Recovery gone wrong. Yes, rope can blast through a windshield!

srimes

srimes

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From FB:
https://www.facebook.com/1450710029/videos/pcb.10229089065638544/1750614015453461
Kinetic rope tied to winch rope as an extension. Winch rope broke at the knot sending the kinetic rope through the windshield and into the driver's face. Driver is OK with minor injuries.

Lessons:
1) winch rope is not sized for kinetic recoveries.
2) Knots reduce rope strength
3) Given a choice, use the passenger side attachment point for hard pulls just in case!
 
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srimes said:
From FB:
[URL]https://www.facebook.com/1450710029/videos/pcb.10229089065638544/1750614015453461[/URL]

Kinetic rope tied to winch rope as an extension. Winch rope broke at the knot sending the kinetic rope through the windshield and into the driver's face. Driver is OK with minor injuries.

Lessons:
1) winch rope is not sized for kinetic recoveries.
Click to expand...
No, winch rope is not ever to be shock loaded. Has nothing to do with the size with the caveat that you can get it large enough to avoid the loads that shock can produce but that is prohibitive in both cost and size.
srimes said:
2) Knots reduce rope strength
3) Given a choice, use the passenger side attachment point for hard pulls just in case!
Click to expand...
Given a choice, do not shock load winch line.
 
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Did the rope go through the windshield, or did it whip into the open window on the driver's door? Those are two very different events.
 
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jjvw said:
Did the rope go through the windshield, or did it whip into the open window on the driver's door? Those are two very different events.
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Through the windshield, bounced off his face and out the side window.

1701622276426.png
 
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*I just want to start by saying in no way is this meant that I am any kind of "expert" or authority on the topic!* But I'm the lead driving instructor at my work and during our "off-road" training (think not-asphalt driving) we talk about recoveries. I have a reference and discussion about the fatal recovery attempt in Arizona a couple years ago (hitch ball through the windshield). I guess I need to add this one too. We only have a truck or two with winches but all of our ATVs and SxS's have them and we deal with other people that have them.

These folks got "lucky" that's for sure. So many worse alternatives that could have resulted.

It makes me wonder how many people were watching. How many of those questioned the rigging? How many spoke up? How many people involved had zero training on recovery gear that they carry or were using? And how many people had false confidences because of stuff they've seen on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.?
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
His post would be more helpful to the inexperienced if he explicitly stated which part(s) of what he did was the mistake.
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Or if what he said he did wrong actually matched the video. Also why I much prefer that folks avoid the convenience rigging so they don't have to learn to do a simple buried tail splice. A few minutes with some electrical tape and a double buried tail splice would have prevented the line breaking at the knot.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
His post would be more helpful to the inexperienced if he explicitly stated which part(s) of what he did was the mistake.
Click to expand...

The whole comment discussion was
"don't do redneck stuff"
"we all try to make it work"
"call a professional we have a 5-ton 6x6."

Not a single comment about what it was he did wrong :rolleyes: .
 
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srimes said:
The whole comment discussion was
"don't do redneck stuff"
"we all try to make it work"
"call a professional we have a 5-ton 6x6."

Not a single comment about what was he did wrong :rolleyes: .
Click to expand...

I can at least see the logical steps a less experienced wheeler could have taken to think that it would be ok. Most people probably don't know that rope strength is reduced in bends and probably thought that the kinetic rope would "absorb" the shock and shield the winch rope from it, not thinking about that instant of peak stored energy when the kinetic rope is most stretched and how much spring force is applied there.

...but for someone that has supposedly done a bunch of recoveries...it bothers me that from his post I can't even tell that he actually knows what he did wrong to get a big heavy rope to the face.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
I can at least see the logical steps a less experienced wheeler could have taken to think that it would be ok. Most people probably don't know that rope strength is reduced in bends and probably thought that the kinetic rope would "absorb" the shock and shield the winch rope from it, not thinking about that instant of peak stored energy when the kinetic rope is most stretched and how much spring force is applied there.

...but for someone that has supposedly done a bunch of recoveries...it bothers me that from his post I can't even tell that he actually knows what he did wrong to get a big heavy rope to the face.
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It would also be very helpful to know how they broke the original winch line. I'm going to guess that it was fairlead mount opening related.
 
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mrblaine said:
It would also be very helpful to know how they broke the original winch line. I'm going to guess that it was fairlead mount opening related.
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"my winch line broke free from the winch and was providing no pulling power"

sounds like it wasn't tied on right
 
I appreciate these posts. I bring my boys into the room and we watch it over and over till they can tell me what they can see that was done wrong.
 
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I get when properly used there's a time and place for it but anyone else hate seeing people go at with these kinetic ropes? Its always someone that just keeps trying for a bigger and bigger running start till its too late. Feels like even if this guy did just hook the rope to the truck he was going to take it too far.
 
joe98tj said:
I get when properly used there's a time and place for it but anyone else hate seeing people go at with these kinetic ropes? Its always someone that just keeps trying for a bigger and bigger running start till its too late. Feels like even if this guy did just hook the rope to the truck he was going to take it too far.
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Nothing wrong with a kinetic rope used properly, but not on the end of a winch rope backing away jerking.

Additionally, pulling in reverse puts pressure on the ring and pinion gears and there could be a failure.
 
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