Offroad-Express

hey guy's I am a new member and just bought myself a 1989 surf 3door 2L petrol auto. It seems to have been modified a bit already ie- coil springs, goodyear 31x10.5x15 mud tyres (good condition), toyota bullbar, snatch hooks, good spots. Anyway I was wondering if I would be able to pick up an assembled recovery pack- (snatch straps, tow rope, spade, D-shackles etc...), and where. Or if it would be better to buy all the gear seprately?
I must admit that after buying the truck, and a wee service i might have to wait a week or two.
Any suggestions appreciated.

PIRATE! Wellington.

http://www.4wdbits.co.nz have it turn up at your door. You wont find it cheaper. spade = mitre ten, place makers etc. get a half pie descent one youll use it a bit not just on your own vehicle.

Mike

Would be a good idea to make a suggested list of equipment (both required and suggested) to equip 4wd's as well as a list of resources eg who can check and mount hooks, provide advice

Blackwoods Paykel's were selling a recovery pack with a long and short snatch strap , offroad block, dam can't rember it all but came in a tot bag for $200 +

You've got to use good quality recovery gear to reduce the risk of failure and safety if it fails, avoid supercheap and repco type stuff. If it dosent have a load rating dont touch it.

I ordered some stuff from 4wdbits recently and it arrived within a couple of days

Our club regluarly tests hooks...the supercheap ones failed badly, some are forged and others are cast......one of them you need to avoid (can't remember at the moment which)

Jerry wrote:Our club regluarly tests hooks...the supercheap ones failed badly, some are forged and others are cast......one of them you need to avoid (can't remember at the moment which)

don't say things like that i don't want to know i have wasted my money especially since after i bought them i found out i could have got them cheaper from one of our site supporters

Proper hooks are supposed to unbend safely at a certain strain, with a factory tiedown or hook its likely to break (these have been tested by our club as well), where its mounted is also a good thing to look at.

Imagine the situation where we are on a ORE trip or something and I'm driveing my Daihatsu (not getting stuck ) and say there is a Nissan, Pajero, Toyota or Landrover behind me that can't handle the small mud bog and gets horribly stuck.....

Now when I go to tow him out its my expectation that (a) he has a rated towhook and (b) its mounted properly (c) its a quality hook and (d) the bolts are rated and strong enough

How do you think I'm going to feel when I power forward with my grunty 2.8 Turbo Diesel when suddenly the hook and mount etc or whatever suddenly detachs and smashes my rear window comes thru the cab and hits me in the back of the head.......

Even worse if there are spectators in the danger area taking photos of the stuck Nissan, Pajero, Toyota or Landrover behind me and it takes one of them out on the way.

You may think this is bollox but there have been incidents withing the club.

with my grunty 2.8 Turbo Diesel

now thats stretching the imagination too far ... the rest... I can see and have seen

Jerry wrote:
How do you think I'm going to feel when I power forward with my grunty 2.8 Turbo Diesel when suddenly the hook and mount etc or whatever suddenly detachs and smashes my rear window comes thru the cab and hits me in the back of the head.......

Even worse if there are spectators in the danger area taking photos of the stuck Nissan, Pajero, Toyota or Landrover behind me and it takes one of them out on the way.

You may think this is bollox but there have been incidents withing the club.

Jerry hits the nail on the head (no pun intended)
Its the guys that have the proper recovery points that end up at risk coz the guy that has the low grade recovery points are going to be the end that lets go and sends the missile towards the back of Jerry's head at the speed of light....

mercutio wrote:

Jerry wrote:Our club regluarly tests hooks...the supercheap ones failed badly, some are forged and others are cast......one of them you need to avoid (can't remember at the moment which)

don't say things like that i don't want to know i have wasted my money especially since after i bought them i found out i could have got them cheaper from one of our site supporters

That'll learn ya

i still have to work out exactly where to mount my hooks

i was thinking of mounting one on the side of the towball bracket

the bracket is made out of about 5 mm steel so i think it should be okay what do you guys reckon

there is a tow point already on the front


i'm not sure if that is suitable or not though

any suggestions would be apprieciated

Have a look at

http://www.ccvc.org.nz/trips.htm

lots of rules etc - mostly from experience

Minimum Standards for Mounting Tow Hooks

Specifications for Tow Hooks

Introduction to Snatch Recoveries

The front loop requires the use of a shackle {read missile} to connect a rope and you can have no idea of its failure point.
The rear isn't clear enough to comment
J Top

The loop style hooks that are already on vehicles are not actually a tow point as we in 4WD refer to, they are a tie down point only that is used when vehicles are transported.
I am no expert on the technical issues involved and no doubt some one will post a good technical answer.
However DO NOT use the manufactures tow loop as whowen in the pivcture from Mercutio as a tow point, equally do not use a tow ball to tow off.
If you have a tow bar the best solution is to unscrew the tow ball and put a large rated shackle in its place.

BrentC wrote:8) Have a look at

http://www.ccvc.org.nz/trips.htm

lots of rules etc - mostly from experience

Minimum Standards for Mounting Tow Hooks

Specifications for Tow Hooks

Introduction to Snatch Recoveries

This info would be good to keep on file. In the Tech section maybe?

My Suggestion would be to go down to Guy Motors on the Old Hutt Road in Kia-fudafuda Ask for a copy of the ARB Catalog, nice shiny with lots of pictures :happyjump: . It tells you everything that you need and why and lots of things you don't need, I'm sure that you can work out which is which.

Carl in Lower hutt does them as well (wgtn 4wd) who is also one of our club (not ORE but CCVC) safety inspectors....

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/cfurniss/aboutus.htm

there are a couple of other options as well if you eant..

Jerry wrote:Carl in Lower hutt does them as well (wgtn 4wd) who is also one of our club (not ORE but CCVC) safety inspectors....

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/cfurniss/aboutus.htm

there are a couple of other options as well if you eant..

Hes on here as well Jerry

access4WD wrote:The loop style hooks that are already on vehicles are not actually a tow point as we in 4WD refer to, they are a tie down point only that is used when vehicles are transported.
I am no expert on the technical issues involved and no doubt some one will post a good technical answer.
However DO NOT use the manufactures tow loop as whowen in the pivcture from Mercutio as a tow point, equally do not use a tow ball to tow off.
If you have a tow bar the best solution is to unscrew the tow ball and put a large rated shackle in its place.

i know that most factory loops are fitted for securing during transportation but they are usually made out of a piece of 3mm flat steel that is bolted to the car somewhere

the loop on my wagen is at least 10mm rod and is welded for approximately 15-20 mm to the chassis and the chassis on this wagen is rather substantial

maybe i should get hold of mercedes benz and find out what the front loop is rated at

as for unscrewing the towball if you look closer you may notice it is a one piece towball so that isn't an option

They are most likely to say they are "shipping hooks only", some of our club guys have questioned similar hooks and been told similar answers

Jerry, I may be a little longer on getting the body back together. I am still searching for a good bulkhead. Also theres another "mod" which I may do to the suspension which might take a couple of weeks to sort out, but will be worth it. And those that might have the slightest idea. Keep quiet :whistle: . And I wont be updating the build thread on that mod. P.S jerry, Im using the same engine and gearbox as I was before.

Little bit upset that SaddamHusain put Repco in the same basket as Supercheap.
Supercheap is well known for product recalls (See article in consumer) where Repco has a solid Rep as having Quality product.
All the Tow hooks I sell are rated and the so is the Maxitrack range of recovery gear. I use most of it my self and the only probs I have had so far was when I ran my snatch over when towing the brothers car (yeah I know, bad idea but only thing I had at the time)
I would stand behind any recovery gear I have on the shelf.
Tony.
Branch Manager Repco Blenheim

The Bush Ranger hooks from Repco are bloody good!!!

Pajfan wrote:Little bit upset that SaddamHusain put Repco in the same basket as Supercheap.

I've never brought any recovery gear from Repco so I'll consider myself now corrected and better informed


The point being made still stands

Sadam_Husain wrote: You've got to use good quality recovery gear to reduce the risk of failure and safety if it fails

access4WD wrote:However DO NOT use the manufactures tow loop as whowen in the pivcture from Mercutio as a tow point

Aussie 4WD Monthly tested some vehicle tie down points and concluded that in a majority of cases when used without any sideways force they are just as strong as a recovery hook. They also found that any sideways force quickly reduced there strength and hence concluded they shouldn't be used for recoveries.

access4WD wrote:If you have a tow bar the best solution is to unscrew the tow ball and put a large rated shackle in its place.

A couple of points to add:
Some modern tow bars will fall off if you apply much over 1.5 tons of pull on them, shackle or not.
The problem with tow balls is not them breaking, its the rope/what have you coming off them.

Sadam_Husain wrote:I've never brought any recovery gear from Repco so I'll consider myself now corrected and better informed

You should get all your quality recovery gear from http://www.4wdbits.co.nz

4WDbits wrote: You should get all your quality recovery gear from http://www.4wdbits.co.nz

I ordered a few replacement bits last month, the luxury of the internet, was more than happy with the price.... and I think the order just about arrived the same day

Good products and I'd recommend you to anyone

Also theres another "mod" which I may do to the suspension which might take a couple of weeks to sort out, but will be worth it. And those that might have the slightest idea. Keep quiet . And I wont be updating the build thread on that mod

Ok....let me guess...ummmmm A roof?, 6 wheel drive?, Dayglo Orange paint job?, You've secretly turned it into a FJ40?....nah ....ummm its cupholders isn't it?

im running forged 10,000 lbs rated hooks $25

Jerry wrote:
Ok....let me guess...ummmmm A roof?, 6 wheel drive?, Dayglo Orange paint job?, You've secretly turned it into a FJ40?....nah ....ummm its cupholders isn't it?

Im probably turning it yellow, so it rules out that theory. Ive already got a roof, but I dont like it. Thats why its sitting outside on the ground. Im using some toyota stuff. Not turning it into a heavy pig , and I may fit cupholders (for when I win that cofee maker thingee). But you didnt guess what I was doing.