Depends on condition, but I don’t recommend it if it’s seen use with steel line.
Recovery Gear: Ongoing Discussion and Reviews
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Depends on condition, but I don’t recommend it if it’s seen use with steel line.
Scott B.
Adventurist
Why not?
What does the sheave intended for synthetic line look like? I don't think I have seen one up close.
Typically it’s highly polished and free of any defect. One burr or rough spot is all it takes to ruin a line.
Cheaper to pick up a new pulley block than to buy a new synthetic line
Wayne's Wagon
Adventurist
I've seen a couple counterfeit Crosby shackles at work over the years. One actually failed and dropped a 20,000 lb load. Not far but there was no warning, it happened fast. Definitely buy from a reputable rigging supplier and inspect it every use! That should be for all rigging.
Whether it’s a quarter or a half turn depends who you ask, but the practice stems from large rigging layouts (like logging) where over the course of the days work a fully seated pin would work its way ever tighter eventually requiring tools to knock down. This happens through vibration as the lines pass through the blocks. It really is a thing.
That may sound like no problem. But when you’ve got 3,000 feet of line laid out and a block WAY down in a creek with an elevation gain/loss of 1500 feet from the nearest road, you don’t want to get down there to remove that pulley block and discover you now need to go back and get a pipe wrench with breaker bar to remove it... Mongo made tight and now you must pay.
Ask me how I know
Scott B.
Adventurist
That's what I was always taught as well. That said, if you think about what we do (occasional vehicle recovery), we're talking very small layouts and very small movement of line through a block (maybe 100 feet of line), the odds of the pin settling and becoming un-removable by hand are minuscule.
Tightening the pin all the way is just fine for 4WD recovery. You have all your tools right there with you if Mongo gets it too tight to remove by hand
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WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
Part of a good stuck assessment is to see what is causing you not to move forward or back. With that being said removing or excavation of the material is necessary. The lowly shovel doesn’t get credit enough nor used as much as it should. My old shovel gave up this past trip. More than likely my fault trying to pry big chunks of crusty snow. That and 10+ years of use.
WashingtonTaco
Adventurist
So I did some shopping. First I went to the Home Depot and found the most American made shovel they offered made from US and foreign sourced materials. Looked okay so I picked it up for $26.47. Razorback is the brand, blade thickness of .075" lifetime warranty. Next I went to my favorite Amazon and found Bully Tools 100% made in the USA for 38.62 shipped, life time warranty, the blade is much thicker @ .095", they welded a gusset to the back for better durability and it has a fiberglass handle. Holding the two the Bully was much heavier and in general felt better in the hand. Not needing two shovels of similar style I returned the Razorback to HD. I've already snapped one wooden handle shovel, I'll try my hand with the fiberglass handle one this go around.
ArkansasDon
Adventurist
I like the Factor 55 products.
java230
Adventurist
This is fantastic they do testing! But the test rig does not use a standard hitch pin (I am guessing). Lets assume most folks are running a 5/8" pin. And probably a cheap one, best case is probably grade 2 not grade 8, and possibly even chinesium instead....
From a Purdue University paper.
So a 5/8" grade 2 is only good for 27k lbs. A Gr8 is good for 55k, which makes this not a metal missile. Always important to think about where you weak link in the rigging is. I certainly would not want that to come flying out.
Yes most folks will never approach the 27k for a grade 2 pin, but show of hands, who knows what the pin rating on their truck is right now?
Owning a big heavy truck has me looking at all this stuff far more closely. I hate to think people see this test and assume the are good to go.
While we're guessing, I would guess that they use a high quality Grade 5 pin for testing or better as they want to isolate the point of failure to the item being tested.
That said, you bring up a great point. I highly recommend that everyone reading this verify the rating of the type of hitch pin they have BEFORE using something like the Factor 55 Hitchlink as a recovery point.
From Factor 55's site:
- Never exceed factory receiver hitch pull rating
- Always use a quality steel alloy 5/8” hitch pin
- Always pull in line with the hitch, do not bind or side load the shackle
java230
Adventurist
Agreed! Check your hitch rating as well.
Grade 8 is stronger overall, but less ductile that a grade 5. The shear forces are higher with the grade 8, but perhaps the grade 5 will bend and give warning before failure? Interesting thoughts there.
That being said, I don't like my hitch for anything but a mild tug on my big truck personally! (due to the construction, its plenty strong, but has a lot of leverage)
When I was a logger I ran a Cat 518 skidder, we used Grade 5 bolts on the belly pans (skid plates) because Grade 8's seemed to sheer off with frequency under the extreme conditions we worked in (bouncing hard over stumps and rocks all day every day).
java230
Adventurist
Yes a grade 8 is less ductile than a grade 5. It will shear where a grade 5 may bend. In a double shear application like a hitch pin I dont know that there is much room for a grade 5 to bend however.
Interesting discussion anyway
