This video should be on top of every 4wd driver`s list. It has saved my life just a day ago. Beacuase I watch this video, the correct shackle placement was used. So when the recovery rope broke, only the rope and soft shackle smashed the windscreen in front of my head. I wont be typing now, if it was a steel shackle. Guys, always use rated recovery point and correct shackle placement. A rope damper is also a must!
Hot Tip : soft shackles are also used in some marine applications -> go to your local boat shop , they'll have soft shackles even for very high tonnage ( compared to a car ) for a fraction of the price of those sold by 4x4 companies
Hi Ronny, love the video. One quick, point, according to the ARB manufacuturer instructions, the bow shackle should be the other way around on the recovery points. The curved part should be fed through the recovery point, and the pin should have the straps. This keeps the straps nicely positioned and allows the bow shackle to pivot safely in case the vehicle shifts off line.
Loving these soft shackles, I was a recovery mechanic in the British army and all we used were steel shackles. We used to back them off half a turn for pulling applications to stop them from binding up. Even with that, when sand and dirt gets in there they were still tough to undo. I m just getting into the civilian side of things so loving the videos.
Ronny you are spot on about the soft shackles etc. Nice way to really lighten the load and be safer and more effective at the same time. I carry a Pintle hitch with 2" receiver with adaptor for the receiver as to be able to fit it onto other's hitches in a pinch. Rope, cable, chain, or soft shackle friendly, tough, looks cool, doesn't rattle much, all weather friendly, not greasy like a typical ball hitch (90 times more secure), makes a great step and/or kayak tie down point. Fantastic if your ride has limited tow points. Not expensive. My dad chucked one on the back of my old Suzuki SJ410 when I was 16. I'm 52 now and that same pintle has followed along behind on a couple old Ford Broncos, Zukes, & Jeep XJs I've owned. Most of my life has been off road in British Columbia. "Works for me!" 👍
There's a young bloke who did some excellent video from Seek Adventure on TH-cam on making soft shackles and repairing Dyneema. Worth a look too. Drifta are getting into soft shackles and attachments too. Cheers Ronnie, your vid on recovery failures was noteworthy too.
He is better then some of these new ones ...show you stuff all trying to get ya one patreon and talk to much with there faces in most of the video. We just want your money bleeds out of there videos
That seek adventure guy was great. Ronny should chase him down to do a collab kinda video even tho ol mate doesnt tube anymore. The good thing about him compared to other channels, is he is not a brand whore. Most these youtubers now a days, are for ever sucking up to companies just to get free stuff..... case in point that flog with the silver triton from WA. Spends more time doing product testing videos than he does camping and 4wd trips 😂😂
Just a little tip for when you leave your steel shackle on the rear recovery point and travel on corrugations, use a zip-tie trough the hole in the pin of the shackle and back through the shackle itself to keep the pin from turning and backing itself out. It works a treat and the zip-tie is easy to remove with snips or a knife when needed.
if you purchase a reputable Brand of Properly made soft shackle and Use it correctly. they Don't come loose any hard plastic cable ties will just make wear marks and weaken the spectra fibres Don't Modify Safety gear
At last Ronny, a full and frank assessment in an unbiased fashion. The only thing I would add is that with the traditional snatch block, when a failure occurs the load can be set free. With the pulley ring where the soft shackle goes through the ring, if the ring fails the load is still attached. Thank you. Regards Non Stick Nick.
I was a tow truck driver in LA- did a LOT of recovery work-- and out in the deserts of California.. as well as country mountains.. but never used soft shackles etc.. just standard tow truck gear. INTERESTING.. thank you again for EXCELLENT information... I've learned a LOT from you.. YOu have made one old mountain moron a LOT safer now.. ha.
Excellent video as always. Regarding factory recovery points with rounded edges - the front recovery points for Ford Super Duty trucks have been round since '99. They're just the bow part of a bow shackle bolted through to the frame and they're very strong. You can hang the entire truck off of them if you want to.
Good video as usual. FYI soft shackles have been used in the sail rigging industry since the invention of plasma rope nearly 15 years ago... the Swedish company Liros used the Monkey Fist knot to make them and the OffRoad community took advantage of it.
Hey great vid, nine times out of ten for the rear recovery point we just use the pin for the hitch, a bit of a pain to fit your strap in if muddy etc but it takes some steel out of the line of fire.
Pin works for an easy tug. If you're hitting it hard multiple times then switch to the recovery points (that's probably the 10th out of your 10 times..)
With a tongue in the hitch the force is a 'shear' force on the pin, for which it is designed. Placing a recovery strap on the pin directly turns it into a deforming force -- which it it _isn't_ designed.
If you keep a steel shackle on your hitch, you can use a cable-style gun lock and thread it through one of the trailer chain loops, the shackle and the pin hole as a theft deterrent and keep the pin from rotating out. They even come in various colors.
Fair assessment. I will say I follow a few hard core off road recovery channels and over the years I've seen a half dozen soft shackle failures during ops and never a steel shackle failure. But in every case they just installed another one and successfully continued. I think the safety aspects of soft shackles and synthetic winch lines are worth the potential high load or abrasion failure risk.
You kids have it so easy today with your soft shackles and safe spaces. When I was growing up we played dodgeball with hard shackles and if we got hit by one we didn’t run and cry, we hit it back.
Also, if you travel in sub-freezing conditions, the Bow Shackle already installed beats the heck out of having to chisel a hole though frozen mud stuck inside the hole where a soft shackle is supposed to fit. I have lived "that dream" when I forgot to put my bow shackle on my rear hitch and broke through ice down into a mud hole in below freezing weather on a hunting trip in northern Michigan.
Hi Ronnny, yes there are cars with smooth recovery points at the front. I have a Pajero 1th gen. and a Pajero 2th gen. , and they both have a big smooth recovery eye at the right front side. The eye is open at one side too, so you can put your tow-strap, kinetic strap etc. on the recovery point without using any shackle at all ! A brilliant idea 💡
Super dutys have a nice round front recovery points. So soft shackle for the front and a hitch with a steel shackle for the rear. You have have basically taught me how to do 4x4 recovery safely and 4 wheel drive etiquette. I've been trying to go to shops but they just try to sell me things. So these videos really help me out
The comment at 8:00 about losing shackles due to the pin vibrating loose made me wonder - we sailors "mouse" important shackles to stop them working loose. Maybe some velcro-type "mousing" would minimise losses, while still being quick & easy to remove - so you could undo the pin when needed. Cheers, Gavin & Amanda.
This video is only a couple months old, but I don't know where you're buying your soft shackles for $50-100. Amazon has a 2-pack of them rated 5 stars from 150 customers at $40. 38,000 lb breaking strength. I could scrape up enough dough to add them to the steel ones. Awesome video Ronny. Seen several of yours and they're very helpful.
Finally someone knows what they are taking about. One thing though in the rigging industry we use bow shakes to joint our flat webbing slings. I can see why they recommended the others to not do this due. It can be installed in correctly very quickly . Well done help keep them safe
I have a 2.5" Factor 55 in the hitch receiver and 6.5 Ton steel shackles on board. Planning on adding a Factor 55 hook to the winch up front. I think I will add some soft shackles in the mix after watching this, mainly for the potential to need to join straps. Other than that it's steel shackles for me. Some good points here Ronny.
I have been using steel cables and steel shackles for about 30 years. I have had zero breaks and zero accidents. Maintaining your equipment and knowing it is everything. I have never needed a synthetic rope. I have also seen way too many synthetic ropes break when they rub on wood or gravel not even rock. You guys can stick to synthetic I will keep my steel thank you.
In recovery you can work to a safety factor of 2. So the recovery load limit of a 15t braking strain soft shackle is 7.5t or 16500 lbs. So only enough to be used single line on most winches. The minimum sized shackle to be safely used with a 2:1 on a 12000lbs winch is 21.8t braking strain and about 16.3t for a 9000lbs winch. EVERYTHING in a winch setup should be rated at winch cut-out. Nothing should ever be anywhere near failure.
Wow. Thank you so much for this video. I'm an old time offroader. I don't get out as often as I used to but I still like to be fully prepared. Aside from the great info you provided in this video I learned about the Winch Ring. As a result I just ordered an Overland one. I am switching to synthetic on my winch so I think this is a must have as well as soft shackles.
I’m in the market for a winch (and now soft shackles thanks to this video lol). I priced out what it would cost to get recovered from even a small situation off-road with a few local tow companies. What I found is, I can buy a new Warn Zeon 10s and about 20 soft shackles for the price of one recovery from a tow company. Moral of this super long message…is saving a few dollars initially, worth the cost of having to spend money on a cheap piece of equipment (Chinese winch with steel or crap synthetic cable) only to have to spend $4000 on an off-road recovery because it stopped working, or having someone be dead because of a wrong application (bow shackle) failing and hitting them in the head?
Excellent and sound advice, thx Ronny, best use I find for the soft shackle is to add the tow strap to my winch line to get another 30’ length or more. Keep up the great work
Another good one to have is a 4ft soft shackle. You can make them yourself. But these are useful because you can crawl under and hook them to control arms, ect.. and then it brings your connection out in front of the bumper-- so when you're done, you don't have to crawl back under the car a second time. One 4ft or even 6ft soft shackle always comes in handy and it still counts as another spare too.
I use a zip tie on the steel shackle pin to keep them from unscrewing and falling off. No need to cinch it down. If you have to remove the pin, cut the tie at the current locking location and then reuse when you are done.
Great video. I recently got 2 soft shackles, and second guessed myself. But now I see I made the right choice for what I’ll be using them for. Stay healthy and well.
Awesome valid points mate, and I'm in total agreement with you these days its so easy to carry too much of the wrong kit!!! less is more and soft kit now rules however there is still a time and place for old skool kit.
Ronny, you mentioned using the pen off the shackle what I’ve taken to doing is running a zip tie through the hole in the pen and then back to the shackle. This way it’ll never back out and if somebody decides to take it makes him have to slow down a little bit.I’ve also used a piece of string in the same way
Remember a Dee shackle is a thing, as is a Bow Shackle -- 2 slightly different things. NB WLL (steel) vs Min breaking strength (Rope shackle), big difference. A wire grommet - or cable tie - is useful to "seize" - secure the pin in a "steel" shackle.
Soft shackles are very prone to wear and to dirt and debris. When in doubt just use extra heavy d-rings (clevis hooks). I have large steel shackles on front and back of my truck. I use the tow straps and kinetic bungy tow ropes for just recovery as im mostly old school having work in logging and mining industry.
What a coincidence. I just bought me both steel and soft shackles on the interwebs today. Then this video comes about. Well my jeep is ready for recovery. My straps are still brand new.
I would add something I've been told and that I have to pay attention to when I'm dealing with ropes and rigging at work. Make sure that the lubricants or corrosion inhibitors you are using on any metal parts that will be in contact with your ropes/webbing will not weaken or deteriorate the nylon/polyester/dyneema that your ropes are made out of.
Hey. Just thought. I don’t like to keep my recovery gear in the vehicle unless i know for sure i’ll be off-roading. Lots of heavy dangerous steel flying around in an accident. If i switch to soft then it’s light and safe, so it can just live in the vehicle. 👍.
What happens if you come across a car that has driven in to a ditch on the highway and ur the only one they have seen for hours no phone recption for them to call for help either. The occupants are ok and the car is driveable still just stuck, would you just drive on by cause you didnt wanna carry an extra kg or two?
Had to remove the 3rd row seats to fit drawers (where the recovery gear stays - in its own little box) so I fitted a safety screen to keep everything in the cargo bay. Hitting a washaway at speed and wearing a tin of beetroot in the back of the head 50 years ago was a learning experience. That said, weight is important.
I'm just happy to finally have my pintle hook hitch at the ready for when I pull people out of the ditch this coming winter. The only thing I have to worry about is if THEY have somewhere to hook onto. Bring it winter! By the way, I'm in Alaska so I know I'll be using my gear. Great video as always, thanks.
Tip that I used and works well with the steel shackle you the rated recovery point I found once when using one ad it has a lot of movement side to side ad the bow is a lot wider then the taped recovery point I have 2 large heavy duty rubber spacers that go either side of the recovery point on the bow shackle bolt it stops it moving around
I use soft shackles all the time for sailing. I was about to buy one when my coworker showed me how to splice dyneema. Brummel splices are also extremely useful since it gives you a loop that won't really ever come untied and you can add stitching to make sure it doesn't come loose if you want. The stitching adds no tensile strength, just makes sure it can't shake loose over time.
When you were showing the two shackles linked and saying you should never do it, I thought you were repeating the old story about not putting steel to steel, but I was relieved because you were only worried about the extra projectile weight!
Great video....I have two soft shackles, two bow shackles and two hitch receivers, one being a Factor 55. Many off road trucks here in the states have factory equipped recovery points and for the most part are plenty smooth for a soft shackle. BUT if I need to pull out another vehicle using the receiver I run the soft shackles on their truck and the bow on mine...if the bow fails at least I won’t get hit by this all metal “bullet”
I believe another item to factor in, is weather one's winch line is steel or synthetic (especially as it relates to recovery rings. A novice may not know that is also a no-go). As we all move to syn, there is still a lot of steel line out there, and may be not in someone's budget yet to go syn. I feel a nice mix of soft and hard devices could be good to keep on hand, for any situation one may encounter.
Nice video. I use soft shackles for slacklines and have build them myself. The different kinds of knots for soft shackles are actually quite interesting. Some result in 228% the breaking strength of one single Amsteel/Dyneema rope.
We just run a little paracord though the hole in the pin then use it to hold the metal shackle up so it isnt slamming on rocks and the like. Keeps it from vibrating loose and getting thread-locked and no real effort to remove. Short straps will go though those annoyingly tiny recovery points so you can use the huge steel shackle out a bit from the vehicle.
Awesome video Ronny, just a quick tip. If you do leave shackles on recovery point all the time, mouse the pin off to the shackle. You can use stainless wire, or 3-4mm paracord (whatever fits the hole in the pin) or the simplest way is to use a zip tie. I prefer zip ties, cause they're cheap, easy to use and hold up pretty well. When you want to use the shackle, cut or break it off with some pliers/side cutters (before you're in a big hole 😅) and your good to go!
Love the videos. I carry 3 soft, two 5/8 steel, two 3/4 steel, a pully, a snatch block, a 10x3 tow/tree strap and a 30x3 snatch strap in my recovery bag. I believe im read for any situation.
Thats pretty cool. I have no interest in 4x4 driving, but i do use soft shackles in my backcountry hammock camping set up. Much smaller ones mind you, I make them from 7/64in dyneema
The aluminum winch ring is only to be used with synthetic winch line, a steel line will tear it up. You need the old school PITA snatch block for the steel cable winch. Great video, good info.
I just can't get past the high cost and short life of the rope. I've got a steel shackle that I've had for almost 20 years. If I applied force to it, today, I am extremely confident that it would safely do its job. Can I expect the same from a 20 year old piece of plastic rope? If I have to buy a new rope shackle, or line, every few years, used or not, I'm going to put my money in steel. My budget won't allow for the cost, and my poor memory will keep me from remembering when to cycle through the new stuff.
Indullable ink. Write date purchased on the label if it has one. I also have date/ mileage reminder labels under hood of the Rover. Minds a sieve. But I always have to open hood on the Rover. Guess what? There's note to self to remind me of things pertinent .
Never thought I’d run synthetic. I picked up a used winch with synthetic omit for my girls jeep, it’s a breeze to Use, effortless to Pull Out and rig vs steel cable, I still Like steel shackles though
Great video with some really good points. I suppose an advantage of the soft shackle been rated less than the steel shackle is if you're using them together, say on a front recovery point, the soft shackle should break first decreasing the risk to people involved in the recovery. Thanks Ronny.
The only thing I would add is that the Snatch Block is safer/more reliable if you're using wire rope on your winch. I would NOT recommend trying the aluminum wheel with a soft shackle if you're running wire rope. Pretty obvious, but thought it should be mentioned.
Would love to see an agency certify a soft shackle. I worked in Union construction for 40 years and always used steel shackles for lifting purposes. Always minimum, Chicago, USA 4 3/4 ton shackles.( 9500 pounds) (Always had certification from ASTM, otherwise we could not use them. I see no certifications on soft shackles, thank goodness you do not use them to lift overhead loads. I do see an advantage in lightness, but were is the certification of strength?
Thanks Ronny, very informative, I have steel bow shackles, but have been looking at the soft shackles for a while, looks like I will be getting some. Cheers :)
I was sceptical at first of this video but, you won me over. Its not as simple as one or another. I lean towards steal from 30 years experience in Canadas worst conditions but see the value of fabric as well. The smaller steal shackle is a much ignored reality ive experienced here in crazy deep snow pulling cars out. Well done young man.
hey man great vid!!! just one comment on steel shacke real resistance, as they are design for hoisting, the safety factor is 6, that means that they are calculated to resist six times what they are rated for without deforming permanently, but steel srenght limit is way higher than its yield limit, thats why the bigger one you showed normally support up to 35 metric tones before breaking. thats why they are really good to use in a recovery point, since those would be the points less likely to fail, instead of a soft shacke wich has a similar strengh than the straps.
Bought a soft shackle from Harbor Freight and it barely squeezes through the hole on the Factor 55 fairlead end. So I got a steel shackle to toss on it. I'd keep that rear shackle on and have one for the front because you may need to anchor off something or someone to do a pull.
Winch ring/snatch block are different based on the winch line material. A snatch block designed for a steel cable is plenty well designed and great to use with a steel d-ring (shackle) and one that is large enough for the type of tree saver/strap in use. Some straps are thick and have small diameter loops cause of the design of the stitch and length of stitch. That's the main strength point to a strap. You may have to re-evaluate your hardware for recovery and make sure that you are using proper rated materials for specific situations.
Slide a rubber O-ring onto your shackle pin and it will keep the pin from rattling loose. It will also prevent you from over tightening your pin and it locking on durning a recovery. It’s a simple, fantastic mod.
This video should be on top of every 4wd driver`s list. It has saved my life just a day ago. Beacuase I watch this video, the correct shackle placement was used. So when the recovery rope broke, only the rope and soft shackle smashed the windscreen in front of my head. I wont be typing now, if it was a steel shackle. Guys, always use rated recovery point and correct shackle placement. A rope damper is also a must!
If the recovery rope broke, then how did the soft shackle come with it? You mean the soft shackle broke? That's an argument for hard shackles.
Hot Tip : soft shackles are also used in some marine applications -> go to your local boat shop , they'll have soft shackles even for very high tonnage ( compared to a car ) for a fraction of the price of those sold by 4x4 companies
Thanks Toast4242!
Shhhhh! Hahaha.
The only time "marine" anything is the cheaper alternative...
@@TheLifeInMotion Recently found out that marine 12v stuff is comparitively cheap. Water/dust proof as well. Most boats use 12v dual battery systems.
Soft shackles are easy to yourself. A lot cheaper and once you get at making them you can splice and dogbone in. Way faster
Steel Shackles: Great for recovery points on the vehicle
Soft Shackles: Great for everything else
Wish I saw this 15min ago.
Steel Shackles: Great for killing, they turn into a missile. Id use soft for everything, ive seen those steel ones take off like a bullet.
Except in heavy duty use, then steel every day! (no, not talking about vehicle recovery, unless you're recovering a 100+ ton mining truck)!
@@dundonrl They don't recover those 100 ton trucks. They burry them let them de-solve then re mine them send the metals to Ford to make a new one.
Hi Ronny, love the video. One quick, point, according to the ARB manufacuturer instructions, the bow shackle should be the other way around on the recovery points. The curved part should be fed through the recovery point, and the pin should have the straps. This keeps the straps nicely positioned and allows the bow shackle to pivot safely in case the vehicle shifts off line.
don't think so. avoid soft sling on pin whenever you can.
Loving these soft shackles, I was a recovery mechanic in the British army and all we used were steel shackles. We used to back them off half a turn for pulling applications to stop them from binding up. Even with that, when sand and dirt gets in there they were still tough to undo. I m just getting into the civilian side of things so loving the videos.
Ronny you are spot on about the soft shackles etc. Nice way to really lighten the load and be safer and more effective at the same time.
I carry a Pintle hitch with 2" receiver with adaptor for the receiver as to be able to fit it onto other's hitches in a pinch.
Rope, cable, chain, or soft shackle friendly, tough, looks cool, doesn't rattle much, all weather friendly, not greasy like a typical ball hitch (90 times more secure), makes a great step and/or kayak tie down point. Fantastic if your ride has limited tow points. Not expensive.
My dad chucked one on the back of my old Suzuki SJ410 when I was 16. I'm 52 now and that same pintle has followed along behind on a couple old Ford Broncos, Zukes, & Jeep XJs I've owned. Most of my life has been off road in British Columbia.
"Works for me!" 👍
There's a young bloke who did some excellent video from Seek Adventure on TH-cam on making soft shackles and repairing Dyneema. Worth a look too. Drifta are getting into soft shackles and attachments too. Cheers Ronnie, your vid on recovery failures was noteworthy too.
It's a shame he doesn't make videos any more.
He is better then some of these new ones ...show you stuff all trying to get ya one patreon and talk to much with there faces in most of the video. We just want your money bleeds out of there videos
That seek adventure guy was great. Ronny should chase him down to do a collab kinda video even tho ol mate doesnt tube anymore. The good thing about him compared to other channels, is he is not a brand whore. Most these youtubers now a days, are for ever sucking up to companies just to get free stuff..... case in point that flog with the silver triton from WA. Spends more time doing product testing videos than he does camping and 4wd trips 😂😂
Just a little tip for when you leave your steel shackle on the rear recovery point and travel on corrugations, use a zip-tie trough the hole in the pin of the shackle and back through the shackle itself to keep the pin from turning and backing itself out. It works a treat and the zip-tie is easy to remove with snips or a knife when needed.
if you purchase a reputable Brand of Properly made soft shackle and Use it correctly. they Don't come loose any hard plastic cable ties will just make wear marks and weaken the spectra fibres Don't Modify Safety gear
Thanks Road Rash, I've been trying to figure a way to keep from losing my steel shackles besides storing them in my center council.
@@tasrocket did you even read his comment?
@@nathanmccrary87He has been avoiding having to respond to this for over 2 years. 🤣
At last Ronny, a full and frank assessment in an unbiased fashion. The only thing
I would add is that with the traditional snatch block, when a failure occurs the load can be set free. With the pulley ring where the soft shackle goes through the ring, if the ring fails the load is still attached. Thank you. Regards Non Stick Nick.
I was a tow truck driver in LA- did a LOT of recovery work-- and out in the deserts of California.. as well as country mountains.. but never used soft shackles etc.. just standard tow truck gear. INTERESTING.. thank you again for EXCELLENT information... I've learned a LOT from you..
YOu have made one old mountain moron a LOT safer now.. ha.
Excellent video as always.
Regarding factory recovery points with rounded edges - the front recovery points for Ford Super Duty trucks have been round since '99. They're just the bow part of a bow shackle bolted through to the frame and they're very strong. You can hang the entire truck off of them if you want to.
Good video as usual. FYI soft shackles have been used in the sail rigging industry since the invention of plasma rope nearly 15 years ago... the Swedish company Liros used the Monkey Fist knot to make them and the OffRoad community took advantage of it.
Hey great vid,
nine times out of ten for the rear recovery point we just use the pin for the hitch, a bit of a pain to fit your strap in if muddy etc but it takes some steel out of the line of fire.
Pin works for an easy tug. If you're hitting it hard multiple times then switch to the recovery points (that's probably the 10th out of your 10 times..)
With a tongue in the hitch the force is a 'shear' force on the pin, for which it is designed. Placing a recovery strap on the pin directly turns it into a deforming force -- which it it _isn't_ designed.
So many people don't get this.
Jason Martin I never thought about it that way. Time to order a receiver shackle mount I guess
If you keep a steel shackle on your hitch, you can use a cable-style gun lock and thread it through one of the trailer chain loops, the shackle and the pin hole as a theft deterrent and keep the pin from rotating out. They even come in various colors.
Fair assessment. I will say I follow a few hard core off road recovery channels and over the years I've seen a half dozen soft shackle failures during ops and never a steel shackle failure. But in every case they just installed another one and successfully continued. I think the safety aspects of soft shackles and synthetic winch lines are worth the potential high load or abrasion failure risk.
For someone like me, new to recovery gear, this was super helpful. Thanks.
Excellent analysis! You recommended exactly what I currently use after many, many years of my own trial and error! Ronny, "You Da Man!"
You kids have it so easy today with your soft shackles and safe spaces. When I was growing up we played dodgeball with hard shackles and if we got hit by one we didn’t run and cry, we hit it back.
Sure you did Chuck Norris
Sure Jan.
Also, if you travel in sub-freezing conditions, the Bow Shackle already installed beats the heck out of having to chisel a hole though frozen mud stuck inside the hole where a soft shackle is supposed to fit. I have lived "that dream" when I forgot to put my bow shackle on my rear hitch and broke through ice down into a mud hole in below freezing weather on a hunting trip in northern Michigan.
Hi Ronnny, yes there are cars with smooth recovery points at the front.
I have a Pajero 1th gen. and a Pajero 2th gen. , and they both have a big smooth recovery eye at the right front side.
The eye is open at one side too, so you can put your tow-strap, kinetic strap etc. on the recovery point without using any shackle at all !
A brilliant idea 💡
Super dutys have a nice round front recovery points. So soft shackle for the front and a hitch with a steel shackle for the rear. You have have basically taught me how to do 4x4 recovery safely and 4 wheel drive etiquette. I've been trying to go to shops but they just try to sell me things. So these videos really help me out
I kinda miss "seek adventure ". Great info though, thanks Ronnie.
Yer the bustard me too...he had the goods..
Seek adventure was good. But Ronny is good to watch less bs than another 4wd channel
I was only just thinking this myself as soon as I saw the topic....
His vid on the topic was really good, too. Much the same conclusions as well.
I really miss that show, but I get it. What I don't get is why he removed the store. I still want a shirt.
Excellent once again. These topics are great simple and concise and no grandstanding brands.
Congratulations on hitting 300k. Been following for a while. Production quality has always been on the increase. Keep it up Ronny 🍻
The comment at 8:00 about losing shackles due to the pin vibrating loose made me wonder - we sailors "mouse" important shackles to stop them working loose. Maybe some velcro-type "mousing" would minimise losses, while still being quick & easy to remove - so you could undo the pin when needed. Cheers, Gavin & Amanda.
This video is only a couple months old, but I don't know where you're buying your soft shackles for $50-100. Amazon has a 2-pack of them rated 5 stars from 150 customers at $40. 38,000 lb breaking strength. I could scrape up enough dough to add them to the steel ones. Awesome video Ronny. Seen several of yours and they're very helpful.
Finally someone knows what they are taking about. One thing though in the rigging industry we use bow shakes to joint our flat webbing slings. I can see why they recommended the others to not do this due. It can be installed in correctly very quickly . Well done help keep them safe
You’re a bloody legend mate, thanks for all your informative videos.
Awesome gear video. I’ve been wheeling for 40 years and I found your video interesting and informative. Thank you.
I have a 2.5" Factor 55 in the hitch receiver and 6.5 Ton steel shackles on board. Planning on adding a Factor 55 hook to the winch up front. I think I will add some soft shackles in the mix after watching this, mainly for the potential to need to join straps. Other than that it's steel shackles for me. Some good points here Ronny.
One of your best 'how to' vids...thanks.
I have been using steel cables and steel shackles for about 30 years. I have had zero breaks and zero accidents. Maintaining your equipment and knowing it is everything. I have never needed a synthetic rope. I have also seen way too many synthetic ropes break when they rub on wood or gravel not even rock. You guys can stick to synthetic I will keep my steel thank you.
In recovery you can work to a safety factor of 2. So the recovery load limit of a 15t braking strain soft shackle is 7.5t or 16500 lbs. So only enough to be used single line on most winches. The minimum sized shackle to be safely used with a 2:1 on a 12000lbs winch is 21.8t braking strain and about 16.3t for a 9000lbs winch. EVERYTHING in a winch setup should be rated at winch cut-out. Nothing should ever be anywhere near failure.
production has gotten a lot more sophistcated since the last time I watched one of your videos Ronnie! Nice job!
Wow. Thank you so much for this video. I'm an old time offroader. I don't get out as often as I used to but I still like to be fully prepared. Aside from the great info you provided in this video I learned about the Winch Ring. As a result I just ordered an Overland one. I am switching to synthetic on my winch so I think this is a must have as well as soft shackles.
Hi Ronnie, new topic, 4WD fridges- the choice is mind boggling, sizes, Brand’s, efficiencies, cost benefit, etc
I’m in the market for a winch (and now soft shackles thanks to this video lol). I priced out what it would cost to get recovered from even a small situation off-road with a few local tow companies. What I found is, I can buy a new Warn Zeon 10s and about 20 soft shackles for the price of one recovery from a tow company. Moral of this super long message…is saving a few dollars initially, worth the cost of having to spend money on a cheap piece of equipment (Chinese winch with steel or crap synthetic cable) only to have to spend $4000 on an off-road recovery because it stopped working, or having someone be dead because of a wrong application (bow shackle) failing and hitting them in the head?
I will go for soft one. Thank you Ronny.
Excellent and sound advice, thx Ronny, best use I find for the soft shackle is to add the tow strap to my winch line to get another 30’ length or more. Keep up the great work
Great video helped me make a better decision on recovery gear .
Another good one to have is a 4ft soft shackle. You can make them yourself. But these are useful because you can crawl under and hook them to control arms, ect.. and then it brings your connection out in front of the bumper-- so when you're done, you don't have to crawl back under the car a second time. One 4ft or even 6ft soft shackle always comes in handy and it still counts as another spare too.
I use a zip tie on the steel shackle pin to keep them from unscrewing and falling off. No need to cinch it down. If you have to remove the pin, cut the tie at the current locking location and then reuse when you are done.
Awesome explanation and demonstration as well as the pro’s and cons 👍👍
Thanks Ronni. No question my number one source of practical 4WD info. Fantastic stuff.
Great video. I recently got 2 soft shackles, and second guessed myself. But now I see I made the right choice for what I’ll be using them for. Stay healthy and well.
Ronny - thanks so much - so helpful ! Clear and detailed explanations !
Thanks mate just new to 4wd, did some at work but I wasn’t buying the gear. Very helpful video
Awesome valid points mate, and I'm in total agreement with you these days its so easy to carry too much of the wrong kit!!! less is more and soft kit now rules however there is still a time and place for old skool kit.
Really good information and detail in simple terms. Thanks
Ronny, you mentioned using the pen off the shackle what I’ve taken to doing is running a zip tie through the hole in the pen and then back to the shackle. This way it’ll never back out and if somebody decides to take it makes him have to slow down a little bit.I’ve also used a piece of string in the same way
Excellent! Never heard about soft shackles. Soon they will be in my kit.
Remember a Dee shackle is a thing, as is a Bow Shackle -- 2 slightly different things.
NB WLL (steel) vs Min breaking strength (Rope shackle), big difference.
A wire grommet - or cable tie - is useful to "seize" - secure the pin in a "steel" shackle.
Had 'everyfing' I need to know. Cheers Ronny
I think you nailed it on your choice. And of course these videos are great.
Great post. Never heard of the winch ring till now... looking into it. Great advice on soft shackles too.
Spent the whole video worried you were gonna scratch the table... haha. Keep up the good work Ronny
Soft shackles are very prone to wear and to dirt and debris. When in doubt just use extra heavy d-rings (clevis hooks). I have large steel shackles on front and back of my truck. I use the tow straps and kinetic bungy tow ropes for just recovery as im mostly old school having work in logging and mining industry.
Great info. I watched this after buying all my shackles.......lucky I got it about right :))
Nice video! FYI, the factory recovery points on my Ford F350 have a rounded surface and are perfect for soft shackles.
What a coincidence. I just bought me both steel and soft shackles on the interwebs today. Then this video comes about. Well my jeep is ready for recovery. My straps are still brand new.
I hope you’re on the track when I get stuck Ronny, but this video is the next best thing. 🙏🏽
I just got done watching this video I like what you said on a lot of it which does make sense thank you
I would add something I've been told and that I have to pay attention to when I'm dealing with ropes and rigging at work. Make sure that the lubricants or corrosion inhibitors you are using on any metal parts that will be in contact with your ropes/webbing will not weaken or deteriorate the nylon/polyester/dyneema that your ropes are made out of.
Hey. Just thought. I don’t like to keep my recovery gear in the vehicle unless i know for sure i’ll be off-roading. Lots of heavy dangerous steel flying around in an accident. If i switch to soft then it’s light and safe, so it can just live in the vehicle. 👍.
What happens if you come across a car that has driven in to a ditch on the highway and ur the only one they have seen for hours no phone recption for them to call for help either. The occupants are ok and the car is driveable still just stuck, would you just drive on by cause you didnt wanna carry an extra kg or two?
You keep shackles on the passenger seat or something? haha
That depends how you store it tho. All my kit is in a box secured in the back.
Had to remove the 3rd row seats to fit drawers (where the recovery gear stays - in its own little box) so I fitted a safety screen to keep everything in the cargo bay. Hitting a washaway at speed and wearing a tin of beetroot in the back of the head 50 years ago was a learning experience. That said, weight is important.
I'm just happy to finally have my pintle hook hitch at the ready for when I pull people out of the ditch this coming winter. The only thing I have to worry about is if THEY have somewhere to hook onto. Bring it winter! By the way, I'm in Alaska so I know I'll be using my gear. Great video as always, thanks.
Tip that I used and works well with the steel shackle you the rated recovery point I found once when using one ad it has a lot of movement side to side ad the bow is a lot wider then the taped recovery point I have 2 large heavy duty rubber spacers that go either side of the recovery point on the bow shackle bolt it stops it moving around
Well done Ronny for getting the Bow and D shackles right.
Great information. Thanks for helping me make better decisions for recoveries
I use soft shackles all the time for sailing. I was about to buy one when my coworker showed me how to splice dyneema. Brummel splices are also extremely useful since it gives you a loop that won't really ever come untied and you can add stitching to make sure it doesn't come loose if you want. The stitching adds no tensile strength, just makes sure it can't shake loose over time.
When you were showing the two shackles linked and saying you should never do it, I thought you were repeating the old story about not putting steel to steel, but I was relieved because you were only worried about the extra projectile weight!
Hi Ronny love the show
On my TJ Wrangler I have a 10000 lb rhino horn recovery point that can take a soft shackle.
Keep up the good work.
I've watched many of these 4x4 recovery videos recently - none of them seem to talk about or use kinetic rope vs a static strap.
Thanks Ronny that was super helpful. Keep up the great work we appreciate your dedication
Ronny Dahl, Another great video mate, Keep them coming your right on the money.
Great video....I have two soft shackles, two bow shackles and two hitch receivers, one being a Factor 55. Many off road trucks here in the states have factory equipped recovery points and for the most part are plenty smooth for a soft shackle. BUT if I need to pull out another vehicle using the receiver I run the soft shackles on their truck and the bow on mine...if the bow fails at least I won’t get hit by this all metal “bullet”
I use white lithium spray on my receiver hitch.
Keeps it coated and rust free even in winter in New Jersey USA.
I believe another item to factor in, is weather one's winch line is steel or synthetic (especially as it relates to recovery rings. A novice may not know that is also a no-go). As we all move to syn, there is still a lot of steel line out there, and may be not in someone's budget yet to go syn. I feel a nice mix of soft and hard devices could be good to keep on hand, for any situation one may encounter.
Nice video. I use soft shackles for slacklines and have build them myself. The different kinds of knots for soft shackles are actually quite interesting. Some result in 228% the breaking strength of one single Amsteel/Dyneema rope.
We just run a little paracord though the hole in the pin then use it to hold the metal shackle up so it isnt slamming on rocks and the like. Keeps it from vibrating loose and getting thread-locked and no real effort to remove.
Short straps will go though those annoyingly tiny recovery points so you can use the huge steel shackle out a bit from the vehicle.
Incredibly informative. Well spoken for DownUnder! Thanks Mate. Rhino Ranch, MT USA
Awesome video Ronny, just a quick tip. If you do leave shackles on recovery point all the time, mouse the pin off to the shackle. You can use stainless wire, or 3-4mm paracord (whatever fits the hole in the pin) or the simplest way is to use a zip tie. I prefer zip ties, cause they're cheap, easy to use and hold up pretty well. When you want to use the shackle, cut or break it off with some pliers/side cutters (before you're in a big hole 😅) and your good to go!
Love the videos. I carry 3 soft, two 5/8 steel, two 3/4 steel, a pully, a snatch block, a 10x3 tow/tree strap and a 30x3 snatch strap in my recovery bag. I believe im read for any situation.
Thats pretty cool. I have no interest in 4x4 driving, but i do use soft shackles in my backcountry hammock camping set up. Much smaller ones mind you, I make them from 7/64in dyneema
The aluminum winch ring is only to be used with synthetic winch line, a steel line will tear it up. You need the old school PITA snatch block for the steel cable winch. Great video, good info.
I just can't get past the high cost and short life of the rope. I've got a steel shackle that I've had for almost 20 years. If I applied force to it, today, I am extremely confident that it would safely do its job. Can I expect the same from a 20 year old piece of plastic rope? If I have to buy a new rope shackle, or line, every few years, used or not, I'm going to put my money in steel. My budget won't allow for the cost, and my poor memory will keep me from remembering when to cycle through the new stuff.
And the agricultural industry has been using the steel.. for how long...??
Indullable ink. Write date purchased on the label if it has one.
I also have date/ mileage reminder labels under hood of the Rover.
Minds a sieve. But I always have to open hood on the Rover.
Guess what? There's note to self to remind me of things pertinent .
Not a bad idea. I'll have to do that.
Never thought I’d run synthetic. I picked up a used winch with synthetic omit for my girls jeep, it’s a breeze to
Use, effortless to
Pull
Out and rig vs steel cable, I still
Like steel shackles though
@@fatherdaddy1 That is a good idea! Now, if I can just remember it long enough to do it......
Thank you. Very good educational for shackles!
Excellent presentation of an important topic! Thanks mate!
Great video with some really good points. I suppose an advantage of the soft shackle been rated less than the steel shackle is if you're using them together, say on a front recovery point, the soft shackle should break first decreasing the risk to people involved in the recovery. Thanks Ronny.
The only thing I would add is that the Snatch Block is safer/more reliable if you're using wire rope on your winch. I would NOT recommend trying the aluminum wheel with a soft shackle if you're running wire rope. Pretty obvious, but thought it should be mentioned.
Very Helpful... From an appreciative American 👍🏻
Very good presentation Ronny. I learned a lot. Thank you for putting this together.
Good on you Ronny. Nice to catch up with technology. Yes the absolutely right, steel recovery weighed me down a lot.
Would love to see an agency certify a soft shackle. I worked in Union construction for 40 years and always used steel shackles for lifting purposes. Always minimum, Chicago, USA 4 3/4 ton shackles.( 9500 pounds) (Always had certification from ASTM, otherwise we could not use them. I see no certifications on soft shackles, thank goodness you do not use them to lift overhead loads. I do see an advantage in lightness, but were is the certification of strength?
Great video 👍🏻👍🏻 soft shackles are used on boats / ships 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Ronny, very informative, I have steel bow shackles, but have been looking at the soft shackles for a while, looks like I will be getting some. Cheers :)
I was sceptical at first of this video but, you won me over. Its not as simple as one or another. I lean towards steal from 30 years experience in Canadas worst conditions but see the value of fabric as well. The smaller steal shackle is a much ignored reality ive experienced here in crazy deep snow pulling cars out. Well done young man.
hey man great vid!!! just one comment on steel shacke real resistance, as they are design for hoisting, the safety factor is 6, that means that they are calculated to resist six times what they are rated for without deforming permanently, but steel srenght limit is way higher than its yield limit, thats why the bigger one you showed normally support up to 35 metric tones before breaking. thats why they are really good to use in a recovery point, since those would be the points less likely to fail, instead of a soft shacke wich has a similar strengh than the straps.
Bought a soft shackle from Harbor Freight and it barely squeezes through the hole on the Factor 55 fairlead end. So I got a steel shackle to toss on it. I'd keep that rear shackle on and have one for the front because you may need to anchor off something or someone to do a pull.
Winch ring/snatch block are different based on the winch line material. A snatch block designed for a steel cable is plenty well designed and great to use with a steel d-ring (shackle) and one that is large enough for the type of tree saver/strap in use.
Some straps are thick and have small diameter loops cause of the design of the stitch and length of stitch. That's the main strength point to a strap.
You may have to re-evaluate your hardware for recovery and make sure that you are using proper rated materials for specific situations.
Slide a rubber O-ring onto your shackle pin and it will keep the pin from rattling loose. It will also prevent you from over tightening your pin and it locking on durning a recovery. It’s a simple, fantastic mod.