need some advice about recoveries ( pics included)

Ok so Im new to 4x4 and have never recovered a vehicle. I have a decent strap I bought from extreme 4x4 which is rated at 14 tonne and has hooks either side. I also have a dixon bate jaw on back of my disco.
right anyhoo yesterday morning the neighbor ditched her car ( not sure how !) but the ditch is pretty severe, over 2ft deep and it is sheer! ie doesn't gradually drop in.
So the other neighbor decides we should tow it out and runs to get his x5 and turns up with a **** poor nylon rope that couldn't pull a fat lass at ten to two in the morning!!
I didn't really want to get involved as I don't have a scooby doo about what im doing when it comes to this kind of recovery, but did offer up my tow strap.
he then attached it around the front wishbone and tried to pull it out.
surprisingly it didn't budge.
I was thinking about stepping up and having a go with my disco but thought better off it.
in the end it was winched by a recovery truck.
my question is, was i right to shy away from this or would the disco have pulled it out?
if you were in this situation what would you have done?
any advice appreciated.
heres the pics of what i was faced with.

often best pulled out backwards the same as it went in

yea i thought about that but there was nowhere it could do that as its on a corner and the ditch carry's on under the fence.

it looks like the dog is doing a good job on its own .

as James says - if it went in, then it will come out the same way, usually.

was it last year that someone got stuck like that on a narrow lane and a whole team of LZ members went out to get him?

because it was so narrow, it had to be pulled out with loads of different anchor points?

I would have taken the wheels as spares for my Astra.

your disco could prob pull a truck out of that ditch in low 1st

but whot damage would you do

and hoo is to blame

i would leave it not worth the hasel of faling out with nabours

chris07 said:

your disco could prob pull a truck out of that ditch in low 1st

but whot damage would you do

and hoo is to blame

i would leave it not worth the hasel of faling out with nabours

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yea this is what i thought. didn't want to pull her car to bits!!

I used to do vehicle recovery on a daily basis including things like this...

Me personally would have attached a bridle to the front wishbones and pulled it gently out either with a winch or low box first.

Or backwards using again a bridle round the rear beam to give an equal pull.

Doing it with a Disco and X5 I would have thought the best way would have been to use the Disco to pull it out backwards and attach the X5 to the front of the Astra to stop it being dragged down the ditch as most of the vans weight would be low down it'd most likely want to slide along the ditch rather than be recovered out.

Many different people would do things differently, each to their own I guess!

yes your disco would of pulled it out with no problem, but as said you my have caused damage ?? best to pull out with a winch. as you say you have never recovered anything before you did right by offering a good rope and standing back

We once pulled out a nova with an SD1 tight road very very short rope attached to a Strong anchor point to the furthest point/side in the ditch to get a good angle. The worst thing you can do is drag it furthur down the lane if you get your angles wrong.

oh well i'm glad i left it, was thinking I might be a bit of a pussy for not trying! haha

as you dont know what your doing you you did right by leaving well alone, however why aint you out there getting stuck and being recovered and recovering other people? you have a land rover ffs

A disco or defender in low box would **** that out of there.

The recovery point on the back of an astra is on the drivers side and is welded as opposed to screw in like the front one and the ones on many other cars.

I would attach a strong rope or strop (approx 2m long) to the rear of the vehicle and then put the steering on full lock towards the ditch. I'd then leave the handbrake on and pull it backwards. The front wheels would climb the sides of the ditch and therefore avoid ripping the front bumper off and the rears would slide out rather than drag along the side of the ditch. Once it's at the top of the ditch I would then let the handbrake off and re-apply it halfway. I would then carry on pulling it so it is completely clear and able to move under its own steam.

ratty said:

I'd then leave the handbrake on and pull it backwards.

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The Mad Hat Man said:

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if the front wheels are pointing into the ditch and you pull it backwards, what direction will the back wheels take the car?

Backwards.

storm99 said:

Backwards.

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would it not take em further into the ditch too?

Yes...but i was being facetious

Towing eyes particularly on cars are no good for recoveries like this, only really suited to towing them when they roll.