I was pulling out bushes today out of the backyard, and was wondering the best way/safest way for connecting a chain.

My ram has a drop hitch and ball, i usually wrap the chain around the ball, then take the hook back on the chain about a foot back, and hook it down. Is there a better place to pull from on these trucks?

So here's the question...is there any better way of doing it with a chain? I grew up in a small town, i've pulled buddies out of snow & mud, hell i've been pulled out, and i never have had a problem yet, but i figured it would good to ask if there's a better way.

Also what about hooking two chains together. I usually go up about 7 links and let the two chains overlap...hook one link like below and hook the other one on the other chain...any better way?

 

For pulling out stuck trucks you need a recovery strap with loop ends. Has a bit of give so you don't 'hit' as hard when you first take out the slack, and less breakage. Also, chains are well known for breaking and going through a back windshield... one guy was beheaded through his back window that way. I always put the loop through the reciever hitch and the pin through the loop. Avoid the ball, straps pop off pretty easy as well as any chain that's actually strong enough to take a heavy pull safely.

Simply put, STEEL IS BAD WHEN IT BREAKS

 

lay a blanket or jacket on the chain, if it breaks the jacket will absorb the energy from the chain, and drop to the ground, and fing an old hitch you no longet need and take the ball off it and put a clevis on it, lot safer

 

make that find

 

Get a recovery strap. Not a tow strap. Recovery straps stretch and helps pulls and less shock load. Like said put the loop in the receiver and put your pin through it. If you have to use a chain pass the chain through the receiver and pull it trough the back and hook it back to the chain. NEVER use a strap with hooks. NEVER pull from a trailer ball. They arent made from that.

 

You need front tow hooks. Reverse gear is much stronger than forward gears. Chains don't snap straight back like nylon does but can whip and wrap themselves around objects. Chains are unpredictable in that manner.
Tow straps are fine for direct non yanking pulls such as flatland or minor grades.
Recovery straps are useless if you don't have a way to hook them since they have no hooks to fly through a windshield. These can also bend your reciever pins, so hooking them around the ball is a bad idea and through the eyelets can cause fraying...etc
Also, that looks like a pretty thin chain. Either 3/8" or 7/16". Neither one is rated near high enough to do what you are trying to do. Working Load Limit on both chains isn't even as high as the weight of these trucks, much less the yanking power it takes to possibly free one from stuck mud or a ditch which severely diminished the WLL limits down to near 25-35% of the rating(tensile strength).
A 1/2" 12,000lb WLL chain is still not strong enough to be yanking guys out so take it easy and be smart. Call a towtruck if needed. It's better to make the stuck person spend $175 than for you to spend $500 due to damage because you are playing nice guy hero.

 

I don't use chain for anything. Takes up too much room compared to straps and can be very dangerous no matter how careful you are.

Also, you should only use a non-stretch strap, rope or chain for actual towing. For pulling objects out of the ground or freeing stuck vehicles, you want an actual "recovery" strap. As stated, it has a built in controlled stretch that aids in freeing stuck vehicles.

Also as mentioned, ALWAYS weigh down the middle of your strap, rope, etc. so if it breaks or comes loose at one end, all the energy will be released harmlessly down to the ground.

I carry a big canvas bag with about 4 shackles, a ****** block, a 30k tow strap, a 20k recovery strap, a tree saver and a couple of axle straps in my truck tool box and keep a heavy moving blanket inside the truck for use as a weight over the strap.

If you are going to attach to the rear of your truck, then pick you up a receiver mounted tow hook for about $20 or even better a receiver mounted shackle for about $35.

 

Thanks all.

I kind of like the idea of the loop shackel on the back and a recovery strap with no hooks. I'll start looking.

The chain in the picture is an old 3/8 farm chain.


One thing i don't like about the recovery straps is, i was always told they aren't good after 3 or 4 pulls. Out on the farm, we have always done it the old way with chains, but we never tugged on something...it was slowly take the slack out, then pull steady and slow. If the 3-4 pull thing on the recovery strap is all that it will do, i would be tossing them every couple months. Kinda sounds like the strap is the way to go in the truck though

 

I don't think recovery straps are like that. I'm fairly certain you just need to inspect every few pulls to verify there is no fraying or torn strands and that is all.

 

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these any good? If your tugging on a car...what do ya do...loop it around something like the axle and pull it back through the hole?