by "CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
Published 12/18/2017 at 03:46
by "CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
Published 12/18/2017 at 03:46
Tags: Suzuki Samurai
; Off-Road
; recovery
; winching
; 4X4
; Samurai
; Suzuki
STARS: 1
Dear Oppo Off-Road Operators, As many of you have probably guessed, I run a Suzuki Samurai off road:
This week, I will be embarking on an adventure with some friends of mine in the back country (yay exciting!). while I will surely upload some video and a write up after the adventure is over, I was hoping to get some pre-run advice from the community.
My friends all have larger rigs than mine (obvious since most motorcycles outweigh Samis). Unfortunately, not a one of their rigs has a winch. Luckily (potentially for them), I have equipped my Sami with a 9500 lb winch. Now for the Suzuki this is more than enough (likely enough, that I could hang the Samurai in a tree should the need arise, or if their are any bears and we camp overnight), and while I have tested it on trail, I have never really needed. Unluckily, we expect conditions to be a mix of mud, ice, snow, and hidden (thinly iced over) mud/water holes. I think it is likely that some of them may get stuck and necessitate RECOVERY! (cue awesome offroad music):
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So here’s the question, when rigging to pull a much heavier vehicle out with a lighter vehicle, what tips and tricks do you have? I have done a little bit in the past, and when I have I have usually anchored the samurai to a tree using my winch receiver D ring. Once I actually saw the Samurai almost go in the air from the tension, so Im hoping their is a better trick for this? do snatch blocks help? I have 2. Physics nerds? I heard that you can do a weird thing with putting 3 way tension on a line...
I surprisingly couldn’t find a lot online. most winching advice has to do with pulling yourself out, which while I haven’t had to do much of, I feel fairly comfortable with.
Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!
"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
12/18/2017 at 05:36, STARS: 2
Oh that’s easy... snatch blocks. Two of them will be more than enough. One on each in extreme cases. Some extra synthetic cable comes in handy too.
Mind you...I’ve seen these things recover Land Cruisers and Patrols with little more than a snatch strap..
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/18/2017 at 05:46, STARS: 0
Thanks! I guess I was thinking that the snatch blocks reduce the direct pull on the vehicle, is that the case? ie assuming that the weight to pull is 8000 lbs , if you hook direct then the winch will be pulling 8k lbs thus the samurai will move instead if the target, but if you snatch 2 points anchored to things other than samurai, then there is only like 2k of force on the vehicle? is that right? if so then the target will move rather than the sami? maybe because the weight will be distributed to the other snatch anchors? I dont know if this makes sense, what do you think?
yes true, but snatch strapping always feels more dangerous to me than winching. this may be in my head, since I know that a flying winch cable can be a dangerous thing. what are everyone else’s thoughts? whats more dangerous winching or snatching?
"4kc" (4kc)
12/18/2017 at 06:50, STARS: 1
I haven’t heard of someone dying from a failed snatch, just flopped over rigs. Winches can cut your head off if you’re stupid.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
12/18/2017 at 09:46, STARS: 1
Consider some traction boards such as maxtrax. Fiberglass grating works too. Treads makes a more affordably priced alternative that’s not bad. It’s significantly quicker and easier than pulling out all the rigging needed to set up a winch line and pulley blocks.
As SilentButNotReallyDeadly mentioned, this would be a great application for snatch blocks or pulley blocks. Rigged correctly, one or two blocks could really reduce the load your winch needs to pull and reducing strain is always good for the longevity of tools.
Snatch straps allow a vehicle of lesser mass to recover a bigger one. Just remember that what your Samurai doesn’t have in mass will have to be made up with speed and inertia. Don’t stress it too hard- recoveries should be done in baby steps. Crawl, Walk, Run. Slowly work your way up. It’s better to try a snatch strap four times at four speeds than to hit it too hard and break the strap.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
12/18/2017 at 11:21, STARS: 2
If I get your question you are asking how to stop your samurai from getting pulled around. Not much you can do but to anchor it. Snatch blocks will increase the pulling strength of your winch but it wont do anything about the total forces between vehicles. i.e. a 6000 lbs pull with 2 snatches is 3 2000 lbs pulls as far as moving the vehicle is concerned. have you looked into deadman or a land anchor?
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
12/18/2017 at 16:44, STARS: 1
Just asked my dad - 20 something years of experience. He said to tie off the Samuri to a tree as an anchor.
"bingham123" (bingham123)
12/18/2017 at 18:26, STARS: 1
the snatch blocks can half the load on the line, you can also use them the pull someone from “round a corner”
synthetic rope is better than steel cable, its lighter so you can have a longer rope with less weight
iv seen jimnys and other small offroaders pull fully loaded landrovers out of 2ft deep mud with and without a winch
"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
12/19/2017 at 10:21, STARS: 1
Unrelated to your winching questions, but how do you like those LED array headlights? I’m thinking of getting a pair for my Rover.
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:28, STARS: 0
Hi Thanks for asking!
I think they are pretty good, I wish they didnt look so blingy but I couldnt find any that just looked like standard headlights at the time. I actually got them because I had a bulb filament short from offroading, and wanted to avoid that in future. they are much brighter than stock halogens, but I still use my LED fogs at night to supplement them.
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:32, STARS: 0
Yeah, I suppose anchoring is still the best way. I usually am in pretty deep forest so trees are in abundance here in the pacific north west. does this put a lot of extra stress on the frame though?
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:32, STARS: 0
ha good point!
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:34, STARS: 0
thanks for the reply. good point on trying different speeds
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:35, STARS: 0
yeah, I have thought about changing to synthetic, but its EXPENSIVE!
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:35, STARS: 0
Yeah Anchoring seems to be best, Im just worried about frame stress
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
12/19/2017 at 17:41, STARS: 1
Not enough to worry about
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
12/19/2017 at 17:48, STARS: 1
If you’re not pulling a semi i wouldn’t be too worried.
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:50, STARS: 0
Awsome Thanks!
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/19/2017 at 17:51, STARS: 0
Awsome thanks
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
12/19/2017 at 18:45, STARS: 1
Anytime! My dads been at it for a very, very long time so he’s full of wisdom
"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
12/20/2017 at 09:36, STARS: 0
Yeah, I’m thinking anything will be an upgrade to the sealed beams I have now. I’m not a huge fan of the spidery eyes look, but it does make the truck look more modern
"CrazyCivicMan" (crazycivicman)
12/20/2017 at 19:43, STARS: 0
Yes they do look more modern. they arent as bad as others I saw either. I want to add that I havent hooked up the daylight running beams (they need a seperate power supply). also, the highbeams arent very reliable, they work most of the time but sometimes they dont engage. but this might be due to the Samurais very thin wires, they would probably work better on your rover