Tow ropes !

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kermit_rr said:
What's everyone's thoughts on the 'kinetic' ropes that were all the rage a few years ago? Don't seem to hear about them anymore, were they just a fad? Supposedly great for off-road recovery when you're in properly stuck
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Used correctly, I do not see a problem with them, every recovery is full of hazards if not approached correctly. Be aware of them and work accordingly.

Having said that it does appear that when it goes wrong they tend to lead to more disasterous results.

The accident on the plains during Xmas was apparently due to a kinetic rope attached onto a vehicle axle, breaking it loose and causing a life changing event.

Cheers
 
goonarmy said:
I wouldn't touch em. Too much force in play. There's a very grim vid I think from south America where a jeep snaps one, it goes to through the cab and takes the drivers jaw off. Nasty.
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I thought that vid , if it was the same one, was showing a chain failure.
I agree though they can cause major issues if used incorrectly.

Cheers
 
That looks horrific!

All the kinetic ropes i recall seeing in magazines of yesteryear looked like several ropes very loosely woven together, i guess tech has moved on
 
I remember in the mid 80's, my dad's mate was towing my dad's car with a Ford Granada, using a standard halfords cheapie nylon tow rope, with hooks either end. As they stopped, the hook bent, the rope pinged off and the hook made a clean hole in the steel panel next to the number plate!
 
Well what we use here are either ropes or straps with a high rating. I use a strap that is rated for 40,000lbs and have never had a failure. there are tow ropes rated for 250,000 lbs or so used for tractor and heavy equipment recovery. You just need to use good stuff, not the cheap light weight stuff.
 
goonarmy said:
Probbably although the video I see showed the aftermath too. Very grim, some geezer with half his face missing.
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I understood from comments at thetime that the aftermath was not actually the real deal, and the guy in the jeep died, either way a horrific ending and shows the dangers of any mistakes in a recovery situation, which can happen if people use the right kit wrongly.

Cheers
 
Unless things have changed over the last 20 years the British Army will only employ the use of KERR's on armoured vehicles, such are the risks involved. Attempting 'snatch' recovery with an ordinary rope/strop is asking for trouble, such are the shock loads. Personally speaking I will not attempt recovery (other than assisting a vehicle unable to proceed ie light snow/ice/grass etc.) unless the situation is life threatening & cannot wait for the emergency services to attend.
Thankfully I've never been faced with such a dilemma.
nb: when it comes to the 'unable to proceed' scenario I do not suffer fools gladly :rolleyes:
 
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Whilst on the subject, if anyone comes across my lost tow rope I’d like it back.
It was lost on the M62, very distinctive with a blue Corsa on the end containing a young boy with unusually big eyes.
 
Rule of thumb is to avoid snatch recovery and KERR's. As above the forces involved are massive and dangerous. I keep well away from anyone having a go at it. Very few peeps know how to do it right and effectively. Tis not uncommon for one of the vehicles to distort int shape when they get it wrong.
 
Ere's an eggsample of the forces int volved. While this one is funny it demonstrates how easily it can go wrong. The power of wet mud hanging ont to tratter is quite significant.

 
Shirley it's a legal requirement to have a very large bag full of lots of different ropes in a Defender.....?? Mine range from large motor yacht mooring lines down (though never have and never will try any of that snatch Russian Roulette thanks.....!) :D
 
agew said:
Shirley it's a legal requirement to have a very large bag full of lots of different ropes in a Defender.....?? Mine range from large motor yacht mooring lines down (though never have and never will try any of that snatch Russian Roulette thanks.....!) :D
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Indeed, I just found this out and ordered said large bag of ropes..... :eek:
 
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