Winching ops 1954 style

[cranetruck]

Added a few more pages on winching operations, this from a 1954 PS magazine to put you in tune with our vintage vehicles.

Steel Soldiers :: Military Vehicles Supersite

 

[rizzo]

Notice at the bottom of the page it says to hook block through double loop of the chain? This is very important. this is similar to using snatch blocks and pulling a load over the cable rating. Lets say you have a chain rated at 5k. If you hook it back to itself and make a loop it will now hold 10k. Just make sure you hook you block on the loop and not the free end. If you make a double loop it will have a 20k rating. that is what you need when using a deuce winch with a block. Everyone understand? if not, speak up and I will draw or take pictures. This is very important. If you don't do it right your snatch block will turn into a missile headed back at you.

 

[glcaines]

I'm always amazed when I see people winching, snatch block or not, and everyone is standing around the winch cable. Or when towing via cable - same thing. I try to use chain as much as I can, and like Rizzo said, use 2 or 3 loops of chain to secure a snatch block. Winching or using tow cables can kill or maim.

When in the Army (1970), I saw a winch cable break. A 5-ton was winching an M113 and when the cable snapped, it ripped a six-foot gash in the steel side of a van.

 

[tm america]

i have been doing this for sometime now good info to pass on always safety first .you have to take into consideration everything involved in a pull the cable.the winch ,snatch block the clevises and tree and the tow points on the truck .everything you have to make sure everything is safe the weakest link will always be the first to go. several years ago one of the guys that wheels with another 4x4 club i wheel with was killed by a tow hook when being pulled out .it broke went through back window and lodged in the center of his head it was pretty chilling to see the x rays of that hook in there.since then we make every truck that goes out with us pass a safety inspection they must have proper tow points fire extiniguiser and a first aid kit.