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STARTING AND OPERATING 171
Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap
– Tow
straps are a quick and easy way to recover your
vehicle from minor situations if you have a
secondary vehicle which is not stuck. The tow
hooks on your vehicle are designed to take the
abusive force generated during vehicle recovery.
Do not use the bumper or any other vehicle
component as an attachment point. Using tow
straps requires coordination between the two
drivers. Good communication and line of sight are
required for a safe recovery. First connect the tow
strap to the correct attachment points on both
vehicles. There should be a least 20 to 30 feet (6
to 9 meters) between the vehicles to allow for a
safe recovery. If necessary join two tow straps
together using a 1.5 inch hard wood dowel. This
will keep the straps from becoming knotted and is
safer than using a clevis pin if the strap breaks.
Next have the tow vehicle back-up, leaving two to
three feet worth of slack in the strap. Then the
tow vehicle, using light throttle, should accelerate
tightening the strap providing the pulling force
needed to free the vehicle. The vehicle being
recovered should assist in the recovery, at the
time of the snap, by slowly spinning the tires in
the same direction as the pulling vehicle. After the
vehicle becomes free, the driver of the previously
stuck vehicle should signal they are free and
should hit their brakes stopping both vehicles.
The driver of the pulling vehicle should let off the
throttle without using the brakes, once signaled
by the other driver. This sequence is important to
avoid having the recovered vehicle hit the pulling
vehicle.
Winching (Refer To “Winch Operation” For Addi-
tional Information)
– Winching is most commonly
used in the following situations: there is no
support vehicle available, a high controlled force
is required to recover the vehicle, there is a high
risk of environmental or vehicle damage, or
where nothing else seems to work. A winch can
deliver a high pulling force with a great deal of
control. It allows you to walk the vehicle out of the
situation in a slow controlled manner. This control
works well for avoiding further vehicle damage.
Once you decide it is time to use the winch look
for a good anchor point. It needs to be strong
enough to hold more than the vehicle's weight
and provide a direction of pull as straight as
possible. Use block and tackle if necessary to
improve the angle of pull or increase the winch's
pulling force. If the anchor point is a tree use a
strap around its base and hook the cable to the
strap. If it is another vehicle, then place that
vehicle in PARK and block the front tires. If you
cannot find an anchor point within reach try using
your spare tire by burying it. Once you have deter-
mined an anchor point hook up the cable,
ensuring there are a least five wraps of cable left
on the drum, and place a floor mat or something
else over the strung out cable. Placing something
over the strung out cable helps keep the cable on
the ground if it breaks. Next, place the vehicle in
FIRST gear and apply a very light throttle as you
power the winch in. Be careful not to allow slack
in the cable as you recover the vehicle. Do not try
to guide the cable into the drum. If it starts to
bunch up on one end, let it. You can re-spool the
cable afterwards. Never use a winch cable as a
tow strap and always stand back while winching.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at
an excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires
faster than an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).
WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two
straps with a clevis pin. These heavy metal
objects could become projectiles if a strap
breaks, which could cause severe injury. Never
leave more than 2 to 3 feet (0.60 to 1 meter) of
slack in the strap. More slack than this greatly
increases the risk of injury and vehicle damage.
Always keep everyone at least 30 feet (9 meters)
away from a strapping or winching situation.
4
22_DJD2_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 171
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