Thread: Rear recovery hook

They might be a good idea if you're snatching every 10 min - would save a few seconds I guess.

Otherwise I think they're just a dangerous protrusion waiting to catch someone's leg.

All the recoveries I've ever seen done, running the hitch pin through the strap eye has worked fine. Just make sure you have a strap with eyes that fit easily up into the receiver ( they vary a lot ).

Originally Posted by waynep

They might be a good idea if you're snatching every 10 min - would save a few seconds I guess.

Otherwise I think they're just a protrusion waiting to catch someone's leg.

For all the recoveries I've ever seen done, running the hitch pin through the strap eye has worked fine. Just make sure you have a strap with eyes that fit easily up into the receiver ( they vary a lot ).

I agree with the protrusion issue and that for most recoveries the hitch pin through the strap works well.

Recently though, we had a recovery where the receiver had filled up with pretty hard clay when the vehicle had tried to reverse out of a hole. It was immersed in mud and took about 10 mins to clean it out so that we could get the strap in and the hitch pin through it.

I've got one of the tongues that has a hole to take a shackle pin. Doesn't protrude as far as a hook would and cant fill up with mud etc.
Mine's actually a solid tongue thats quite heavy (from a cheap Ironman recovery kit), but one made from square tube with a decent lug to attach the shackle would be better.

Steve

You can get one of these from all the usual places for about $50
Much safer, much stronger, much better
Those 'hooks' are dangerous and useless as tits on a bull

Originally Posted by FenianEel

You can get one of these from all the usual places for about $50
Much safer, much stronger, much better
Those 'hooks' are dangerous and useless as tits on a bull

That's the correct one to get, when fitted to towbar the shackle pin will be vertical allowing it to align with direction of pull, Regards Frank.

Originally Posted by waynep

All the recoveries I've ever seen done, running the hitch pin through the strap eye has worked fine. Just make sure you have a strap with eyes that fit easily up into the receiver ( they vary a lot ).

That is not a good idea.
The usual 16mm pins are not strong enough in bending caused by the strap pulling in the middle. They need an insert to keep the loads in shear at the sides.

Get an insert with a shackle like the one pictured.

not too sure i'd trust the bow shackle type hitch receiver inserts if it was the RHS type with the lug welded on.....

Originally Posted by Dougal

.
The usual 16mm pins are not strong enough in bending caused by the strap pulling in the middle. .

Ever seen a bent one? I haven't...

Originally Posted by BigJon

Ever seen a bent one? I haven't...

Yes. The bend wasn't enough to stop the pin working, but it wasn't straight any more.

To put it simply, your towball is a stronger snatch point than using a square receiver pin. Everyone knows how dumb it is to snatch from a towball, yet they happily use something even weaker.