This may sound silly to some. A friend of mine and I were loading a 4 wheeler on a trailer recently, binding it down with ratchet straps. For some odd reason, we got on the subject of the correct way to thread the strap through the ratchet. I've always done it as shown in the video below, while others have said to go from the bottom, through the slot, and out that way. So, is the way shown in the video correct?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZoleY-ol4w
ratchet straps
- Thread starter mobilaltima
- Start date
The way the video shows is correct. If you go the other way you may not be able to release tension if the tag end is trapped and it is very difficult to adjust the strap length if the ratchet is close to anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mFX3Ezdkfw
this video shows the other way I was taking about, in my original post, from the bottom and through the slot like others have told me is the correct way. So is this way incorrect?
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They both show the same threading, from the bottom, through the mandrel and back over the top. As soon as you move the ratchet they end up exactly the same, the strap is drawn down under the mandrel and over in the first 1/2 turn.
Some may find it easier to thread from the uncluttered side and some like the faster bite of passing under first and threading from the ratchet side but they both end up the same.
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It's more important that you use big enough straps and tighten them down enough that you're compressing the suspension on the atv somewhat. Saw a guy with a side by side on a trailer and the back straps were tight, but the front had about 2'' of play in them. pretty sad.
This handsome fellow below shows it the other way. The loose section ends up on the "bottom" of the assembly vs. the two methods above. This seems wrong because if you are strapping something like a pile of logs, the loose section ends up pinched on the load. Open air strapping is not so important. I would not choose this handsome gentlemen's method. Belt AND suspenders, maybe worth a try at the Yooper dance club.
Check minute 1:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SefFpse8uGY
Originally Posted by samven
They both show the same threading, from the bottom, through the mandrel and back over the top. As soon as you move the ratchet they end up exactly the same, the strap is drawn down under the mandrel and over in the first 1/2 turn.
Some may find it easier to thread from the uncluttered side and some like the faster bite of passing under first and threading from the ratchet side but they both end up the same.
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by samven
They both show the same threading, from the bottom, through the mandrel and back over the top. As soon as you move the ratchet they end up exactly the same, the strap is drawn down under the mandrel and over in the first 1/2 turn.
Some may find it easier to thread from the uncluttered side and some like the faster bite of passing under first and threading from the ratchet side but they both end up the same.
Samven is correct. If you look how the barrel rotates, both videos listed by mobilaltima are effectively start from "below" and result in the exact same correct way of having the loose end on "top" of the strapped down load. There is no difference in the two videos except the starting position of the barrel.
The video I posted actually IS inserted from the top and results in the loose end on the "bottom" of the strapped load, which can cause problems.
View the 3 videos more closely. It's not an optical illusion, but does take some thought process to figure out.
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