winching from a parked car

[Donald]

My winter plan if a vehicle gets struck in the snow is to mount my Ramsey winch in the trailer hitch of the vehicle that is not stuck and pull out the vehicle the vehicle that is stuck. That will mean the non stuck vehicle will have a pulling force against it while the vehicle is in PARK and parking-brake set.

Nothing is ever simple, so I also have a snatch hook and 6' of tow strap to attach the snatch hook to a tree. This will allow me to winch at an angle.

I just do not want to damage the damage the pin that hold the vehicle in PARK.

 

[Ramblejam]

Are you asking a question, Donald? If it's what I think, put it in neutral and utilize the parking brake. Of course, you can also chock the tires, and if someone is still in the winch vehicle, have them apply the service brakes.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The parking brake should hold the vehicle if it's working properly, there should be no need for park.

I would have a 3rd party (if there is one) sitting in the vehicle applying the service brakes along with spinning the engine a bit faster so it's not as hard on the battery.

What size winch? Which winch plate are you using?

 

[Rand]

Have another person hold the brakes in the car.
if they are stuck the surface is probably not going to work well with wheel chocks(slide)

wheel chocks work really well with rolling tires.. not so much with sliding when they are on a slippery surface with a directionally->sideways load such as winching.

also what winch? if electrical are you wiring every vehicle with 0gauge to the rear hitch?

The main reason parking brake is not so good is the parking brake only holds 2 tires, park in transmission is fairly weak.
you will have at least 2 people there pretty much anyone can hold a foot on the brake which will lock all 4 tires. Alternatively cut a piece of wood that you can hold the brakes down with.

 

[IndyIan]

I carried a tow strap around in the Tracker for a couple winters and used it a few times. If someone is stuck in snow on a road way it doesn't take much to pull them out. If someone is in the ditch, I wouldn't bother to stop as they need a tow truck .
The bungee tow straps would probably work quite well even with a 2wd vehicle as they transfer momentum.

 

[Donald]

In the past the someone stuck has been me. In my drive, even my Jeep has gotten stuck. I have a Ramsey 8000 winch and am planning to use a jump-pak for the battery. There may be situations where I just chain the winch to a tree and pull my vehicle out. I have a battery from my boat I can carry out to the winch if needed.

I have put together 2 buckets of stuff, one has two 20' lengths of 3/8 grade 70 chain and the other one has the snatch hook, and tree strap. I may get a longer tow strap also.

Lastly I have a Bobcat which I can also put on a trailer hitch receiver.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Are you asking a question, Donald? If it's what I think, put it in neutral and utilize the parking brake. Of course, you can also chock the tires, and if someone is still in the winch vehicle, have them apply the service brakes.


+1 wouldnt want to stress the parking teeth

 

[meep]

hard to judge from the armchair. every situation is different, especially the conditions the "free" vehicle has traction with. my pickup parking brake is pretty anemic, whereas my last jeep's handbrake would lock the rear.

A static load on the parking prawl is less of a shock than a dynamic load.

you certainly don't want to be mowed over if you are manning the winch from the wrong position and the good vehicle starts to slide/roll.

IF IT WERE ME.... If the stuck vehicle looks to need more than my park brake + prawl can handle, it's more than I would attempt.

 

[Donald]

I am just trying to prepare. Once my Jeep was half off the side of my drive in a lot of snow. The best way to deal with it would have been to pull it towards my house. But the tow truck could not get past my Jeep to pull it from that direction. They pulled the front sideways over snow/ice and felt it would be OK doing that. Used a snatch block to get the sideways pull.

 

[andyd]

I would chock all 4 wheels or chain up to a tree. My cars have a flat spade in their trunks. They don't get so stuck that I cant dig them out. I havent gotten the Ranger stuck yet. It has a shovel and 4wd

 

[Cardenio327]

Tow trucks use a device called a "Mico Brake". Napa stores can order it for you. It is an electric check valve activated by a toggle switch, sometimes accompanied by a pressure gauge that reads in thousands of P.S.I. To install it you cut the rear brake line where convenient and install two flares with the Mico valve between them. It might cause problems with the ABS though.

Alignment shops use a "brake pedal oppressor", which is a sliding doomoflotchie that pushes between the leading seat edge and the brake pedal. That would lock all four brakes tight, of course backed up by the emergency brake and chocks for safety.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: Donald
I am just trying to prepare.


Instead of thinking about recovery techniques, have you given much thought to keeping yourself out of trouble in the first place?

http://www.tirechain.com/TRUCK-SUV-CHAINS.HTM

 

[KD0AXS]

I'd just grab a tow strap and pull the stuck vehicle out with the Bobcat.

 

[widman]

I once (40+ years ago) hooked up the winch on my Suburban to pull my pickup out of the mud. Instead of getting the pickup out, I ended up pulling the Suburban into the mud. Had to walk back to town and get the hiway department crane to pull them both out.

 

[Chris142]

In the jeep world we need someone standing on the brakes of the car doing the winching or it just slides to the stuck car. Wont have any effect on the park pin then.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I've been pulling people out of snowy ditches and other stuck situations since my first 4wd in 1988. I've always hooked up and simply backed up or pulled forward (depending on the situation) until the stuck vehicle was clear.

Sandbags in the bed of the truck and nothing can stop me...except tires with thin tread. That's a show-stopper.

I think the key in pulling is to minimize your exposure time. Hook up, pull out, unhook, and quit impeding traffic. I got a guy out of a snowbank with a state trooper waiting to open the highway. Took about two minutes. Trooper was grateful.

 

[The_Jeff]

I have an adjustable ice scraper that locks at any given length. It doubles as a brake pedal depressor. I mostly use it for one-man bleeds and light bulb checks. Similarly, though, you can use a given length block of wood and the seat track adjustment to put a good tightness on the brake pedal. If you do it with the engine running you'll get power brake help too.

If you have a transfer case, 4 lo multiplies the park pawl's power.

 

[Zaedock]

Don, I have many years of off road experience, have had formal recovery / hoisting courses and perform demonstrations for off road groups.

In a snow recovery situation with the winch in the hitch, the anchor vehicle should have someone holding the brake pedal (and possibly raising the idle for additional amperage). The operator in the vehicle being recovered should be in the lowest gear possible, slightly on the gas to promote movement and lessen dead weight. It would be ideal to have three people (the winch operator would be in charge).

If you have a steel winch cable, I recommend using a cable weight in case of cable failure (I recommend one regardless of cable material). A broken cable with tension can take off your head. I use an old lead bib used for hospital X-rays, but there are dedicated weights on the market. Heck, a jacket tossed over can work to deflect the force down as well. Also, one thing I always caution is to never use a hitch ball as a recovery point. A broken ball is a 1 lb bullet.

 

[Donald]

As a backup to my other options, I bought a used Bombadier SW48 snow cat. With a plow.