Best technique for reverse self-extraction

[A2B in a TLC]

Hi gang,

Way back in the 80's, when I had my '76 FJ40 w 8000 lb Warn, I used to 4-wheel often.

With the winch, pulling forward to get unstuck was usually fairly simple. But then there were those times when the only way out was backwards (reverse). I recall the difficulty. Snapped cables, etc.

So, lets say you are off by yourself. You get stuck. Impossible to go forward. And she's not going anywhere in reverse either. Reverse is the way out. If you could only back up just 10-20 ft, you'd be unstuck....

How? What are a few of the techniques you have used? What are the pros and cons? Safety? Equipment req'd?

Thanks,

Bruce in Tsawwassen

 

[crushers]

a slide in winch to the rear hitch and out you come...
best yet is to read the terrain (espec. if by one self) and advoid the obvious...
if it looks that bad then back through, if you don't make it then you can winch forward...
these are my suggestions
cheers

 

[beanz2]

The best technique is not to wheel alone. The trail leader and the tailgunner should ideally have winches. In a pinch and with the right attachments you can use your Hi Lift jack as a hand winch.

Dave

 

[A2B in a TLC]

The old aviation saying "A superior pilot is one who uses his superior judgement to stay out of situations requiring his superior skill" can be applied here.

However.... we still get stuck.

B

 

[HZJ60 Guy]

A custom rear bumper with a winch installed in that bumper.




TB

 

[Red Herring]

Ive got it!!! Drive backwards?!?!?! hehehehe

 

[A2B in a TLC]

How many of you carry a Hi-Lift jack? How many have a rear-mounted (mountable) winch?

The "jack as come-along" suggestion seems the best so far.

B

 

[crushers]

i did have a remote rear mount for about a week then took it off the mount and stuck on the front of another truck...
hi lift is a long process, much better to just pick your trail... i wheeled for many, many years alone with never being stranded, but then i always went around what i felt was risky. now i wheel with buddies so it is a lot easier to try more challenging terrain.
cheers

 

[crushers]

actually if i had a choice between a hi lift and a chain hoist i would probably go with the chain hoist, you would have much more distance covered befroe you had to reattach the chain...
never tried it, the idea just popped into the old noggen...
cheers

 

[A2B in a TLC]

But if you had to pick one, wouldn't you choose a Hi-lift? For those times when you are high-centred and need to lift verticially? And the Hi-lift can be used as a pully anyway? I've seen a lot of guys w/o winch but they do carry a Hi-lift.

B

 

[crushers]

lets see i have used the high lift to extracate myself off a log... hummm... scratching my head... i can only think of 2 times in 23 years of wheeling...
maybe twice for flats...
a chain hoist will fit in a small box in the back if need be...
you must have buddies that want to wheel with such a cool rig...
cheers

 

[A2B in a TLC]

Thanks Wayne,

So... chain hoist... I have learned something new that I had not considered. I have a couple of 5 ton trucks with overhead chain hoists at work. I'll have a look to see the app. I think they're about $100 - same as a Hi-lift.

I plan to keep my BJ74 fairly stock. Really, I will use it for recreation to class 3 or 4 backcountry destinations. It will also be my daily driver.

B

 

[crushers]

please note, i have not tried this, it is just an idea at this time...

 

[A2B in a TLC]

What about a come-along? Does anyone carry one of these? And if so, what capacity & brand? Does it reverse?

B

 

[crushers]

what i have found is the limited travel of the cable. if you take up the slack and can only move the vehicle only a couple feet then it becomes an endevor of frustration...

 

[A2B in a TLC]

One of the problems I found was that, under tension, most come-alongs cannot be reversed. So you wratchet up to your limit of travel, block the tires if necessary, then can't loosen the cable to re-string.

Bruce

 

[crushers]

i could see that being frustrating...

 

[Greg_B]

You need a system to hold the truck as you reset.

Carry a number of pulleys, some static 1/2" braid on braid, and make a simple 4:1 (or greater) pulley system. If you had enough anchors in the correct location you "could" use the front mounted winch to pull the mechanical system you built and have it hooked at the rear...

Easiest would probably be a 4:1 simple hooked straight to a chain, then your come-along (whatever one you want) and attach that to a bullet proof anchor. Then hook another 1/2" static rope to your vehicle anchor point, and take it to a bomb proof anchor (large tree is good) somewhat inline with the anchor for the mechanical advantage line, and wrap it around the tree at the base a few times. As you take up with the come-along and mechancial advantage you take up the slack in the 1/2" line that is wrapped around the tree. When you need to re-set the mechical advantage, hold the vehicle with the 1/2" rope that is wrapped around the tree a few times, then do another pull.

Ok...maybe not so simple and requires mondo hardware and assumes your brought a bunch of people with you who know how to run it ...But then if you are going to wheel with one truck...you perhaps should have mondo hardware with you and a few extra hands.

gb

 

[crustyBJ60]

hmmmm.... come along is a handy tool, but i would not rely on one as the only recovery device. chain is not the best, if one link fails, the whole thing fails. wire rope (on a winch or a tirfor jack) is better but if i had to have just one device ....jackall....

get a jackall (highlift.. what ever) the reason is it has an 8000# load rating. that would be one large come along with that rating. plus, the chain link thing...

yes they are slow, with limited reach, but they work. a winch is easy and winches can fail (electrical , mechanical etc...), but a winch with a snatch block and a GOOD QUALITY jackall, not some cheap china brand s***, should get you out of most situations.

they sure are handy, i use mine often, and have used one to recover even a unimog... took 6 hrs to get it to a location so we could winch from the cruiser, but it worked.

i have used and broken just about every kind of recovery gear, and the best over all IMHO is a jackall, yes it is slower, but where are you going to go? you're stuck.


hope that helps

crusty

 

[Red Herring]

With regards to a come along.... would they even be strong enough to pull your rig out of some thick much?