Kinetic energy tow ropes........

What are they. What do they do and what are they used for. Never done any serious off-roading so am completely thick about the subject.

Well they int tow ropes fer a start. It's a recovery rope, bit like a hooooge elastic band. Attach it to the stuck vehicle & one that int & the one that int drives (hopefully) slowly away until the kinetic rope builds up a big enuff store of enery to 'snatch' the stuck vehicle out of the mire.

From my limited experience of them, bit expensive, of limited use, potentially dangerous and a bit pointless.................buy good strops instead.

They are also banned on some off road sites due to being dangerous.

dont know much about them apart from some offroad sites wont allow them cause they reckon they're dangerous as when yer stuck landy begins to move all the energy stored in the rope is released and you can be catapulted......weeeeeeeee!

There was an incident up here with a long elastic rope ..... the Def 110 tow-car drove a bit too fast .... the stuck car was a bit rusty on the tow-points ...... once the rope got REALLY tight and stretched the tow-eye and a big D-shackle came off the stuck car, and went through the back window of the towing car, then between the heads of the two people in it, then out through the windscreen with all the rope trailing behind.

These elastic ropes are extremely dangerous, and should NEVER be attached to either vehicle by a shackle or anything like one.

CharlesY

Tanks gents. Think I'll stick to wagon straps then.

i hope by wagon straps you dont mean ratchet tie down straps as these are not designed for towing and are not very safe. you need either a proper strop or sa good rope

I always thought that as they were tested to n tons etc that they were pretty safe but seeing as I have only towed small cars around on them I will take your advice. I have just aquired a great thick rope with loops splicd in the ends. It looks as if it would check the Titanic. Have also got a wire ope thing but don't even like touching it without leather gloves on 'cos no matter how smooth it looks - it aint and you end up with cuts all ovr hands.

A chain is the safest for recovery purposes - if it breaks it just falls flat.

they are tested to hold a load weighing no more than the specified weight on the ticket. they are not designed to pull, like you say they are fine on a ford fiesta but i wouldnt risk pulling a landrover out of the mud with one

Treworgey 90 said:

A chain is the safest for recovery purposes - if it breaks it just falls flat.

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s'****in eavy ter carry around tho

Ken. ropes aint all that bad. it only goes wrong when your pulling on rusty bits. sometimes recovery via standard straps doesnt work and the need for a ken arises... dont rule them out completely.

they are expensive though, and i dont have one, but someone who your out with will inevitably carry one

prob banned from sites because of improper use by dik (1.7) heads

G

For dodgy pull-outs I try to use a Kevlar rope.
It is very light, no thicker than a fat finger, and incredibly strong.

I have never managed to snap one, but the hope is that it will "drop" rather than come lashing back like a wire or an elastic rope.

Tree-Surgeon's climbing rope. I carry a 60 foot length in the back,
Learn the knots that come out before tying knots in this stuff!

I also carry a 12 foot fat polypropylene rope with eyesplices at both ends for towing. I have HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of 15 foot lengths of these if anyone wants a boxful at £1 a pop plus carriage.

They can be spliced into long lengths if you want.

CharlesY

Seen Clarkson use one of those kin tow ropes on that north pole expedition in the slitty, looked good but as you pointed out bit feckin dangermouse!
It was those mad finlanders that came wi the idea, just like the lighter fuel in the "tyre off the rim" scenario.
Mad as a bucket of frogs!

Sounds to me that these kinetic thingies work on the principle of a bungee.

BOING

sed Zeberdee!

**** off

said Dylan

The Mad Hat Man said:

BOING

sed Zeberdee!

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Time for bed!

Cabbie said:

Sounds to me that these kinetic thingies work on the principle of a big bit of knicker elastic.

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yer not wrong

Treworgey 90 said:

A chain is the safest for recovery purposes - if it breaks it just falls flat.

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thats my method, although its not wise to tug with it as it aint comfy as ther is no play at all plus the damage it can do regards ripping **** off yer car,
no jokes about tuggin with me chain will be appreciated!