Winch technique question - using winch rope and then pulling using vehicle

[Jelorian]

I saw this in a video recently and it was the first time I saw anyone use a winch this way. Unfortunately I can't remember where I saw the video, but I do remember it was by a fairly well known website.

Just wondering if this is standard technique or not normally done.

There was a vehicle stuck in the mud. The vehicle with the winch was on dry ground about 50 feet behind it. They attached the winch line to the rear of the stuck vehicle and to my surprise, instead of using the winch, the recovery vehicle proceeded to just pull as if it had a tow strap attached. It did work just fine for their situation but I'm wondering if this is a normal technique.

Hopefully I've explained this so you know what is going on.

EDIT: I should have also mentioned that the recovery vehicle wasn't getting a running start. It just started pulling slowly and the stuck vehicle was able to get out of the mud. Kind of like if you were to use a tow strap. Just a straight and steady pull. Not a snatch as if using a recovery strap.

 

[Airmapper]

It's generally considered a bad practice and warned against.

I think the idea is a winch is designed to handle forces it generates, and the shock loads and recoils of being tugged on by another vehicle can damage the gears and brakes and internal bits. If the winch fails it could also cause it to violently release it's grip on the spool, and in a recovery situation that might cause the vehicle to move in an uncontrolled manner and hurt or kill someone.

That said a lot of people get their panties in a wad when they don't understand the situation and think they know better, and are reading from a warning sticker instead of using their head. If it was just no traction and the truck needed a little help to stay moving but not much tension was being put on the line, may not hurt a thing if a careful driver steadily pulled. I wasn't there, didn't see it, don't know all the particulars, and Paul Harvey isn't with us to tell the rest of the story.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Not the norm and not recommended but sometimes you just need to do what you need to do to get out. The bad is a winch cable/rope is normally not rated for shock loads.

 

[Jelorian]

Not the norm and not recommended but sometimes you just need to do what you need to do to get out. The bad is a winch cable/rope is normally not rated for shock loads.

Edited my post. It was a slow straight pull...not a snatch...but like you mentioned, you work with what you have on hand. These guys didn't have to do it that way. They had multiple vehicles and they all seemed to know what they were doing...this was just a small section of their whole video. Darn, I wish I could find it again.

 

[Retired Tanker]

Could it be that the winch wasn't working, so the let it freewheel to pay the cable out and then locked it?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Edited my post. It was a slow straight pull...not a snatch...but like you mentioned, you work with what you have on hand. These guys didn't have to do it that way. They had multiple vehicles and they all seemed to know what they were doing...this was just a small section of their whole video. Darn, I wish I could find it again.

I have done both ways pull and snatch again not recommended but Im here to tell the story.

 

[cummins-overlander]

I think the main issue and risk was missed here. Pulling with a winch cable, slowly, is pretty much the same as using the winch normally. The biggest risk has nothing to do with the winch so long as you're smart and don't shock load it. This is why I don't run synthetic line on my Power Wagon. Synthetic sucks under almost all circumstances that a winch encounters - particularly critical loads and shock loads.

Anyhow, the main risk isn't the winch, it's your axles. The design of the ring gear in your axle is incredibly strong in the forward direction, and you wouldn't believe how weak it is going in reverse. You should NEVER recover a vehicle by pulling in reverse unless there is no other choice and you have thought it through. By staying stationary and applying your brakes under a winching scenario, you don't load the ring and pinion gears (you ARE in neutral, right?). If you are in Park, you then load your ring and pinion gears and your transmissions locking pawls. No bueno. That gets expensive fast. If using a winch, put it in neutral, hold the brakes and use the winch. If you are using a pull strap, point your rear to them and pull them out in a forward direction.

 

[verdesardog]

:sombrero:^^^^what he said.

 

[dumprat]

Couple that with the fact the winch will be held fast only by gear drag and the brake. Neither of which are designed to handle a shock load.