Tools Required to Tow Vehicles

Tow trucks and auto recovery services are in full demand and this can even be a potential career that you can consider. Even if you are not looking to start a new career, it is good to know which items can help tow your vehicle when you are having an emergency. Especially for those who travel in off-road conditions, having a working understanding of towing tools will be very useful.

Tow trucks commonly use electric winches which is can wind up the cable attached to the car that is in trouble. This can then help you haul the vehicle out of the ditch and back onto a level road. The power capacity of the winches will differ and this will entirely depend on the type of car and therefore the weight of the load you will be pulling. The strength capacity of the winch has to be chosen depending on the vehicle to be owed. This is the same for non-motorised winches as well. These traditional winches can be a part of your recovery kit when you travel in rough road conditions. There are also tow straps and towing chains that can help you connect the winch cable to the vehicle that is stuck. There are two chain legs in tow chains. One can be connected to the winch cable and the other to a pear link. The benefit of this is that you have more than one pressure point so that the force exerted on the vehicle will spread over a larger area. This will minimise the risk of damage to the car that is stuck.

Snatch blocks are also useful tools in a recovery kit. It is a type of pulley that will help you lift a heavy car with a smaller force. This is commonly used by off-road vehicle owners. You can find different type of snatch blocks as well and they are used for other applications as well. A snatch block can be used with a winch. The pulley of the block is connected to the winch and it allows you more flexibility when pulling the vehicle out of a ditch on your own or with another vehicle. The pulling capacity of the winch can be improved when using snatch blocks. There are also recovery straps that you can wrap around the vehicle that has to be recovered. This gives you a better grip when it comes to towing.

You can find winch cables in different thicknesses, lengths and core options. The working load limit of the cable depends on the thickness and it will also determine which attachments you can use on the ends. The strength of the cable is affected by the core. There are many varieties of tow hooks such as grab hooks, snap hooks, slip hooks, etc. The different types will be compatible with different makes or brands of vehicles. For example, if you have a Chrysler, you can use a T hook. There are also multipurpose hooks such as grab hooks, slip hooks etc. that you can use with a variety of anchor points.