Recovery Point Guidelines

In order to participate on most trips that are organised by the club you will require suitable recovery points (tow hooks, pintle hooks, etc) to ensure the safety of yourself and those that are recovering you from a sticky situation. Recovery using snatch straps (snatching) is extremely dangerous if not done properly!

One approved recovery attachment must be affixed front and rear to the vehicles chassis using high tensile bolts. If unsure whether your current or proposed attachments meet minimum safety specification, please contact the ORE National 4x4 Assoc. National Safety Officer, who will direct you to a regional representative for advice and scrutineering.

Please note: Before commencement of any trip, vehicles may be inspected by the Trip Leader to ensure they conform to the requirements of that trip. Any vehicle not meeting the minimum requirements shall be barred from taking part.

What's the big deal? As mentioned in the beginning, a huge amount of energy is stored in the snatch strap. The energy stored is half the vehicle mass multiplied by the square of the vehicle speed. Therefore, the forces exerted at say 20km/hr, are 4 times those exerted at 10km/hr! Our desire is to use all this stored energy to pull the bogged vehicle out of its mud-hole. But what if it doesn't?

The worst that can happen is that the recovery point (or indeed a chunk of chassis) of one of the vehicles tears off. This piece of metal will now be accelerated by the tons of tension stored in the strap, in the direction of the other vehicle. This piece of metal can easily achieve speeds in excess of 700km/hr, depending on size. This projectile can cut a swath of destruction right though the vehicle. The best you can hope for is that no living soul is in its way! This missile could also strike a solid part of the vehicle eg the winch, and bounce off at tremendous speed in an altered direction. This is why everyone, including the director (the two drivers excluded), should stand at least the extended length of the strap away.