Kittamaru

How does a shackle prevent flying metal? I mean... be it a 5 pound metal hook or a 5 pound shackle, at that velocity...

*grins* Plus a tip? I like that

Most of the people round here I rescue are older (60+) drivers who's vehicle can't handle a hill or somesuch. I think for the most part a 20k, 16' nylon strap would work fine for the hill-helpers, and the heavy chain for the real stuck crowd

Yeah, the chain is a heavy SOB at it's length... plus it uses bolts to secure the hooks to the ends, which concerns me. I'll have to look into those semi recovery straps... any ideas for a recovery system? Block+tackle setup?

Jetta... that POS should have stayed put... heh.

I used to have a nice tow strap actually... was a nice nylon, flat-weave strap rated for I don't remember how much. Was enough to pull an F350 out of a snowbank though. Wound up snapping it trying to help a some wannabe with a wannabe SUV... looked like the Nissan Xterra or Rogue, but was only front wheel Drive (think it was a Ford). The idiot driver NEGLECTED to inform me his rear wheels were frozen to the ground by 2 inches of ice. He just asked if I could help him "get over this hump". We'd had a bad ice storm earlier (I'd say at least a good 2-3 inches on everything) and I saw where he was surrounded on all sides by a little wall of ice where his truck had gotten covered by left him boxed in. Didn't even think to check his rear tires since his fronts were spinning freely. Hooked him up, reveresed out, engaged 4x4, and picked up the slack. Told him to steer towards me (was about a 30 degree angle due to the road design) and to give it a little gas. Checked to make sure the road was clear behind me and gave him a tug - nothing happened, all four wheels spun. So I pulled up a little, and gave him a tug - the nylon rope split in the middle. I don't remember what it was rated for, but it was, as I said, strong enough to pull a F350 out of a snowbank it had nicely burried it's plow into... so I knew there was a problem. Got out to look around his truck and sure enough dippy driver's rear wheels were frozen solid by nearly an inch and a half, maybe 2 inches of ice. I told him about it and he said, and I quote: "Oh, I didn't think that mattered" Next time I buy myself a true tow strap, it'll be at a minimum 15,000 pounds with a block n tackle. Oh, and I'm also sure to examine peoples vehicles now

My thing is, I'm a big believer in Chivalry... so if it's a lady in distress, I feel compelled to help her.

Well, only reason I needed 4x4 was 1) My tyres (BFG A/T's) are more for off road than snow I think 2) Starting from a stop on an ice-covered 40 degree up slope with other vehicles in close proximity on either side... didn't want to risk spinning and hitting them And we're far south of I-80... but we got mostly ice and low temps (plus our road crews weren't out before it hit... and when they DID get out they were sliding around... bunch of muppets XD). We're at the I-81/I-83 split off Route 76 (PA Turnpike) exit 247. Eg, Harrisburg PA Bunch of ice with a few CM of snow on top of it with a lot of stupid people And, I guess technically I should say "For this time of Year we just got slammed"... we don't normally even have flurries till after Christmas... least we haven't the last few years (excluding last year when we had lots of ICE storms... heh)

Woo, NorthEast PA just got slammed... and as I was bringing my fiance's sister and her baby home, we came across a big snag - a dozen or so cars had wiped out on a big hill. Being the chivalrous sap I am, I got out and started pushing... pushed half a dozen cars up a 1/8th mile long hill (by hand... alone... cause apparently none of the other guys around could help... ) and the other half managed to turn around and go back. When our local DoT and plow/salt trucks came, the first thing they said to me was "We need you to move your vehicle"... I'm like uh... the people in front of me can't move, those behind me are barely able to turn around, and YOUR OWN DAMN PLOWS are skidding around and sliding down the hill... but I got in, 4x4 Low and left, bringing my sister-in-law and her kid home. On my way home, I helped a little Latino girl who barely understood english get up an even bigger hill... finally managed to make her understand that she had to stay half off the road and in the grass where I could get a foothold to push her up the hill. Oh, and my truck? Might as well been on dry pavement for as well as she handled From now on, I'm carrying a heavy chain and a waiver form with two options. 1) For $10-20, I'll dig your car out, spread salt, and push you out by hand. 2) For free, I'll hook a chain to your vehicle and pull your ass out. However, I won't be liable for any damages that may occur during the tow. I'm going to carry a few dozen waivers with me in my glove box from now on. Oh, and the chain is a 25 ft length of I think 7/8ths inch thick link. Was more than enough to pull tree stumps out, so should work great for pulling other cars out

Mode 5? What's taht?

I was thinking of doing the bumper-mount system (need a light-bar/brush-bar then, but I wanted one of those anyway) and my headlights are... well... dim? Even with high-grade bulbs... I really want to do the relay system.

OH God... I feel stupid

Okay... I must be looking at something TERRIBLY wrong... cause my "drain plug" looks like a 3/4" bolt... that's in my tranny pan, correct?

Well, truth be told... I have no idea what those laws said 0o' I'm legal stupid... literally.

I'll try it... problem is, he closes before I get out of work.

We don't really have a sheriff here in dauphin county / Harrisburg tbh. And our DMV is, I believe, PennDOT... they're one in the same I think 0o'

battery/alternator possibly. Also visually check your wiring and play with your ground connections. Maybe the TPS? Though I'm sure someone more experienced than I could tell yea/nea on that:)

Who should I ask? I thought PennDot (Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation) would know this kinda stuff 0o'

And yet when I asked down at the PennDOT office, nobody knew a damn thing o0;

Dude... that kinda sucks... I can't even begin to think what's going on with that 0o'

I dont' know - what do the laws state in regards to that? Are bumper mounted lights legal? Or bullbar? What about cargo carrier? If you have a site where I can look this up that'd be great - I have a letter in where I work (at the vehicle salesperson comission) to find out who to contact about these kind of laws, cause pendot didn't seem to have a clue

My question is... are they legal to use on road generally? My standard headlights are kinda... meh. I'm looking to attempt the wiring harness + relay upgrade and get a set of high-quality replacements.. but that costs cash I don't really have If these are legal and would be a slightly cheaper (and more effective) replacement, even if I do need a new alternator, I'm all for it

wha... lol? You @!*%ting me?

I tried PA Vehicle laws... didn't see anything specific, but then again I'm hopped up on hydrocodine atm (long story about that... suffice it to say I fubar'ed my back last night)

Buh? My BFG A/T's rape snow, ice, mud, and pretty much everything else they've encountered. I only had one problem once... that was an uphill start in sleet... But that's because I forgot to put her in 4x4