THE Masterpull is a rope.....actually it is made of multiple ropes that stretch. They recommend 3x your vehicle weight. They also recommend not using a recovery rope that is too big because it will not provide the proper kinetic energy transfer to the vehicle. You won't get enough bounce. They are also crap once you get the first knick or tear one of the threads. Anything used for towing can break and cause damage no matter what is used. The purpose of the stretching isn't to avoid breaking things lmao. Its to create more engery. Its like a big rubber band. If that big rubber band breaks it will cause damage because the projectile will be travelling a hell of a lot faster.
I can't tell if you are being a smart ass or you meant well. Either way, try not to post wrong information. It could lead somebody down the wrong path and we don't want that. I appreciate your participation in this thread even though it was useless information
Wow...well, let's see, I have been 4 wheeling and using recovery straps/winches/etc for over 30 yrs........nothing I said is wrong or useless, and no, I was not trying to be a smart ass. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it is wrong.
I said it was not a tow rope, which is what you called it - well, you said "expensive tow rope", and I am correct in that aspect.
I said rope does not have the stretch and give needed for a recovery, and I was correct in that aspect.
I said if you use chain, it will cost you more than you saved when it breaks something the 1st time you use it, and I was correct in that aspect.
So...how was my info wrong ??? None of what you quoted was wrong, but I have since discovered that the manufacturers of the recovery straps are now saying 2-3x the vehicle weight instead of 5-6x like they did when I was buying them. Guess they have had too many complaints of the straps damaging the wimpy stock tow hooks they put on trucks now-a-days.
And as for the rope vs strap, they can call it what they want, but rope doesn't stretch up to 20% like a recovery strap does. Maybe they call it rope because it is round, and not flat, or because it is made of many 'ropes' twisted together.
Yes, the main reason for it stretching is to allow the build up kinetic energy, but an inherent benefit of that same property is that there is no sudden stress/stop when it is 'stretched out' like with chain, and yes, even rope.
When I bought my first WARN snatch strap back in 1982 (and several since then), the method used to determine the required rating for your vehicle (by WARN and all other manufacturers) was the weight of your vehicle x6, due to the amplifying effect the stretching and pull back has on the dynamic weight of the vehicle trying to accomplish the extraction. So, for my Toyota SR5 4x4, I needed a 30k strap. IE, the maximum force on the strap at full stretch can be up to 6x the weight of the vehicle doing the snatching.
I will still go by what has worked for me for over 30 yrs....and that is a 30k-36k strap. I have seen smaller straps break when being used properly because they were not rated high enough for the vehicles being used.
I do agree, having one too big can also be a detriment, but I have yet to have any issues with mine, and I have always had a 30k-36k strap, depending on what I was driving at the time. For a jeep, I'd drop to 24k, but no lower.
The reason you put a rag or jacket or something around the strap mid way is to STOP the 'rubber band effect' you mention if it should break so people don't get hurt. The jacket acts like a parachute to slow the strap and dissipate the energy.
You should also never use a shackle or chain to attach a recovery strap to a vehicle, becasue if it comes loose, it will becomea projectile that can kill. I once saw a chain that was put on the end of a snatch strap take the carb off the engine after going thru the hood once when the chain slipped off the hook.
You should not use a recovery strap for towing, as it has too much stretch to be used safely.
I have not had any real problems with nicks or small cuts in the strap. They still work just fine, but you DO have to inspect it after every use just like you should a winch cable.
