My soft shackle failure experience 🤕 -- The Off-Road Recovery That Almost Killed Me

[swooshdave]

Incorrect, it's both. It's basic physics if it have mass and velocity it has energy. The mass near the end of the rope is more important in an impact hence the loop on the rope and soft shackle are the most damage causing parts.

Technically you are correct, but if you weigh the end of the rope vs soft shackle I bet the rope weighs a lot more (more mass). What I mean is the rope was going through the windshield soft shackle or not.

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[Pilsner]

It's funny, when I first heard about kinetic ropes it was when I was being sold one at a 4W Parts shop. After a couple minutes of back and forth, I finally asked the guy, I asked him do you really need to know what you're doing with these things? He kinda stammered and I said, y'know, I'm going for the tow strap...

People make mistakes. Shit happens. What's being said is, if there is a failure point, it shouldn't be something that'll be a projectile. In this case, if the soft shackle hadn't gived, it very might've been the clevis flying into the Jeep. Which is my assumption it's more dangerous.

I agree, we should all act professionally and knowledgeably when doing recoveries, because it matters. It just doesn't always go that way, even with the professionals. I used to work with a former tow truck driver who's boss (been doing towing for decades) dropped a car out of a tree and seriously injured someone because shit happens.

Soft shackle, I've learned, != hard shackle. In the event of an accident, I'd rather have a soft shackle (and kinetic rope) flying at me than a winch cable and chunk of bumper.

Oh yeah, I now have both a tow strap and very nice kinetic rope someone gave me.

I don't mean to or care to argue on the internet. My point is that I have been doing this at least 2 decades or more longer than some here and have done this quite a bit. I'm also OSHA certified in rigging. People should use the gear they feel is right for their situation because they are responsible for the consequences. Yes shit happens and usually at the worst possible time. I don't want my recovery gear failing in any situation ever and have never heard anyone using any type of fuse in rigging. I have my doubts on the strength of the recovery points used on the bumper and/or the mounting system in this instance also, but that is a separate topic. I use the gear I do because of my experience. Do with that what you will.

 

[userdude]

I don't mean to or care to argue on the internet. My point is that I have been doing this at least 2 decades or more longer than some here and have done this quite a bit. I'm also OSHA certified in rigging.

It's not an argument. Not everyone who is using this stuff is OSHA certified. Somebody tried to sell me one and I didn't even know what it was. It is what it is. Most of us are not professional recovery specialists. I knew just enough about safety to spot they were dangerous. But I do have a (small) safety background. That's all people are trying to say. You don't know what you don't know, and in off roading, a lot of this stuff is dangerous.

 

[zombie]

The main thing is if the shackle (soft or D ring) were to fail, it'd be much better having a piece of rope flying at you than a chunk of metal.

Okay let's say that's a concern, but the D ring is going to be held by the bolt through it to the mounting point if it breaks, would it not? (other than if somehow a chunk breaks out of the middle instead of a single point of failure, but I'd think you'd need to be cursed for that to somehow happen)

 

[userdude]

Whether you agree with it or not, the below thread discusses a lot of what's been conjectured on this thread.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...s-straps-and-kinetic-ropes-what-to-buy.64967/

 

[swamp2]

Soft shackles are fairly new. No one ever advised for shackles, historically being steel, as being a fuse. Nothing has changed. The fuse should ALWAYS be the failed recovery. Any other methodology is dangerous. That is what you are missing. If you can't recover without doing it in a safe manner, then you need to regroup and find another way or another vehicle. You do not want anything flying around, and this demonstrates how dangerous even light weight things can be at velocity. I like to spread the forces between 2 recovery points when possible. Again, you should simply never be recovering in a way that exceeds the capabilities of your recovery points, whatever those are. What about people using steel line and D shackles? Where do you want that fuse?

Mostly agree here, but again there is always a first failure point. Call it a fuse or not is just semantics really. I suggest it's better to know it and specify it to increase safety, hence the term fuse.

Also, definitely agree that an abort should always be the worst outcome, but observationally/realistically that isn't going to be 100% achieveable for all recoveries. So let's put a bit more care and thought into our gear.

My intuition for a steel cable and D ring is the cable is a preferred 1st failure point, but it's a complex tradeoff with energy and momentum stored, released and then a resulting collision with a vehicle and perhaps a person. Regardless, it's the choice of the person providing or choosing the gear to use. First point of failure should be considered and designed in, rather than done haphazardly resulting in having way overrated gear and kidding yourself nothing bad will ever happen.

Again, just look at this case, the cheap or perhaps defective soft shackle probably saved a life, sure a shovel would have been a more desirable way to proceed (and save injury and property damage).

Appreciate your experience and considerate discussion!

 

[Pilsner]

It's not an argument. Not everyone who is using this stuff is OSHA certified. Somebody tried to sell me one and I didn't even know what it was. It is what it is. Most of us are not professional recovery specialists. I knew just enough about safety to spot they were dangerous. But I do have a (small) safety background. That's all people are trying to say. You don't know what you don't know, and in off roading, a lot of this stuff is dangerous.

That wasn't directed towards you. Just that I'm done defending my position. There is a lot of signal to noise on here already. I'm glad OP is ok. It's always good to remember what can happen when things wrong. Probably a reminder that satellite coms could save a life of your in the backcountry.

 

[FordOwner]

@popo_patty glad to hear you are OK. Thank you for sharing your experience to educate others, likely knowing you would receive backlash / negative comments. There's quite a bit of humility on your part in sharing your experience. AAR/post mortems/incident reviews are a fantastic tool for learning, growth, and planning for/mitigating future failure scenarios.

Did the rope (Jeep) end come through your windshield and then back out the windshield before whipping around the back of your Bronco or was it a middle part of the rope that came through the windshield while the Jeep end at the same time whipped to the back of your Bronco?

I ran the video in 4k at .25x speed and it looks like the kinetic rope went over the top of your Bronco roof but it was too hard to tell what part of the rope went through the windshield.

Also curious, I did a very quick search on some of your previous posts and didn't see anything on this topic, but were you running any type of frame horn reinforcement in the front? I saw a post where you mention them on the rear and some possible frame horn damage (passenger though?) from a previous berm kiss. Do you plan to include frame horn reinforcement in the future?

 

[popo_patty]

@popo_patty glad to hear you are OK. Thank you for sharing your experience to educate others, likely knowing you would receive backlash / negative comments. There's quite a bit of humility on your part in sharing your experience. AAR/post mortems/incident reviews are a fantastic tool for learning, growth, and planning for/mitigating future failure scenarios.

Did the rope (Jeep) end come through your windshield and then back out the windshield before whipping around the back of your Bronco or was it a middle part of the rope that came through the windshield while the Jeep end at the same time whipped to the back of your Bronco?

I ran the video in 4k at .25x speed and it looks like the kinetic rope went over the top of your Bronco roof but it was too hard to tell what part of the rope went through the windshield.

Also curious, I did a very quick search on some of your previous posts and didn't see anything on this topic, but were you running any type of frame horn reinforcement in the front? I saw a post where you mention them on the rear and some possible frame horn damage (passenger though?) from a previous berm kiss. Do you plan to include frame horn reinforcement in the future?

Soft top was open and it went the top.
It was the kinetic rope loop that came through (end of the rope). I have now bent my frame horns in and pulled them out haha. Yes, time for reinforcement on the front

 

[VoltageDrop]

You youtubers will do anything for views!

Just kidding, and I'm very glad you're around to tell the story, popo! I've never used a soft shackle or a kinetic rope but the bottom line appears to be there was too much energy involved in this recovery. Communication could have prevented that. Lessons were learned. I'm sorry you have to get a new windshield and lose your Bronco Safari sticker... I'm still rocking mine too

 

[popo_patty]

You youtubers will do anything for views!

Just kidding, and I'm very glad you're around to tell the story, popo! I've never used a soft shackle or a kinetic rope but the bottom line appears to be there was too much energy involved in this recovery. Communication could have prevented that. Lessons were learned. I'm sorry you have to get a new windshield and lose your Bronco Safari sticker... I'm still rocking mine too

AGH THE STICKER!

 

[stampede1]

The usual.
People commenting, giving “expert advice and critique” when they didn’t watch the video and know zero details.
It will be 5 comments about city folk going off-road for the first time, then 10 comments about “he shouldn’t have tied the strap to the hitch ball”, then 25 comments about how they could have done it safely or without a tow.
Followed by 10 more “that’s a Bronco for ya”.
it’s just mentally exhausting to even see.
Makes me mad just reading it but I know better than try and defend or offer up actual facts.
That just brings out the clowns, expert trolls, and people looking to argue with anyone over anything.

Seems you have both defended and cited actual facts. This thread needs your insight, well done.

 

[V1Rotate]

Probably a reminder that satellite coms could save a life of your in the backcountry.

This is a big point I brought up too. GMRS has become wildly popular lately but is relatively useless if a need arises to get help outside of your group (or alone) when out in the back country. Thats one of the big reasons I added a tri-band mobile HAM setup a while back along with carrying a Garmin InReach. I’ll be doubling down to a full sat phone setup

 

[Mad Max]

Glad that strap didn't have a direct hit. That would have been unpleasant. I enjoyed and learned from your story. With 12,000 views you've undoubtedly prevented similar accidents and even unrelated accidents when impatience would overcome deliberative problem solving. It's hard to slow down and think when you just want to get out of the ditch. Your story may insert an unconscious pause and avoid a mistake. But dude, you were Air Flighted for a whack on your chin? Treated and released? That's not on you because your bell was rung but someone should have packed you into their vehicle and taken you to the ER before they called out the cavalry. Just saying....

 

[MillerAndCheeto]

1. Glad you are OK!!

2. You are exactly right at 29:17, recoveries need to be carefully assessed in a slow and methodical manner (as you mentioned in your post, like our Aussie friends).

3. This shows the need for people that go wheeling where there is no cell service (90+% of Alberta offroading) to carry a GPS device, or other device, that can call for help. (50:30 mark I'm glad you discussed this). A guy was killed here by a bear a few years ago - medics said based on the evidence that if he had a Sat device he would have survived - he was conscious after the attack and bled out where there was no cell service. Incredibly sad and scary.

4. Another thing we can learn from the Aussie's - Bow (D-Ring) shackles used everywhere except where you join 2 lines together (as noted in 35:28 of the video) but it looks like the soft shackle actually kept a different failure from happening. Wow.

5. General point to anyone reading this that's new: Know proper recovery. I work with a gentleman that has brain damage from a recovery gone wrong. He almost died and he still struggles with certain things. Another guy, who was subsequently fired because he was such a safety risk, also nearly got himself killed and was INCHES away from his luck running out.

6. 38:10, INSANE the amount of force required to bend your frame horns and for the bumper's recovery point to shear 90%. I honestly feel this is one of the most impactful parts of this video. Aftermarket parts are installed and we all sort of just trust that they are engineered properly, whereas in reality....who knows (Bronco Raptor getting its aftermarket bumper ripped off).

7. 45 minute mark talking about winch blankets. So many videos on YouTube of people doing winch recoveries and not using these and being in the line-of-fire. See point 5 - know proper recovery.

8. 48 minute mark - VERY good point on knowing how to actually USE the first aid kit you bring with you, and placing it somewhere it's easily and quickly accessible. I will admit I have been bad at this....I will no longer keep it thrown in the backseat haphazardly.

9. Great video, man. Thank you for taking the time to make it and share your story. I've definitely taken some things from it, as I'm sure anyone who's watched it has as well.

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