Somebody needs to hook the Recovery team up with some tools. Nice to have three grinders on the go, one with a cutting wheel, one a flap wheel and a heavy grinder with a larger grinding disc.
Good choice, Eric. Don't get rid of that chain sling. You can always flip it onto the bed of the wrecker and "soft sling" like Rory does but at least you still have it for when you need it. I know one thing for sure, the chain sling makes it MUCH easier to back a broken trucks onto someones car trailer. It's much harder to back broken vehicles onto car trailers when the broken vehicle is hanging like a pendulum from the boom of your wrecker. (like the guys in Utah do)
@@martijnbrandt7553 Me too, same with drill/drivers, one for drilling, one for screws and another with a socket driver (not impact, but saves a shed-load of spannering). ❤️🇷🇴
Glad you are staying with the hard bar, especially with the kind of work you do. You don't have to worry too much about scratching the paint on those bad to the bone mud trucks!! Thanks for the new video!
That is definitely fixed until it breaks like you said you just keep doing what you do not what people tell you to do and you will be fine. You are the OG off road recovery I voted for you to be included in the games.
That really is an interesting ole vice. I believe you said your dad got it for you when you were younger, but I may be mixing that up with something else. It takes a beating, and keeps on performing. I have a Craftsman about 10 years old. I was using it as an anvil to bend back a lawnmower blade with a 3lb hammer, and it broke off at the base. I fixed it so I can still use it, but it doesn't swivel anymore. They really don't make them like they used to.
I wonder if the Utah guys would be helped by having curved spars instead of a stiff steel triangle or crossed ropes. Like using the ends of a re-curve bow where the spars flex but always have a force to separate the vehicles.
I love tow trucks 🛻 There's 2.5 million Jeep channels, but only a handful of offroad tow truck channels, this is unique, I hope it stays that way, I'd honestly rather watch you stick weld then watch the same boring shyt over and over again! BSF is real people doing real people shyt! You guys are one of my favorites! 💯 % Thanks for the videos and for keeping it real! I'd love to get out there and wheel with you guys, that would be awesome!
I think just recently Matt dented the hood of someones Jeep with the wrecker coming off the rocks. I can see why you like the hard sling, stops the towed vehicle from sliding forward and hitting the wrecker.
All Matt needs is a thick walled pipe 6ft long to run his strap through.. When you hit the brakes the pipe stops the rig being towed from rear ending the tow rig!
@@MrDan1509 Matt is still figuring out and learning what works best for the terrains he works in. It wouldn't surprise me if he ends up using a hard bar for some recoveries and the soft "X" for others. One thing about Matt is he's always learning and his methods are evolving. It wasn't too long ago that he didn't feel the need for a winch. Now he's got a bunch of them.
Great video and great job with the wrecker and a friend of mine who's dad had a tow truck company had the triangle setup for all the 1 and 5 ton trucks before the wheel lifts came along and stay safe and God bless from GA
I got tired of the grinder wheel change-o-rama game. I bought myself three more el cheapo Hobo Fright Tulz angle head grinders. Now I have one with a grinding wheel, one with a cheek poker, one with a death wheel and one with a flappy disk. Works great for me.
Glad you got the hard bar fixed!! Makes life much easier when everything is working. I really like your shop!! You deserve a nice place to work!! Can't wait until you get that new lift installed!!
I think you need both set ups. The hard bar doesn’t require another person in the towed vehicle. You know that. Safer. But the type of trails in Sand Hollow and Moab the hard bar didn’t quite work. Some trails required the vehicle towing to get up the obstacle then the vehicle in tow then be pulled up.
I'd also like to see him add 3-4) electric winches to the wrecker bed for the same reason. That PTO winch is awesome for the heavy and long pulls, but another electric winch on or under the boom would be nice for tricky load adjustments while moving and a rear one mounted to the bumper would give him options of walking a load up and over obstacles. (As for the other 2 I listed, who doesn't love side puller winches!)
I used the same light duty sling bar nearly every time on or off road. My off road wrecker had two slings, one with half width rubber straps and one with no straps. The narrow straps used the two inside mounts. I liked those better because most of the guys wheeling were running newer trucks. Over the years guys started using the newer trucks for trailer towing duty.
I like the way you still use a stick arc welder. I like the range of rods better and I can trust my thick steel welds better with a stick. Migs and Tigs are great for thin metal.
Much easier to get a stick welder that puts out the power, and with bigger rods it’s easier to do thick steel and get a good weld. With common MIG and TIG machines it really takes multiple passes to get a good weld on thick stuff. They make MIG machines that can do thick stuff, but that’s more industrial stuff you don’t see often.
Hey Eric, A recommendation for you. Buy a 2nd grinder, best case a different brand. That way there, you can have a grinding wheel and a cutting wheel without having to swap back and forth. Saves a lot of time, and does not cost very much. A buddy of mine gave me the idea about 10 years ago...I can not believe I used to work with only 1 grinder these days. Nice job fixing the sling back up!
Here is a little bit cheaper fishing reel For 4x4 Towing. (1) A base block . That you can weld and bolt 1 x 4 x 4 with a hole for the shackle (1) D -Ring Shackle (1) Snatch Block Hope this Helps This will help you on those Rocks Reel in and release Allows you to get up over the obstacle then pull up the tow vehicle. Great job The Fishermen
You once said a long time ago, most of the rigs you recover arn't the pretty boy mall crawlers. The hard bar works great for the rough mud trucks of your area. Cheers
Hard sling needs to stay and the rest of the crews that have wreakers need them also to keep the vehicles from banging around with the chance of damaging a vehicle, like someone I won't name did. Every off road vehicle should come with a V tow hitch on the front or have a set up that pins into brackets front and rear. So a swiveling V tow bar can be used to keep the vehicles away from the tow truck when towed. I've got a old school coffin welder lincoln 220 unit that I don't need anymore just need someone to make me an offer on it I do have the cables for it also.
The essential craftsman suggestion for metal fab and welding. Corded angle grinders arent expensive. changing disks back and forth so time consuming. There's only benefits to having multiple grinders for cutting, grinding, and sanding. There are no negatives.
Eric love the content. Somebody needs to show you that you never need to use a grinder tool. I was showed about 10 years into my career and I was like “well I’ll be”.
I bought two Menards grinders, so I don’t have to switch between the cutoff wheel, and flap disk. Also they are a beast in my opinion. I have used dewalt and Milwaukee. Just my opinion.
I like that you have the shop of the common man, compared those that have every tool you would ever use, it requires repairs to be old school (grinder and stick welder. However I am happy for you getting the new lift, will make your life easier.
I think the tow bar is a great option instead of the hanging sling. I wonder if it had a swivel at the end if that would prevent breakage. Nothing fancy but akin to a 1 1/2 bolt.
I’ve wondered if a yoke and u-joint setup would work. That way it’d control the forward/backward movement but allow it to pivot and move around some. But, might add enough leverage to bend or break the arms.
Eric you call yankum rope to ask about their pulleys, Allen says one rope pulley can be used as two pulleys, and 2 pulleys can be rigged in a 5 part line set up. Allen made a great rope pulleys, please everyone go check out yankem ropes, best in the business!
Good morning Eric! I have the same wrecker bed. My hydraulic Ram is leaking at the top. Should I just replace it with a new one like yours or have it rebuilt?
Got to love natures loctite from the Mid West. Give it a week or two sitting outside in the summer and it won't come loose. Winter, drive to town and back a couple of times in the road salt and hast to be heated with a torch to remove it in a few months.
Yep I think using this is preferred,but I understand why the Utah mob may not . The ultimate aim is not to ding up someone's vehicle. Using what you have at hand ,that's cool ,would be nice to build one of them using those ball joints as used on tie rods and arms that the other off roaders use , easy to fix as they screw in and out ,but if they are expensive,maybe some old suspension arms ,trailing arms that could be lying about . Hey Mr cool and casual on the grinding and welding 😮 and you got it done and survived How's the proposed jeep build coming along ? Cheers
So tempted to make a crack about not using a MIG, but I didn't want to risk you taking me seriously. It seems these days not many of us know how to use a stick welder any more. Do you need a hard bar? Fact is what you do isn't the same as what others do. You know what works for you. One of the reasons I enjoyed seeing you at the games. I knew you were like a fish out of water there, but you did very well just the same.
I know why the license plate is up by your rear window but do you know why they made a cut out for the license plate in the body knowing it would be covered
The terrain difference is the big reason the wrecker games weren't all that fair. But staging them in an area some groups specialize in, and inviting trucks from totally different terrain meant it wasn't a fair competition. Perhaps changing territory next year to somewhere with totally different terrain might be in order. Maybe BSF should host next year.
I'd rather tow on a bar than a wheel lift if possible. Keeps the steering axle from getting light. Back before wheel lifts we didn't need those long wheelbases. I had a short single axle Mack that could tow a loaded concrete mixer on a bar without any problem, you could never do that with a short truck with a wheel lift
All the years of towing I never seen how them others get away without a hard bar so the vehicle they are towing does not crash into the back of your tow truck.
There's nothing wrong with a Hard Bar sling if it works for your needs. Rory is dragging Jeeps and trucks over Extreme terrain of rock crawling. Eric seems to be on really bad dirt roads without the extreme angles and flex thatTrail Mater deals with. It's a good observation that the BSF rig has a worn out Arm Bar assembly which give it the extra flexability that he needs for off-road work. A newer one with tight joints might snap rather than give under flex.
Hey Eric, new subsciber here since the off road wrecker games. I notice you wearing a Amery Chevrolet jacket. Do you live and work in that area? My dad was born and raised around Amery in the 30's and 40's. Also still have a couple cousins who have dairy farms there.
Is the worst part of fixing heavy duty stuff the coatings you put on it to hopefully never fix it? Yes you need your tools for your conditions, but there is always something to learn from👽
I like your optimism in saying it will hold until it breaks again. Perfect way to look at it.
My favorite: "That ain't going nowhere until it breaks". Spot-on!
Somebody needs to hook the Recovery team up with some tools. Nice to have three grinders on the go, one with a cutting wheel, one a flap wheel and a heavy grinder with a larger grinding disc.
Good choice, Eric. Don't get rid of that chain sling. You can always flip it onto the bed of the wrecker and "soft sling" like Rory does but at least you still have it for when you need it. I know one thing for sure, the chain sling makes it MUCH easier to back a broken trucks onto someones car trailer. It's much harder to back broken vehicles onto car trailers when the broken vehicle is hanging like a pendulum from the boom of your wrecker. (like the guys in Utah do)
I got tired of changing discs so I bought more angle grinders! Saves a ton of time!
yep , i use the same metode works great
Same here: I have 3, cut off wheel, grinding disk & flap wheel
@@tyendor1952 yes that works nice, i even have them cordless on 20v 8ah battery
@@martijnbrandt7553
Me too, same with drill/drivers, one for drilling, one for screws and another with a socket driver (not impact, but saves a shed-load of spannering). ❤️🇷🇴
@@clivehorridge and even we all have some time to spare to watch TH-cam 👍🤣
Glad you are staying with the hard bar, especially with the kind of work you do. You don't have to worry too much about scratching the paint on those bad to the bone mud trucks!! Thanks for the new video!
Looking forward to the "Mara's Wrecker" build. Will be great to see different equipment, new techniques from the ol' tried-and-true.
Maybe some heim joints would save the hard-bar ends from twisting, causing those fractures Eric… just a thought… ❤️🇷🇴
That is definitely fixed until it breaks like you said you just keep doing what you do not what people tell you to do and you will be fine. You are the OG off road recovery I voted for you to be included in the games.
It’s nice, to see an old vise in good working condition!
I hate changing wheels back and forth. I have a grinder with a cut off, 1 with a rock disc , and 1 with a flap wheel.
That is working smart.
Awesome job Eric and your shop looks great and I know you are waiting on a very special thing to come in the shop and I know you are excited to get it
I like how you keep your shop clean, man! Nice and organized. At least from this vantage point. :)
LOL it's still relatively new give it 10 years.
That really is an interesting ole vice. I believe you said your dad got it for you when you were younger, but I may be mixing that up with something else. It takes a beating, and keeps on performing. I have a Craftsman about 10 years old. I was using it as an anvil to bend back a lawnmower blade with a 3lb hammer, and it broke off at the base. I fixed it so I can still use it, but it doesn't swivel anymore. They really don't make them like they used to.
I wonder if the Utah guys would be helped by having curved spars instead of a stiff steel triangle or crossed ropes. Like using the ends of a re-curve bow where the spars flex but always have a force to separate the vehicles.
I love tow trucks 🛻 There's 2.5 million Jeep channels, but only a handful of offroad tow truck channels, this is unique, I hope it stays that way, I'd honestly rather watch you stick weld then watch the same boring shyt over and over again! BSF is real people doing real people shyt! You guys are one of my favorites! 💯 % Thanks for the videos and for keeping it real! I'd love to get out there and wheel with you guys, that would be awesome!
I have that same grinder. I call it my "universal Jeep wrench." Good idea rotating the guard. That would give it much better reach.
I think just recently Matt dented the hood of someones Jeep with the wrecker coming off the rocks. I can see why you like the hard sling, stops the towed vehicle from sliding forward and hitting the wrecker.
All Matt needs is a thick walled pipe 6ft long to run his strap through.. When you hit the brakes the pipe stops the rig being towed from rear ending the tow rig!
@@MrDan1509 Matt is still figuring out and learning what works best for the terrains he works in. It wouldn't surprise me if he ends up using a hard bar for some recoveries and the soft "X" for others. One thing about Matt is he's always learning and his methods are evolving. It wasn't too long ago that he didn't feel the need for a winch. Now he's got a bunch of them.
@@bripslag I said this a few yrs ago when he was just towing bumper style with the jeep.. Never listened!
Your wrecker works great for your work. Keep it like what works for you Simple is better sometimes. Enjoy the channel
Great video and great job with the wrecker and a friend of mine who's dad had a tow truck company had the triangle setup for all the 1 and 5 ton trucks before the wheel lifts came along and stay safe and God bless from GA
I got tired of the grinder wheel change-o-rama game. I bought myself three more el cheapo Hobo Fright Tulz angle head grinders. Now I have one with a grinding wheel, one with a cheek poker, one with a death wheel and one with a flappy disk. Works great for me.
Glad you got the hard bar fixed!! Makes life much easier when everything is working. I really like your shop!! You deserve a nice place to work!! Can't wait until you get that new lift installed!!
I say keep the hard bar , but it would be a good idea to carry the soft shackles also . Never hurt to have a back up plan.
I think you need both set ups. The hard bar doesn’t require another person in the towed vehicle. You know that. Safer. But the type of trails in Sand Hollow and Moab the hard bar didn’t quite work. Some trails required the vehicle towing to get up the obstacle then the vehicle in tow then be pulled up.
Spot on. Having both options gives you more...you know...options. 👍
I'd also like to see him add 3-4) electric winches to the wrecker bed for the same reason.
That PTO winch is awesome for the heavy and long pulls, but another electric winch on or under the boom would be nice for tricky load adjustments while moving and a rear one mounted to the bumper would give him options of walking a load up and over obstacles.
(As for the other 2 I listed, who doesn't love side puller winches!)
I used the same light duty sling bar nearly every time on or off road. My off road wrecker had two slings, one with half width rubber straps and one with no straps. The narrow straps used the two inside mounts. I liked those better because most of the guys wheeling were running newer trucks. Over the years guys started using the newer trucks for trailer towing duty.
Yes, and you should tell mat to build one for his wrecker. Maybe time to design a hybrid hard/soft sling
I like the way you still use a stick arc welder. I like the range of rods better and I can trust my thick steel welds better with a stick. Migs and Tigs are great for thin metal.
Much easier to get a stick welder that puts out the power, and with bigger rods it’s easier to do thick steel and get a good weld.
With common MIG and TIG machines it really takes multiple passes to get a good weld on thick stuff.
They make MIG machines that can do thick stuff, but that’s more industrial stuff you don’t see often.
No doubt.
I have 2) 180 MIG welders and I still break out the old 300amp stock welder when melting together thick structural steel.
Thanks for keeping it safe. A lot of people I know don't unplug before switching wheels out of there grinders.
Three batteries 🤣🤣🤣 got to admit that was a bad a$$ surprise 👊🏻💪🏻
Hey Eric,
A recommendation for you. Buy a 2nd grinder, best case a different brand. That way there, you can have a grinding wheel and a cutting wheel without having to swap back and forth. Saves a lot of time, and does not cost very much. A buddy of mine gave me the idea about 10 years ago...I can not believe I used to work with only 1 grinder these days.
Nice job fixing the sling back up!
Great job gettin her fixed up!! 🤘
That hard bar works amazingly well keep using it
Can't wait to see that lift in your shop.
When it works it works!🙌🙌
I don't understand why Eric doesn't get more subs and views.
Here is a little bit cheaper fishing reel
For 4x4 Towing.
(1) A base block . That you can weld and bolt 1 x 4 x 4 with a hole for the shackle
(1) D -Ring Shackle
(1) Snatch Block
Hope this Helps
This will help you on those Rocks
Reel in and release
Allows you to get up over the obstacle then pull up the tow vehicle.
Great job
The Fishermen
You once said a long time ago, most of the rigs you recover arn't the pretty boy mall crawlers. The hard bar works great for the rough mud trucks of your area. Cheers
Hard sling needs to stay and the rest of the crews that have wreakers need them also to keep the vehicles from banging around with the chance of damaging a vehicle, like someone I won't name did.
Every off road vehicle should come with a V tow hitch on the front or have a set up that pins into brackets front and rear. So a swiveling V tow bar can be used to keep the vehicles away from the tow truck when towed.
I've got a old school coffin welder lincoln 220 unit that I don't need anymore just need someone to make me an offer on it I do have the cables for it also.
The essential craftsman suggestion for metal fab and welding. Corded angle grinders arent expensive. changing disks back and forth so time consuming. There's only benefits to having multiple grinders for cutting, grinding, and sanding. There are no negatives.
Eric love the content. Somebody needs to show you that you never need to use a grinder tool. I was showed about 10 years into my career and I was like “well I’ll be”.
I never use a Wrench either, Hand tight, at least My hand strength tight, which is pretty good. and comes off just the same.
I bought two Menards grinders, so I don’t have to switch between the cutoff wheel, and flap disk. Also they are a beast in my opinion. I have used dewalt and Milwaukee. Just my opinion.
I like that you have the shop of the common man, compared those that have every tool you would ever use, it requires repairs to be old school (grinder and stick welder. However I am happy for you getting the new lift, will make your life easier.
Good job 👍👍👍👍👍, nothing wrong with re using older stuff
Nice job keep working can't wait until you get your Lift
I think the tow bar is a great option instead of the hanging sling. I wonder if it had a swivel at the end if that would prevent breakage. Nothing fancy but akin to a 1 1/2 bolt.
I’ve wondered if a yoke and u-joint setup would work. That way it’d control the forward/backward movement but allow it to pivot and move around some.
But, might add enough leverage to bend or break the arms.
Mount the tow reel center about 40-48 inches
Eric you call yankum rope to ask about their pulleys, Allen says one rope pulley can be used as two pulleys, and 2 pulleys can be rigged in a 5 part line set up. Allen made a great rope pulleys, please everyone go check out yankem ropes, best in the business!
Your shop is looking amazing and when you get the lift installed working on the wrecker and everything else you guys have
Good morning Eric! I have the same wrecker bed. My hydraulic Ram is leaking at the top. Should I just replace it with a new one like yours or have it rebuilt?
Have it rebuilt, it has a safety valve in it for on road towing if a hose blows. the farm cylinders like the one I use do not.
Smashing the like button all the way from Guam.
You should try to get Matt to visit your area some time. Would be fun to see him trying to handle that terrain.
The hard bar is the safest way to tow 4x4s especially ones with no brakes.
Still stick welding with a cracker box! You're my hero.
Yep, them holes are definitely oval! But, like you said, it doesn't bind up. I think it would be neat to see you weld with 3 batteries.
Farm boy fix is all I know. Good stuff.
Got to love natures loctite from the Mid West. Give it a week or two sitting outside in the summer and it won't come loose. Winter, drive to town and back a couple of times in the road salt and hast to be heated with a torch to remove it in a few months.
Do you like stick better than mig?
When is the New Lift going to arrive ?
Yep I think using this is preferred,but I understand why the Utah mob may not .
The ultimate aim is not to ding up someone's vehicle.
Using what you have at hand ,that's cool ,would be nice to build one of them using those ball joints as used on tie rods and arms that the other off roaders use , easy to fix as they screw in and out ,but if they are expensive,maybe some old suspension arms ,trailing arms that could be lying about .
Hey Mr cool and casual on the grinding and welding 😮 and you got it done and survived
How's the proposed jeep build coming along ?
Cheers
So tempted to make a crack about not using a MIG, but I didn't want to risk you taking me seriously. It seems these days not many of us know how to use a stick welder any more. Do you need a hard bar? Fact is what you do isn't the same as what others do. You know what works for you. One of the reasons I enjoyed seeing you at the games. I knew you were like a fish out of water there, but you did very well just the same.
Nice work!
I know why the license plate is up by your rear window but do you know why they made a cut out for the license plate in the body knowing it would be covered
Great job keep up the great work
Use what works 👍
The terrain difference is the big reason the wrecker games weren't all that fair. But staging them in an area some groups specialize in, and inviting trucks from totally different terrain meant it wasn't a fair competition. Perhaps changing territory next year to somewhere with totally different terrain might be in order. Maybe BSF should host next year.
Yes unless you are rock crawling some where in Utah. Specially since half the people that didn't have them didn't have time to build them.
So wise , Thank You , I agree if it works ... On the other hand Preventive Maitanance will save much breakage
Thanks Eric.
Did You get a Boat Load of Snow Again LOL.. 8" at My place by Merrill.
Mike M.
Just a little snow, lots of wind and cold rain.
I'd rather tow on a bar than a wheel lift if possible. Keeps the steering axle from getting light. Back before wheel lifts we didn't need those long wheelbases. I had a short single axle Mack that could tow a loaded concrete mixer on a bar without any problem, you could never do that with a short truck with a wheel lift
keep the clips coming
All the years of towing I never seen how them others get away without a hard bar so the vehicle they are towing does not crash into the back of your tow truck.
Good job 😊
Very cool!
Good Job 👍
We need the wrecker games in the Midwest
An then in tenn
There's nothing wrong with a Hard Bar sling if it works for your needs. Rory is dragging Jeeps and trucks over Extreme terrain of rock crawling. Eric seems to be on really bad dirt roads without the extreme angles and flex thatTrail Mater deals with. It's a good observation that the BSF rig has a worn out Arm Bar assembly which give it the extra flexability that he needs for off-road work. A newer one with tight joints might snap rather than give under flex.
Do you have an exhaust fan in your shop? Just curious.
I didn’t know whether that was a cat, or a dog, lurking along the garage door. Maybe a haired chupacabra?
18th from Florida … 3 miles from the sun💁🏻♂️🌞
Great video
Safety conscious 👍
@Mattsoffroadrecovery this is what you also could use on the wrecker
It would just be another piece of equipment that he would forget to brings needed items for it to work.
That'll work till next time.. 👍😎✊
No reason to change something that has worked for years. Probably wouldn't hurt to have a soft sling as a backup
what does BSF stand for ???
Hey Eric, new subsciber here since the off road wrecker games. I notice you wearing a Amery Chevrolet jacket. Do you live and work in that area? My dad was born and raised around Amery in the 30's and 40's. Also still have a couple cousins who have dairy farms there.
Live near St Croix Falls, work at Amery Chevrolet.
@Clay Patton There is a mail box address on our website. www.bsfrecoveryteam.com
Love the videos
That looked like an old lawn mower blade 🤷🏻♂️ oh a bumper bracket 🤷🏻♂️
I see a new shirt design coming soon. "It should hold until we break it again."
I think it safer and better for car in back
If only there were two griders available! :)
I do believe you got your money's worth out of that bar.
And then some...LOL
The Utah folks are causing damage without the rt setup.. You not so much!
Brandi's home and the girls adventures
If it ain’t broke …don’t fix it True words
I think Matt needs a hard bar for the hevy wrecker but it needs to swivel for the terain he is doing
👍
Is the worst part of fixing heavy duty stuff the coatings you put on it to hopefully never fix it? Yes you need your tools for your conditions, but there is always something to learn from👽
👍😊
the man word to seatcover...........