Towing Question

stevie_b

I'm looking to get some gear for towing to have in the boot for emergencies - nylon strap, rope, D-rings etc. Is there anywhere in Dublin that would stock everything?

Also, the two towing-points on the front of my Landcruiser are obvious, but what's the best way of attaching to the rear? I've heard of people attaching the rope directly to the ball only for it to snap off and launch like a missile! I've attached a pic of the hitch below - is there a separate attachment needed to accommodate a D-ring?

fastrac94

tow anything u like from the rear hitch u wont break it within reason...weve towed everything from loaded 8 wheelers to 6 ton diggers and never broke the ball....u will if extreme enough pull the complete tow bar from the chassis but it takes extreme abuse...

TrailerBob

Not sure about stockists in Dublin, but in Naas you'll get it all in Ted Johnsons on the Monread Rd. Got all my towing gear there (5 ton strap, rated shackles etc.). Stockists of Farm machinery may have some of it.

As for towing from the ball, it's an issue because the ball hitch is designed for static load, not a snatch movement. If you are performing a recovery then you may have to give the stuck vehicle a jerk or two to get it going, and yes, ball hitches have been known to shear under these conditions. Just do a YouTube search for some examples.
I have a combi ball and pin hitch on the Cruiser and use the pin for recovery, it's not ideal but as its captive at both ends, it will bend before it shears.

No offence to anybody, but the mantra of "stick it on, shur it'll be grand" doesn't always hold.

JohnBoy

I'd say a short strop looped through the drawbar (between the hitch and the bumper) would be ideal, except for one thing, it might suffer wear from the edges of the drawbar.

You'd rip the arse off the jeep before you'd damage that drawbar, and it's mild steel so is much more likely to bend rather than snap in any way.

Seanieke

Try Chain and Rope in Clondalkin

Get a 3/5 tonne 3 meter sling coming in at about €30, it'll do the job every time.

http://www.chainandrope.ie/products/web-slings-0

And maybe one or two of those for joining / attaching

http://www.chainandrope.ie/products/dee-shackles

stevie_b

Thanks everyone for the replies.

For anyone interested i ended up getting the following,

A 5ton and 10ton towing strap with shackles (from http://www.slingsandstraps.co.uk/off-road-tow-straps/Heavy-duty-tow-strap-kit)




and a new towball and pin fitted (from Malcolms.ie in Rathmines - good price and had it fitted in a few minutes! - http://www.malcolms.ie/coupling.php?id=Z46)