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Ball hitch breaks and kills dude being pulled out of the mud...

WildHorses24

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hmm i recently was thinking about the pin while towing up the hill from laughlin. i got mine along time ago but it was cheap made me think if i had to replace it being that its seen alot of towing miles..
PINs have to have the lock ability in my experience, I was towing my 67 Bronco on a car trailer to a movie set 2 days in a row and on the second morning @ 5 am I stopped halfway down my street, something told me to check the connection.... sure as shit some dick bag pulled the pin from my ball mount!!! Definitely had a little less faith in humanity that morning.
 

coolchange

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😂 All the big drops I have are chrome:cool: My brother had was towing a Class 8 in an enclosed trailer in Mexico with an aluminum drop and snapped it on a single lane mountain road... I was a nightmare for him, I'll never buy an aluminum hitch.
Never liked those. Then add in adjustable, um ya, no. All the cool😎 cats have chrome drops!
 

Flying_Lavey

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Grade 5 will show you signs of stress. Grade 8 will just break.
I believe grade 8 has a lower sheer strength than grade 5. The grade ratings refer to the stretch I do believe. But I'm sure there are many more people here that have FAR more knowledge on that front than me.

BTW, how is this NOT common knowledge? About not attaching to a hitch or a tow ball. Specially doing snatch recoveries. None of those points are rated for shock loads, just static. LARGE difference. These are some of the first things I was taught when I got my first 4wd truck. Also, the more incline you can get from towed to pull vehicle, the more help the pull with have as the pull is also providing some lift to the stuck vehicle as well.
 

WildHorses24

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you cant say you have a bronco that was in a movie without posting pictures
I sure this group would much prefer the photo shoot it was in a couple months back;)
 

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River Runnin

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I believe grade 8 has a lower sheer strength than grade 5. The grade ratings refer to the stretch I do believe. But I'm sure there are many more people here that have FAR more knowledge on that front than me.

BTW, how is this NOT common knowledge? About not attaching to a hitch or a tow ball. Specially doing snatch recoveries. None of those points are rated for shock loads, just static. LARGE difference. These are some of the first things I was taught when I got my first 4wd truck. Also, the more incline you can get from towed to pull vehicle, the more help the pull with have as the pull is also providing some lift to the stuck vehicle as well.
You know the deal! --- Just like common sense! It's history! And Just like....
The first time 4X4 owner! .... The first time Boat owner! .... SxS, Motorcycle .... They already Know it all because of friends, family, YouTube, and google!
 

WhatExit?

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Plenty of good info online



 

Sherpa

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a huge no-no is to never connect 2 tug straps together using a steel clevis............. that is a really bad thing to watch......

there is a pic floating around on the net of a jeep with a hole in the windshield, and the clevis with strap right through the
headrest of the jeep......... I don't think anyone was harmed in that one, but can you imagine?

--Sherpa
 

rrrr

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Freeing a stuck vehicle by introducing slack in the rope/cable/chain and jumping on the gas to pop the vehicle free is something I've never attempted. It's so obviously dangerous I just never considered doing it.

That the man lost his life is a terrible thing. Having it occur while his family was in the truck makes it an unspeakable horror. My condolences to them.
 

throttle

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Horrible incident. Most likely avoidable if someone had the right tools in their recover bag.

As a reminder, odd timing. I had just received an email with other stories like this one, it must be more common than we think. 👎

15EC826B-9075-4B72-9628-5621C4CB4B9E.jpeg
 

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Something I forgot earlier and surprised no one has mentioned it but if the strap or chain is connected to the front of the vehicle open the hood and leave it open during the pull. That way if the chain or strap breaks the hood will stop it. It will damage the hood but greatly reduce the chance of anything coming into the cab...
 

Good Stuff

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Freeing a stuck vehicle by introducing slack in the rope/cable/chain and jumping on the gas to pop the vehicle free is something I've never attempted. It's so obviously dangerous I just never considered doing it.

That the man lost his life is a terrible thing. Having it occur while his family was in the truck makes it an unspeakable horror. My condolences to them.
Yeah those in the cab with him will never be the same. 😢
 

Flying_Lavey

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Something I forgot earlier and surprised no one has mentioned it but if the strap or chain is connected to the front of the vehicle open the hood and leave it open during the pull. That way if the chain or strap breaks the hood will stop it. It will damage the hood but greatly reduce the chance of anything coming into the cab...
Use the correct strap, connections, and weight on the strap and it's a non issue. But with the hood up, the stuck vehicle driver's can see shit and is more likely to get stuck again or hurt somebody in the process..
 

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Use the correct strap, connections, and weight on the strap and it's a non issue. But with the hood up, the stuck vehicle driver's can see shit and is more likely to get stuck again or hurt somebody in the process..
or get killed when something fails.
 

RiverDave

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RIP to the driver, looks like he was a family man.

The most surprising thing to me is the ball mount is hollow, I have a 12", 10" & 8" drop from lifted trucks in the past and ALL 3 are solid. Even my Motorhome Standard drop ball mount is solid.... heavy as fuck and not the "cool aluminum" drop but doubt this would ever happen.

It’s only going to be as strong as your hitch pin. No reason for them to be solid.
 

outboard_256

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It’s only going to be as strong as your hitch pin. No reason for them to be solid.

Not true at all. Hitch pin only see's one type of stress, the rest of hitch get's pulled and stressed in every direction. You add on a huge drop for leverage and you need to be solid or this can happen.
 

Flying_Lavey

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or get killed when something fails.
Use the correct techniques and products and that isn't an issue. I've seen and done many vehicles recoveries. Even seen many professionals do so (never have had to hire someone to do so). Never once has any of them popped the hood.
 

highvoltagehands

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I’ve rigged evry kind of wrong way in my lifetime and been lucky so far to learn better practices before getting hurt. Always throw a towel or an arrestor around strap when winching or strapping especially kinetics. Rigging thru the receiver tube around the hitch pin works if both vehicles are inline, but if there’s any angle you run the risk of cutting the eye on edge of the receiver tube. better to use hitch adapter. Also avoid rigging into Chinese made components that reforge inferior pot metals like tow hooks etc…Only buy US made and listed products. If your actions have you thinking twice, it’s probably not a good idea….
 

CLdrinker

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If you are going to yank people out use this.

Never get a running start with a normal strap. That’s how you break shit.

And if you use a chain please stop.

B85EB2BE-D707-4E58-AED1-E0C9CF69561B.png
 

OCMerrill

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This is sad and I already expressed my condolences on the other platform.

For the love of God ramp the mud away from the tires first. That thing was axle deep, the leverage against the tug was immense.
 

Jay Dub

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Something I forgot earlier and surprised no one has mentioned it but if the strap or chain is connected to the front of the vehicle open the hood and leave it open during the pull. That way if the chain or strap breaks the hood will stop it. It will damage the hood but greatly reduce the chance of anything coming into the cab...
great tip, thank you
 

CLdrinker

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@bldrinker theres is so many videos showing that the rhino products are garbage...
I wasn’t necessarily saying buy that brand. But to use a rope that stretches.
I don’t even have one but I’m
Also not getting running starts to yank people out. if Cant get you out with a tug im not beating my shit up because you screwed up.
 

buck35

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This is sad and I already expressed my condolences on the other platform.

For the love of God ramp the mud away from the tires first. That thing was axle deep, the leverage against the tug was immense.
Why do people bury axle deep before getting a pull?
 

Riverryder

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Also not getting running starts to yank people out. if Cant get you out with a tug im not beating my shit up because you screwed up.
my thoughts exactly if i can tug you out no way im going to do any yanking! if you are that stuck ill hand you a shovel.
 

outboard_256

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I keep one of these in my truck and rock crawler. Folds up small and you fill it with sand or rocks when you need to use it. Would have prevented this accident.

 

RogerThat99

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Why do people bury axle deep before getting a pull?

The last time it happened to me, I was turning around to pull someone else out. I had checked the ground to make sure it was solid. The problem was I didn't check all the way to the edge of the hard pack. The outer 4 feet on the edge was dry on the surface, and slop underneath it. I was find one second, and my axle buried the next second. LOL
 

Flying_Lavey

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This is sad and I already expressed my condolences on the other platform.

For the love of God ramp the mud away from the tires first. That thing was axle deep, the leverage against the tug was immense.
If the stuck vehicle is just able to at least spin the tires a bit, it breaks the majority of the surface tension and eliminates most suction of the mud.
 

OCMerrill

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Why do people bury axle deep before getting a pull?
In all my years of off-roading, jeep club meetings and events, tons of trail time the number one NEEDED item to carry is a shovel.

Common sense is also in short supply but costing a life is completely avoidable. For some you can just look at the situation and feel the heat and others have to experience the improper way to burn it in memory.
 

coolchange

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In all my years of off-roading, jeep club meetings and events, tons of trail time the number one NEEDED item to carry is a shovel.

Common sense is also in short supply but costing a life is completely avoidable. For some you can just look at the situation and feel the heat and others have to experience the improper way to burn it in memory.
I have a 2 wd Ram and I still carry a shovel.
 
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