Tow strap vs lift strap/sling

[nselvera]

Hey guys, my first time posting on here. I was wondering if these straps I have are adequate for vehicle recovery. While doing some research I found that picture that said lifting straps are for vehicle recovery but people on other forums say tow straps are better for recovery. Am I missing something? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

 

[The other Sean]

Those should be fine. They are actually rated. Some of the no name off sore straps are not. Keep in mind, those ratings are the "working load limit" so, for the use of pulling a vehicle off an obstacle, they are good.

I have one of those endless loops. it's a great unit, lots of options. It can double as a tree saver, loop it around a tube bumper or slider or, My favorite is you can loop it around a tire to secure a vehicle from sliding sideways, or use it to pull as a last resort if there isn't an anchor point where you need.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Tow strap=no stretch
Recovery strap=up to 30%+ stretch.

 

[Kryllac]

Tow straps DO work when in a situation and you need to get someone out of something. Just please keep in mind they are stiff with no stretch as madcratebuilder mentioned. This could potentially cause unwanted jerking during the recovery and cause damage to parts if not done properly. The ones you have are slings (recovery straps) so they work great and are recommended for pulling people out.

 

[Lindenwood]

To be clear, just because a strap is advertised as a "recovery" strap, does not inherently mean it will stretch. In fact, google "recovery strap," and most products will not advertise any stretch at all, even they are indeed a properly-rated strap. However, what they all have in common is a very high working load / breaking strength, which is necessary even for carefully-executed recoveries because vehicles can shift and bind. They can still double as tow straps in that they enable you to apply smooth, even pressure to pull a vehicle without it trying to "bungee" or, just as importantly, without damaging the strap by keep it stretched out for an extended period. One examples would be pulling a broken-down rig several miles out of a trail; you wouldn't want an elastic strap because it would have a tendency to "slinky" the towed vehicle, and you'd potentially damage the strap.

Still, they are not meant for deliberately jerking the strap with the recovering vehicle!!!! For those, you'd want a kinetic recovery strap, also called a "snatch atrap." A snatch strap allows you to use the vehicle's momentum to generate extra force to recover the vehicle, without generating the tens of thousands of extra pounds of force created by jerking a stiff strap or chain.

So, sometimes a non-elastic recovery strap and a kinetic recovery strap can perform the same duties. If slowly pulling a sedan out of a ditch, either would work. On the other hand, a non-kinetic strap should be used for lighter-load, extended pulls, while a kinetic recovery strap should be used for hard recoveries requiring dynamic movement to "snatch" the stuck vehicle out.

Hope this helps!

 

[old_man]

With most neophytes, their first inclination is to get a run at it and do a big yank. That is actually the last thing you want to do. More bumpers are damaged (torn off of vehicles) that way. Unless the bumper is specifically designed as a tow point or it was made before 1950, never use the bumper. Only a half step better are the factory hold down points they use to secure your vehicle to a transport truck getting to the dealer. They are flimsy and if stressed too much either break or rip a big hole in the undercarriage. They are known for causing lots of injuries and even death to bystanders.

If you aren't going to add tow points, at least get a short tree saver type strap and crawl under and find something substantial it can be looped around such as a front K member.

The real key is to never get stuck by looking at an obstacle and determining the best method. If you aren't sure you can make it and have no one else along, turn around. As you gain experience, you can get a bit more aggressive, but take your time to get some experience and get comfortable with the limits of your vehicle.

Happy Trails.

 

[Hobie01]

i use a static strap from a local car shop for recovery. after i moved to el dorado county (4000 ft ish) i started to build a kit for helping those stuck on the side of the road. after this last week of snow (2-3 feet in 4 days) i've helped 3 jeeps and 2 passenger cars. the important thing is to make sure you check your line and gear before and after each use. if you see your hooks bending or your line tearing anywhere, get a new one and use that old one for non crucial things (my first tow strap is now my hammock tree saver). also ALWAYS ask the person being helped "have you ever been towed like this before? do you know what to do to not damage your or my car?". it's amazing how many people have never been towed and dont know to put it in neutral or 4low, straighten the wheels, stop before they run into you, etc.

It's pretty safe once you know the basics. take the time to learn your cars recovery points (maybe look at your friends cars to be familiar with other models as well) and know your gear, and the limits of what you can do.

 

[Boostpowered]

If i dont have the winch attached i use one of those lift slings to tow people out , i call them infinity straps. No real reason why i prefer it other than my dad gave it to me a while back and it has a fairly high rating. Also very versatile i normally use mine as a tree saver.

 

[Billiebob]

Different design and engineering. There is a huge difference between static lifting and dynamic towing.

 

[bgenlvtex]

Regardless of what it is constructed of, a sling made for lifting is not intended to be shock loaded. In fact if actually being used for lifting it should be re-tested after any shock loading.

There is no reason in a market adrift with kinetic recovery ropes to use a sling not designed for the purpose.

 

[Boostpowered]

Here is the straight dope. Never use a tow strap to lift anything. There is no problem using a lift sling for towing they are way stronger than a tow stap , there is a big difference between tow strap or lift sling versus a kinetic strap, tow staps and lift slings do not stretch so if you dont have the weight and or torque to pull someone straight out the mud without driving forward and yanking them then you need a kinetic strap. If you go the kinetic strap way beware to strap or tie everything down inside your vehicle because objects in the back seat become projectiles also be prepared for whiplash if you dont get them out the first yank. So to be safe when doing kinetic pulls have all passengers but you and whoever will be driving the other vehicle get out of both vehicles and to a safe distance, it can get pretty gnarly. Wear your seatbelt or youll feel like a bug on your windshield or worse taste your steering wheel.
When using a tow strap or lift sling, hook both vehicles up and slowly pull forward until there is tension on the strap then mash that skinny pedal until the other vehicle pops up out the mud.

 

[The other Sean]

Here is the straight dope. Never use a tow strap to lift anything. There is no problem using a lift sling for towing they are way stronger than a tow stap , there is a big difference between tow strap or lift sling versus a kinetic strap, tow staps and lift slings do not stretch so if you dont have the weight and or torque to pull someone straight out the mud without driving forward and yanking them then you need a kinetic strap. If you go the kinetic strap way beware to strap or tie everything down inside your vehicle because objects in the back seat become projectiles also be prepared for whiplash if you dont get them out the first yank. So to be safe when doing kinetic pulls have all passengers but you and whoever will be driving the other vehicle get out of both vehicles and to a safe distance, it can get pretty gnarly. Wear your seatbelt or youll feel like a bug on your windshield or worse taste your steering wheel.
When using a tow strap or lift sling, hook both vehicles up and slowly pull forward until there is tension on the strap then mash that skinny pedal until the other vehicle pops up out the mud.

Most folks "Stuck" in the snow need nothing more then a gentle tug, so, I see no reason why a tow strap or lift sling isn't fine. Back when I was young and broke, I pulled myself and my wife out of a plow ridge with nothing more than a tripled up clothesline.

 

[MazeVX]

As a crane operator instructor I possibly can help here...
So most NON KINETIC tow straps are exactly the same as a lift strap besides the fact that they don't need to be approved, so probably lift straps are higher quality than cheap tow straps. As long as you stay within their limits you are safe.
What is the limit?
It's called "working load limit" for example. A lift strap with a WLL of 2Tons has a breaking strength of 4x WLL so 8tons of load will ultimately cause damage or breaking. If a shock load does not exceed this limit its OK. But the shock can cause serious damage to your or the other vehicle and should be AVOIDED at all circumstances !!!
As @Boostpowered already said, there are plenty of dangers when applying kinetic energy, but if you need to, please use a kinetic rope or strap and make sure you really understand how to use it.

A little thing about slings... Slings are in general considered as unsafe because the load handling "fibers" on the inside can't be seen, so you can not check them for damage or fatigue visually. The are still commonly used because of the ease of use and the cheap price.

I'm not a 100% sure of the regulations in the US as I'm based in Europe. So please check the WLL and breaking strength that applies to straps sold in the US before use.

 

[Graeman]

MazeVX - I agree with you. I was going to add that a recovery strap is just a longer lift strap - when both straps are the same in strength.

 

[Dilldog]

Just be aware that lifting straps are not rated for dynamic loads, so it will be easy to overload that strap in a recovery situation. Also there will be no give in that strap potentially making recoveries a little more violent. Just be aware of these things and realize your effective weights will be many times what they actually are in a recovery.