to store as
little energy as possible. They both have their place and you could
often substitute chain for a tow strap. As was already said- never use a
strap with any attached metal.

I use both chain and a tow strap with my hi-lift since I'm too cheap to
buy a winch. The chain goes on one end of the hi-lift and the strap goes
on the other. I could another chain instead of the strap, but 25' of
chain weights over 30lbs and doesn't take an insignificant amount of
space...

I carry 25' of 3/8" grade 70 chain with a grab hook on one end and a
slip hook on the other. The hooks are rated for grade 70 as well. The
rating is 6600lbs working load. The shear pin on the hi-lift will break
well before the chain does.

Recovers 40" at a time! ;)

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

A chain stores almost no energy under its rated working load but does
have a very high mass. Keep it away from anything that might be elastic
under load (like a recovery strap.) If you overload a chain it will
stretch and store a lot of energy before it fails- and if you ever
overload it you need to throw it out immediately!

And there are two types of straps. The recovery strap is designed to
store large amounts of energy. A tow strap is designed to store as
little energy as possible. They both have their place and you could
often substitute chain for a tow strap. As was already said- never use a
strap with any attached metal.

I use both chain and a tow strap with my hi-lift since I'm too cheap to
buy a winch. The chain goes on one end of the hi-lift and the strap goes
on the other. I could another chain instead of the strap, but 25' of
chain weights over 30lbs and doesn't take an insignificant amount of
space...

I carry 25' of 3/8" grade 70 chain with a grab hook on one end and a
slip hook on the other. The hooks are rated for grade 70 as well. The
rating is 6600lbs working load. The shear pin on the hi-lift will break
well before the chain does.

Recovers 40" at a time! ;)

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

A chain stores almost no energy under its rated working load but does
have a very high mass. Keep it away from anything that might be elastic
under load (like a recovery strap.) If you overload a chain it will
stretch and store a lot of energy before it fails- and if you ever
overload it you need to throw it out immediately!

And there are two types of straps. The recovery strap is designed to
store large amounts of energy. A tow strap is designed to store as
little energy as possible. They both have their place and you could
often substitute chain for a tow strap. As was already said- never use a
strap with any attached metal.

I use both chain and a tow strap with my hi-lift since I'm too cheap to
buy a winch. The chain goes on one end of the hi-lift and the strap goes
on the other. I could another chain instead of the strap, but 25' of
chain weights over 30lbs and doesn't take an insignificant amount of
space...

I carry 25' of 3/8" grade 70 chain with a grab hook on one end and a
slip hook on the other. The hooks are rated for grade 70 as well. The
rating is 6600lbs working load. The shear pin on the hi-lift will break
well before the chain does.

Recovers 40" at a time! ;)

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

Wrong. Chain stores very little energy compared to a strap.
That's the problem, you have no stretching ability, using a chain
tends to rip the hooks off or bend the frame.

The problem comes when you MIX chain or hooks and a strap that
stores lots of energy. Stretch the strap, have a hook come loose,
and the hook gets the same energy as a 20 MM cannon shell. Very
nasty results.

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.
>
> A chain can be useful where a strap might be cut, but a strap is the first
> choice.
>
> A strap is also much lighter than a chain of equal length.
>
> A chain is preferred over those straps with hooks on the end.
>
>
>
>
> "William Oliveri" <wuji@bigvalley.net> wrote in message
> news:2gv4o3F75p8lU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
>>A while back I picked up some nice chains at a yard sale and had planned
>
> to
>
>>used them if needed for towing. Then I noticed on some of the jeep clubs
>>sites they specify tow straps, not chains.
>>
>>Why is that? Why are tow straps better? Recoil damage if it brakes?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>
>
>
>

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

Wrong. Chain stores very little energy compared to a strap.
That's the problem, you have no stretching ability, using a chain
tends to rip the hooks off or bend the frame.

The problem comes when you MIX chain or hooks and a strap that
stores lots of energy. Stretch the strap, have a hook come loose,
and the hook gets the same energy as a 20 MM cannon shell. Very
nasty results.

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.
>
> A chain can be useful where a strap might be cut, but a strap is the first
> choice.
>
> A strap is also much lighter than a chain of equal length.
>
> A chain is preferred over those straps with hooks on the end.
>
>
>
>
> "William Oliveri" <wuji@bigvalley.net> wrote in message
> news:2gv4o3F75p8lU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
>>A while back I picked up some nice chains at a yard sale and had planned
>
> to
>
>>used them if needed for towing. Then I noticed on some of the jeep clubs
>>sites they specify tow straps, not chains.
>>
>>Why is that? Why are tow straps better? Recoil damage if it brakes?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>
>
>
>

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

Wrong. Chain stores very little energy compared to a strap.
That's the problem, you have no stretching ability, using a chain
tends to rip the hooks off or bend the frame.

The problem comes when you MIX chain or hooks and a strap that
stores lots of energy. Stretch the strap, have a hook come loose,
and the hook gets the same energy as a 20 MM cannon shell. Very
nasty results.

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.
>
> A chain can be useful where a strap might be cut, but a strap is the first
> choice.
>
> A strap is also much lighter than a chain of equal length.
>
> A chain is preferred over those straps with hooks on the end.
>
>
>
>
> "William Oliveri" <wuji@bigvalley.net> wrote in message
> news:2gv4o3F75p8lU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
>>A while back I picked up some nice chains at a yard sale and had planned
>
> to
>
>>used them if needed for towing. Then I noticed on some of the jeep clubs
>>sites they specify tow straps, not chains.
>>
>>Why is that? Why are tow straps better? Recoil damage if it brakes?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>
>
>
>

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

Wrong. Chain stores very little energy compared to a strap.
That's the problem, you have no stretching ability, using a chain
tends to rip the hooks off or bend the frame.

The problem comes when you MIX chain or hooks and a strap that
stores lots of energy. Stretch the strap, have a hook come loose,
and the hook gets the same energy as a 20 MM cannon shell. Very
nasty results.

CRWLR wrote:

> A chain store a shitload of energy, and it has loads of mass if that energy
> is suddenly released. A nylon strap also stores energy, but it has virtually
> no mass so there is very little danger to bystanders is the energy is
> released without prior warning.
>
> A chain can be useful where a strap might be cut, but a strap is the first
> choice.
>
> A strap is also much lighter than a chain of equal length.
>
> A chain is preferred over those straps with hooks on the end.
>
>
>
>
> "William Oliveri" <wuji@bigvalley.net> wrote in message
> news:2gv4o3F75p8lU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
>>A while back I picked up some nice chains at a yard sale and had planned
>
> to
>
>>used them if needed for towing. Then I noticed on some of the jeep clubs
>>sites they specify tow straps, not chains.
>>
>>Why is that? Why are tow straps better? Recoil damage if it brakes?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Bill
>>
>>
>
>
>

Re: Tow Strap vs Tow Chains
 

Tim Hayes wrote:

> I use both chain and a tow strap with my hi-lift since I'm too cheap to
> buy a winch. The chain goes on one end of the hi-lift and the strap goes
> on the other.

And hopefully are very aware that if the chain "slips off" from whatever it is
attached to on the "far side" of the highlift (not clear if that is the jeep or
the tree), that it and the highlift will be propelled at potentially high rates
of speed towards whatever the tow strap is attached to.

And if you happen to be standing on the wrong side of the highlift handle when
it takes off with the chain, it just might kill you. Or the end of the chain
wipping around might kill you as it goes zipping past you on the way to whatever
spectators might be around.

Not saying this is wrong (I have the same setup!), but you must know the risks
and treat the setup like it's a cannon and make darned sure the chain is not
going to break or "slip free", and not pointed at anyone.

alan