Stuck in a Rut

Sometimes you can easily become caught out by dropping just one front wheel in a deep hole or over the edge. This could be an eroded part of a track. Rather than trying to pull the vehicle which could damage a diff, why not simply get the jack out, lift one corner, and fill the hole with some rock, or a log or two. Lower the vehicle back down again and simply drive off.
However you decide to effect your recovery, always bear in mind the environment, cause as little disturbance as you can to the ground.

Winching with a High Lift

If a high lift is capable of lifting 7-8,000lbs, think how useful this tool could be if the need arises to pull yourself along a short distance. Quite often, being able to winch yourself out a few feet is all that is required. You will need a ground anchor of course. I'm going to cover ground anchors in detail another chapter, but let's suppose for now that we have a handy stout tree a short distance away.

Attach a suitable webbing strop around that tree, down as near to the ground as possible, using a large bow shackle to bring the eyes of the strop together. Ideally, use an adjustable high tensile alloy chain to connect from that point to the top of the high lift using an appropriate small shackle.

Lay the jack out towards the stuck vehicle and use a second chain attached to another small shackle fitted to the underside of the toe. Couple the other end to a secure recovery point on the vehicle. Having taken up all the slack on either or both of the shortening hooks on the chains you are ready to winch in. If your rig won't quite reach, use a 'dead' tow rope or a strop to make up the difference at the vehicle end.

Remember to raise the reversing latch lever so when you operate the handle you 'walk' the lifting mechanism up the rack. As before, take the handle through the 'clicks' each end of the arc. Having pulled the vehicle along the length of the rack you can secure the vehicle if it is trying to roll back by means of footbrakes or perhaps a long length of non-stretchy rope tied between the vehicle and 'made off' around the tree.

The chains can then be re-rigged by shortening them. You will need to 'back off' the jack first though by holding the handle against the rack, knocking back down the reversing latch lever and walking the mechanism back a few holes in order to re-rig for another pull.