Ball mount snapped and killed driver (Warning: images - no gore or blood)

[toximus]

Warning: Links contain more graphic details and images.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2310305859069599/permalink/5200181790081977/https://4x4earth.com/forum/index.ph...yan-warning-graphic-images.50910/#post-699869

 

[L J]

lack of recovery knowledge/experience aside ... just look at that leverage

 

[toximus]

It looks a lot like a 6" drop Curt 2" hitch rated at 10,000lbs. Truck is probably 9,000lbs static.

 

[flyinfish]

That's one hell of a chunk of steel flying through the air.

There's a lesson there for the rest of us as to how quick these things can happen. There's no ducking out of the way of that projectile.
I'm sure he was dead on impact.

 

[steelhd]

Apparently his wife and two kids were in the truck with him.

 

[2001slvrstntj]

Terrible, that family will never forget that……just awful. Shit can go sideways real fast, a lesson to learn from for sure.

 

[mrblaine]

Warning: Links contain more graphic details and images.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2310305859069599/permalink/5200181790081977/https://4x4earth.com/forum/index.ph...yan-warning-graphic-images.50910/#post-699869
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That isn't so much a tow ball warning as it is a leverage warning although it will be difficult for the average person to separate the two. Sadly, all they had to do was pull the hitch and stick the pin through the eye of the strap.

 

[mrblaine]

It looks a lot like a 6" drop Curt 2" hitch rated at 10,000lbs. Truck is probably 9,000lbs static.

View attachment 347199

That one or this one?

 

[someguysjeep]

pull the hitch and stick the pin through the eye of the strap

^^ this needs to be in super bold print. dropped or not....... use the pin............ eliminate the potential, i'd not trust a balls stem on a straight hitch either, whether it'd hold or not there's no need to ..

that ball ended up in the back seat, right next to the baby seat.

 

[Feralkid]

Horrific

 

[Chris]

That is indeed horrific

 

[inkedrose]

That video was good. I've never taken into account how much heavier something is "stuck". I'd heard never tow someone out off the ball but that was worst case scenario of why. That poor family

 

[Zorba]

That isn't so much a tow ball warning as it is a leverage warning...

That was my thought as well. Ball didn't fail, the leverage caused the hitch insert to fail. When a situation goes to shit, it goes to shit FAST. I still recall a decapitation from a broken wire rope onboard a ship fairly close to my work. Word got around, inspections were made, safety classes were updated...

 

[bucky]

That hitch appears to a Reese product that goes for about $55 and is rated at 3500# with the hollow insert shaft. The ball appears to be a Convert-A-Ball That goes for about $33 and is rated at 3500# also. That truck is stuck up to it’s frame in mud. Even a 10000# setup would not put that rig out. The tires do not appear to have a ramps dug out. In my opinion the only way that truck would break loose with another pickup pulling it would be to use a 30’ appropriate sized Kinetic rope, stretching it as much as possible, stop and block the tow rig and let the rope’s recoil slowly break it free. A good sized winch doubled up with a pulley and again slowly pulling until the auction is released would work. Also everyone gets out of the stuck truck and to a safe space. Spinning the wheels will only get you deeper into the mud.
I really feel bad for the family and the owner of the other truck. I can’t imagine how they feel about this tragedy.

This is a fine example of ignorance and cheap equipment.

 

[Apparition]

all they had to do was pull the hitch and stick the pin through the eye of the strap.

I mentioned this on another forum and you'd have thought I killed someone's dog or something.

Considered no bueno

Apparently this is the only way to be safe.

 

[someguysjeep]

looks like the projectile budget went up.

 

[mrblaine]

I mentioned this on another forum and you'd have thought I killed someone's dog or something.

Considered no bueno
View attachment 351902

Apparently this is the only way to be safe.
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Thor and Jon built that exact same shackle mount out of 6061 T6, did some minor side pulls with it and it failed terribly. That is the exact reason we never made one. But hey, iffen you're gonna be stupid, don't half ass it.

 

[Apparition]

Thor and Jon built that exact same shackle mount out of 6061 T6, did some minor side pulls with it and it failed terribly. That is the exact reason we never made one. But hey, iffen you're gonna be stupid, don't half ass it.
View attachment 351914

If you want to find a weak link use lots of them.

 

[mrblaine]

If you want to find a weak link use lots of them.

My neighbor got his 2wd Suburban stuck in the mud behind his property. I took a yank strap over, hooked it to his rear hitch, hooked into the rear hitch on the stock TJ Unlimited. I had a good hitch pin, he only had a large Allen Wrench. We used that after some tape to keep it in place. I hit the end of that strap at speed at least 20 times yanking him out. Not even a hint of a bend in the wrench. I don't recommend it but just an idea of why folks may not always know what they think they do.

 

[mrblaine]

There were lots of folk elsewhere saying they've seen bent hitch pins that are hard to remove. I don't see that being an issue with a good cut off disc on a grinder. We've also pulled on hitch pins 100's of times in JV and never bent one. I don't doubt someone has, I've just never seen it.