SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/875606
Extracting Your Vehicle When you need help getting out of a stuck situation, there’s a tool for that! By Dan Sanchez Although the deserts of Baja are some of the most fun and beautiful places to go off-roading, there are some spots that are notorious for vehicles to get stuck. Deep silt beds, or washes with large rocks are often the type of terrain to slow down racers on the course, or travelers exploring the back roads. Experienced off-roaders know that its a good idea to carry some vehicle extraction tools to help get out of a stuck situation. From traction devices, to on-vehicle winches, and off-road jacks, there are several tools and devices that are a mainstay for getting your vehicle unstuck. Some of the more popular tools and vehicle recovery devices are listed here, but one of the most widely used in SCORE races are vehicle straps that are attached with a D-ring or hook. While this is a fast and easy way to use another vehicle or a winch, to get out of a stuck situation, the attachment points are often the cause of injury if they fail. This is one of the reasons why shackle mounts are increasingly becoming the most important part of any vehicle recovery system. Since it is the actual link attached to the vehicle, it’s imperative that racers and enthusiasts use high-quality shackles and rigging. “There’s no doubt that for quickness a tow strap is typically faster,” says Justin Andrews, Marketing and Sales Director for Factor 55. “This is why soft shackles have become a vital recovery tool in these scenarios and can be deployed quickly and they can be easily attached to vehicle hitches and heavy-duty bumpers.” Aftermarket metal recovery hardware is what most off-roader’s use, however, and the low price and availability of items like metal D-rings and shackles often call to question the quality of these items. Since the grade of steel or castings are not regulated, there’s no knowing if a metal D-ring or shackle will break under load. “Unfortunately, aftermarket recovery hardware is unregulated and full of cheap imports,” says Andrews. “Look for hardware that has a “USA” cast into it and you can be sure you are getting a USA made product that is designed to take abuse and more load than cheaper import versions.” Utilizing high-quality hardware and rigging is the first and most important step in assuring safety in any vehicle recovery, be it during a race or when you’re alone out in the desert. This is also why high-quality units can offer greater safety as they can include features like machined radiuses on attachment holes to reduce stress on synthetic shackles during a tow or winch line pull. “On Factor 55 products, we tumble and deburr all of our products before powder coating or anodizing to provide a completely smooth surface, eliminating any cutting the fibers on synthetic rope or soft shackles during use.” While tow straps and shackles are key items to have in any off-road vehicle, here are some additional popular items that enthusiasts may find useful during any excursion. Hi-Lift® X-TREME Jack Designed for the serious off-road user, the Hi-Lift X-TREME features the company’s top of the line all-cast Jack, with the addition of a unique Winch-Clamp-Spreader Attachment for winching, clamping, and spreading up to 5,000 lbs. This allows the jack to be used in heavier-duty applications for lifting, pushing, or clamping. www.hi-lift.com Hi-Lift® Off-Road Base The Off-Road Base fits all Hi-Lift® Jack models and provides a larger footprint for the jack that helps prevent it from sinking in soft surfaces. A must for anyone traveling through sand, snow, or mud. It’s been used in many SCORE races to get vehicles out of deep silt areas that can stop a full-size Trophy Truck. www.hi-lift.com Hi-Lift® Handle-All® The Handle-All is an incredibly versatile tool with a telescoping handle and four full-size implement heads (Axe, Shovel, Pickaxe, Sledge Hammer). It’s compact, rugged, and comes in its own carrying bag. www.hi-lift.com TRED Pro™ TRED Pro™ is the next generation of the company’s vehicle recovery device that provides traction when a vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, or mud. Engineered and manufactured in Australia, TRED Pro™ is manufactured from a patented composite construction which ensures that in the unlikely event that your wheels spin during a recovery, the ramp/teeth will not suffer instant catastrophic damage. The special polyolefin material blend allows TRED Pro to handle high levels of flex, and is highly durable and wear resistant. www.tred4x4.com Pro Eagle “The Beast” Off-Road Jack Based on Pro Eagle’s 2-ton jack platform, The Beast Off-Road Jack utilizes strong axles and large wheels to give the jack some added lift. The larger wheels allow the jack to easily roll over sand and it’s designed to take the punishment Baja terrain can offer. The Beast Off-Road jack comes with a full length skid plate, and an 8” extension and extension mount.www.proeagle-products.com Gerber Folding Shovel This lightweight, foldable shovel is an essential tool that all off-road enthusiasts should bring on any outing. The Gerber Folding Shovel is a heavy-duty, glass-filled nylon shaft and features a rubberized handle to secure the grip for digging or hammering. Use as a spade or fold back to reveal a hammer for pounding, easily fold away with the push of a button. www.gerbergear.com. Factor 55 FlatLink E When using a winch to get out from a stuck situation, it’s extremely important to have a quality winch shackle that can withstand the load placed on it. Factor 55’s FlatLink E (the E stands for expert), eliminates the weak winch hook and replaces it with a high load-rated pin shackle. The FlatLlink E is more versatile and eliminates shackle side loading due to the shackle pin mounting constraint designed into the unit. The unit is made in the USA from machined 6000 series billet aluminum and has a maximum load rating of 16,000 pounds. www.factor55.com Factor 55 UltraHook XTV The Factor 55 UltraHook XTV is designed for UTVs and ATVs to provide a higher level of safety when winching or pulling a vehicle from a stuck position. The UltraHook XTV features a Closed System Shackle Mount hole machined into the body of the hook, along with a safety latch retraction pocket that provides a clear throat opening. The UltraHook XTV also has an integrated secondary safety latch locking feature-latch locking pin stored in the body of the UltraHook XTV which can be removed and inserted EPDM rubber pads for fairlead protection, and can be stored against your fairlead protecting either your hawse or roller style fairlead from a metal to metal connection. www.factor55.com Bubba Rope More than a recovery strap, the Bubba Rope has a braking strength of 28,600 pounds and utilizes kinetic energy that was first used to get military vehicles out of stuck situations. The 100 percent nylon double braided rope features a Gator-ize vinyl polymer coating to protect it from moisture, ultra violet rays and abrasions. www.bubbarope.com Gator Jaw Gator-Jaw® synthetic soft shackles are made from Plasma® rope with a breaking strength of 32,000 lbs. These synthetic tow rope connectors are stronger than comparable steel shackles, won’t rust, and are so light they float.www.bubbarope.com. Warn 16.5ti Winch When it comes to pulling power to recover your vehicle from a stuck position, there’s nothing like a powerful winch. The Warn 16.5ti is one of the most popular with 16,500 lbs. of pulling capacity, it is the most powerful truck winch Warn mades. The winch is available with 80-feet of 3/8-inch lightweight Spydura® Pro synthetic rope. The rope’s heat-treated construction provides maximum tensile strength, and the temperature-resistant sleeve on the first layer provides maximum heat protection. This winch also features a thermometric indicator which provides operator feedback during the winching process, and is great for the biggest, heaviest vehicles on or off the pavement. www.warn.com Warn ProVantage 4500-SSD With the increase in UTVs racing in SCORE, Warn came out with a pro-series winch that offers high pulling power in a light and compact unit. The new ProVantage 4500-SSD offers a 4,500 lb. capacity in an all-metal gear end housing, and a powerful permanent magnet motor. The unit is compact, light and has a low profile short drum configuration. Fifty feet of 3/16-inch synthetic rope and double-powder-coated hawse fairlead are included and a fully sealed motor and drivetrain keeps the elements out. www.warn.com Warn Epic Recovery Kit If any of your race, chase truck, or off-road vehicles are equipped with a winch, it’s essential to have the proper winch tools to go along with it. Warn’s Epic Recovery kit includes premium WARN Epic accessories that feature durable powder coatings to protect against abrasion and the elements and stand up to the most rigorous recoveries. The components fit neatly inside the modular backpack, which also acts as a winch line damper, and is easy to transport. Available in medium duty (for winches 12,000 lbs and under) and heavy duty (for winches 18,000 lbs. and under). www.warn.com. SOURCES Bubba Rope bubbarope.com Factor 55 factor55.com Gerber gerbergear.com Hi-Lift hi-lift.com Pro Eagle proeagle-products.com Tread tread4x4.com Warn warn.com