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Thread: Rope rings and soft shackles - what are you using?

  1. #1
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    Question Rope rings and soft shackles - what are you using?

    Having recently moved from a steel cable winch to a synthetic lined unit I’m reconsidering my recovery equipment and what I carry/take.
    Wondering what brand rope rings (seems to be the replacement equivalent for snatch blocks for use with synthetic cables) and soft shackles others are running?
    George4X4 currently are selling on sale a matched pair (rope ring and soft shackle < George4x4 4WD Recovery Rope Ring-For Soft Shackles >) for $79.00 delivered < https://www.ebay.com.au/i/1740449641...iABEgLrYvD_BwE >, which seems to be pretty good value.
    There was talk last year of Maxtrax releasing the THI which was a tow bar recovery hitch designed for soft shackles < Maxtrax THI: New Recovery Gear From The Traction Board Leader - EXPLORING ELEMENTS > but I’ve never seen it actually come to market. Potentially one of the concerns might be that I don’t think soft shackles can handle snatch recoveries so you’d have to be careful with the use of such a protect.
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  2. #2
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    I think Mitch (toxic avenger) had a long discussion on soft shackles, even making up some of his own I think.
    It was probably on his 'meet my 90 and share the adventure' thread.
    Dan

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  3. #3
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    Here is a link to discussions on soft shackles

    Soft shackles....dyneema

    This what I used to make some
    Soft Shackle | How to tie a Soft Shackle using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

  4. #4
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    Interesting that with the George ring rated at 8000 Kg and the Maxtrax at 9500 Kg and when used with your average winch which is 12,000 lb or 5400 Kg it can be way out of spec. As a snatch the max. ring load is up to double that of a single line pull or 10,800 Kg (with your typical Supastore winch) you'd want to be real careful. No different to the average snatch block that is rated at 8000 Kg though it's interesting that this potential overload straight out of the box isn't something usually considered.
    I've used soft shackles before and they're great but I'd be a bit wary using one at this loading.

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  5. #5
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    great product, too expensive for me tho

  6. #6
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    Whilst soft shackles look good and are reasonably easy to use. I have read they have a safety rating of 1 ie the shackles are rated at full load and if this load is exceeded it is reasonable to expect them to let go.
    Rated bow and D shackles have a safety rating of 6 ie a 5000 kg shacle can be expected to withstand 30000 kgs before letting go. Whilst they are not ever meant to be used at 30000 kgs it gives and edge when lifts etc dont go well as crane loads are not meant to fall down.
    I would suggest only using soft shackles when you have a safety rating of at least 4 and not to use them for anything that creates shock loads.
    I personally will keep using rated bow shackles, they are cheap and plentiful and easy to purchase. Rated bow shackles are fairly cheap at lifting shops where slings and lifting gear are sold.
    If the thread goes tight on a bow shackle and it isnt easy to use, throw it away.

    Ian
    Bittern

  7. #7
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    One advantage of soft shackles is that they'll never become a deadly airborne missile.
    Steel shackles should only be used at either end of the towing/snatching rope and
    definitely not to join two ropes/straps in the middle of the towing line--which is where
    soft shackles come into their own.

    Soft shackles are also (obviously) far lighter than steel and are easier to both use and store.

    Incidentally, safety should never be compromised solely because of cost.

  8. #8
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    Having been an avid user of synthetic rope for decades you still will not find me using a synthetic shackle in any application.

    I would not put my faith in one for any dynamic recovery operation.

    Safety is paramount, cost is irrelevant. And in all recoveries I will use the minimum amount of equipment to link the recovery up.

    If 2 straps need joining they are fed through each other, with a rolled cloth to prevent binding, fixing at the extremities is the only point I may need to introduce a shackle - and it will be over-sized and in as new condition or won’t be utilised.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tombie View Post
    Having been an avid user of synthetic rope for decades you still will not find me using a synthetic shackle in any application.

    I would not put my faith in one for any dynamic recovery operation...
    I respect your personal opinion of course, but I'd have to disagree with it as I've seen numerous
    videos testing these Dyneema soft links, and they invariably far exceed their load rating. Michael
    on 'Seek Adventure' posted a very convincing break test on these shackles, and even one he made
    himself far exceeded its theoretical load rating. Considering that a lot of off-roaders don't understand
    the mechanics and/or physics of dynamic loadings involved with vehicle recovery, do you not consider
    their additional safety factor over metal shackles an advantage for the wider population?

    I've seen three people killed by flying metal shackles (on YouTube), but I've yet to see anyone killed
    by a slow moving soft shackle. Which is obviously because of the mass/velocity/momentum equation
    which dictates that a lightweight shackle of 145g will have far less momentum that a similar metal
    shackle with a mass of 955g.

    For what specific reasons would you never use a soft shackle?

  10. #10
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    Thank you for your courteous response, you raise some great questions.

    Rope and Slings lose strength when the angle becomes to acute. The sharper the angle the more likely the sling or rope is to fail.
    Hence why eyelets etc are put in the end of winch ropes, to bring the rope around at a better angle and prevent the point loading that can occur.

    Mass and inertia I agree are the risks in a recovery when things break free, however in my recovery kit the weakest link is always the rope itself, never the attachement gear.

    Persons unfamiliar - refered to as the wider population - with the hazards of serious recovery should attend to training otherwise avoid it all together. Many are unaware how dangerous it really is.
    Even the eyelet of a winch rope can do serious damage.

    I'm yet to see a soft shackle used in heavy lifting or recovery operations - civilian or military.
    I would use smaller versions for quickly attaching guy ropes to awnings etc. They will not be part of my recovery kit.
    My recovery kit contains no straps that have done more than 10 kinetic recoveries and the shackles have no damage.
    Shackles showing signs of impact, or straps either used 10 times or showing any sign of wear are disposed off and replaced.
    I'm fastidious with this gear.

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