Snatching from towballs

[steve.j]

Has anybody here ACTUALLY seen a towball shear off while being used as a recovery point  Lots of rumour, innuendo and "youtube" which of course haven't been faked or staged  have they  methinks it's an old wives tale propagated by marketers of 4wd accessories. Think about it, how is a 20mm bit of plate steel (recovery point ) stronger than a 20mm towball shank  It's a bit like "rated" shackles, the instant that stamp goes on the side the price triples, it's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-21/freak-accident/2848762
"Investigations are continuing into a freak accident on a Geraldton beach which claimed the life of a 29-year-old mother of three.

Police say the woman was sitting in the passenger seat of a car being reversed by her partner as he attempted tow a friend's car out of sand on a beach at Drummond Cove yesterday morning.

Senior Constable Darryl Peedan says the rope was attached to a tow ball, which broke off under the strain and shot back through the front window of the car, hitting the woman in the throat."

Anyone that thinks its fake or staged, just to sell 4wd accessories is an idiot

[The punter]

Has anybody here ACTUALLY seen a towball shear off while being used as a recovery point  Lots of rumour, innuendo and "youtube" which of course haven't been faked or staged  have they  methinks it's an old wives tale propagated by marketers of 4wd accessories. Think about it, how is a 20mm bit of plate steel (recovery point ) stronger than a 20mm towball shank  It's a bit like "rated" shackles, the instant that stamp goes on the side the price triples, it's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say

The engineering differences between the two parallels you have drawn are vastly different.

[dales133]

I'd agree with both camps xcavators dead right that just because somethings got a stamp on it it can be charged at a premium.
My 80 series tow points didn't look to me to be very strong but because they came with the vehicle I have recourse (possibly) if they failed.
After getting my new xrox front bar and making my own rear bar I went shopping for recovery points and they are lighter weight than a tow hitch and ridiculously expensive.
I've built in 18mm plate recovery points on my rear bar and they are bolted by 3 bolts into the chassis at factory locations, are they rated...no, are they fixed by more points and thicker steel than a tjm recovery point that costs 175 bucks yes. Are they rated , no.
Do I trust them.....  from an engineering perspective they are almost infallible, but not rated....

[weeds]

I wonder the ratio is to the number of times a snatch strap gets used compared to incidents/near misses.......we will never know as they are not reported, authorities can only go on the odd one that makes the news which is probably not enough times to make changes

[Symon]

Has anybody here ACTUALLY seen a towball shear off while being used as a recovery point  Lots of rumour, innuendo and "youtube" which of course haven't been faked or staged  have they  methinks it's an old wives tale propagated by marketers of 4wd accessories. Think about it, how is a 20mm bit of plate steel (recovery point ) stronger than a 20mm towball shank  It's a bit like "rated" shackles, the instant that stamp goes on the side the price triples, it's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say

I've never seen a nuclear explosion personally, so all of this stuff about it being bad and killing lots of people is just lots of rumour, innuendo and youtube.  I think it's an old wives tale propagated by nanny staters.  It's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say.  NOW PASS ME THE PLUTONIUM.

See how ridiculous your argument is?  Just because you haven't seen it, or understand the physics behind it, doesn't mean that it does not, or has not happened before.

I'd agree with both camps xcavators dead right that just because somethings got a stamp on it it can be charged at a premium.

Rubbish.  If it has a stamp on it then it has been tested (or a sample has been tested) to prove that it complies with the relevant standard.  That gives you a degree of confidence that it will bear the load that you are putting on it.  Your home made unrated gear may well be stronger, and that's great, but if you are going to sell it then you need to prove it will take the load you say it can.

This is called consumer protection, and it is the 'premium' you pay for when you buy a rated shackle, recovery point, whatever.

[oldmate]

I've never seen a nuclear explosion personally, so all of this stuff about it being bad and killing lots of people is just lots of rumour, innuendo and youtube.  I think it's an old wives tale propagated by nanny staters.  It's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say.  NOW PASS ME THE PLUTONIUM.

See how ridiculous your argument is?  Just because you haven't seen it, or understand the physics behind it, doesn't mean that it does not, or has not happened before.

You got a time machine also? . Coooool

[Fizzie]

Please forgive a possibly silly question here 

The recovery hitches with shackle attached that go into your tow-bar mounting bracket instead of the towing hitch - they are rated & safe?

I mean these:

[dales133]

Only if the hitch pins rated

[Beachman]

I do a lot of beach driving and remote beach camping, so sometimes we push our luck getting trailers into certain camping areas.  So sometimes our plans come unstruck and get bogged.

No big deal as normally we go away with a group so we always have someone close by to help, but originally my mates originally got cranky with me because I wouldn’t be lazy and cut corners with the recovery (IE: always used the pin on the tow bar even though it meant someone unhitching there trailer which can create it’s only problem in soft sand, winch dampener comes out and on my Cruiser I replaced the front tie down/recovery points with proper rated recovery points) 

When I explained my reason for not cutting corners was I didn’t want to kill any of my friends or have to explain to their children why Daddy/Mummy/Brother/Sister wouldn’t be coming home or vice versa, they agreed another couple of minutes is worth it. 

A guy got killed at Moreton Island by a snatch strap & tow ball, so that’s enough for me to be a believer.

[Davepatrol]

Has anybody here ACTUALLY seen a towball shear off while being used as a recovery point  Lots of rumour, innuendo and "youtube" which of course haven't been faked or staged  have they  methinks it's an old wives tale propagated by marketers of 4wd accessories. Think about it, how is a 20mm bit of plate steel (recovery point ) stronger than a 20mm towball shank  It's a bit like "rated" shackles, the instant that stamp goes on the side the price triples, it's all bullshyte, bullshyte I say

Haven't seen it actually happen but here's picture of it.
 

[The punter]

We carry rated gear, and when someone hasn't got a hitch block, we use the strap eye in the receiver pin. The reason towballs break is that the spring washer allows upward movement creating a fulcrum. The kinetic energery exerts a moment on the fulcrum and a shear occurs. Rated gear with a recovery hitch still carries risk, but it is a lot less than people using towballs for things they are not designed to do.

Comparing the towball scenario at 20mm to flat plate at 20mm is nonsensical, as the forces at work, load and and the surface areas are different.

[GGV8Cruza]

Nothing wrong with this hitch point 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9f4G-D7g-c

GG

[Bird]

poo stains

[oldmate]

Haven't seen it actually happen but here's picture of it.

is that factory fitted?

[BaseCamp]

Hey Beachman - I have just sent you an (off topic) PM - fyi...   many thanks     

I do a lot of beach driving and remote beach camping,

[Davepatrol]

is that factory fitted?

Nah, I think it's an after market fit

[GROB]

xcvator you must be looking for some one to bite so ill play the game    YES have seen a tow ball pierce and wedge it self half way through a landcruser's rear door 

[rags]

Rubbish.  If it has a stamp on it then it has been tested (or a sample has been tested) to prove that it complies with the relevant standard.  That gives you a degree of confidence that it will bear the load that you are putting on it.  Your home made unrated gear may well be stronger, and that's great, but if you are going to sell it then you need to prove it will take the load you say it can.

This is called consumer protection, and it is the 'premium' you pay for when you buy a rated shackle, recovery point, whatever.

I agree that if it has a stamp of some sort then you would think that it complies with some sort of standard. Only problem is that there are companies out there that will copy a rival company product right down to the approval markings.  I am aware that treg type couplings have been copied and fitted to imported campers and it is something that the relevant govt authorities seek out at various exhibitions, caravan shows etc. So you can't always guarantee that the test stamps are genuine.

[oldmate]

xcvator you must be looking for some one to bite so ill play the game    YES have seen a tow ball pierce and wedge it self half way through a landcruser's rear door

Like the photo dave posted? So it is definitely aftermarket 

[dales133]

Since this was a response to my original comment I felt I had to respond.
Symon my post was in agreement with the OPs post about  pricing not quality.
You'd think when you paid for certification that you'd try to recover your costs once not off every customer.
There is something very wrong with the status quo in Australia when it comes to value/worth and cost.
It's a horrendously expensive place to live or do business compared to the rest of the world...Red tape and bull Shit only makes it worse