Thread: LRA 'recovery' points bought and fitted.

Hi Guyss What is the school of thought of hooks verses shackles I see the early post has recovery plate with hooks and the later post pics just have eyes for shackles. Is it just personal preference or is one method better than the other?
cheers Keith

IMHO a hook is more desirable as it is more "foolproof " than a shackle and if something fails there is less mass and inertia from a hook bending . To me the fewer connections that are in a snatch the better. Hook=1 shackle =2.

In a normal recovery there is little chance of either breaking, but in the heat of the moment say a person forgets to screw the shaft of a shackle in, and the shackle separates.You then have a projectile that can kill.

A strap can be hooked through a hook or not . If the hook fails through overload , it will generally bend straight, and while the snatch strap is still a projectile, a severe or fatal injury is less likely.
Regards Philip A

Thanks Philip that makes sense to me I will see if I can get the LRA plates mentioned at the beginning of this post
cheers Keith

Just another question I have had a look at the APT plates and see they also do a steering guard with built in recovery points I asked them if the side plates can be modified to accept hooks rather than providing eyes for a shackle but they seem to think that using hooks will not give enough clearance under the bumper bar hence the eyes for shackles which wood hang down a little bit lower I think.
What is the school of thought about steering guards my agenda is I am planning to go out to Innaminca in the not to distant future and would like the security of having some decent recovery points in the event of getting bogged. I have not travelled that part of Oz for 20 years and assume that road conditions may have improved a little over that time but I still want some decent recovery points . Is the steering guard an over kill.
Cheers Keith

Is the steering guard an over kill.

Depends what you want. To me steering guards are for rock steps. the only time I have ever bent steering arms was over enthusiasm on a rock step, and once many years ago in Saudi when I was driving overland off any roads down a wadi and a bit of saltbush was more solid with sand build up than it looked.
But to Innaminka I say no need. They are just dirt roads, and AFAIK the silver City Highway is to be bitumised soon.
Regards Philip A

Thanks Phillip
I was thinking it might be an over kill I don't envisage any rock steps where I intend to go so the brackets bolted to the chassis seem to be the best solution.
manny thanks for your input.
cheers Keith