How To Tie A Tow Strap: Step-By-Step Guide

Tow straps are very simple yet useful pieces of equipment that can be lifesavers in many different situations. They're mainly used for towing vehicles or pulling them free when they've become stuck.

If you're not sure how to attach one to a vehicle don't worry, it's fairly straightforward.

In this guide, we'll show you how to go about attaching a tow strap effectively and in the safest way possible to get you up to speed.

What Is A Tow Strap?

A tow strap, or recovery strap, is a long strap that's used to attach one vehicle to another vehicle if one of them has become stuck and needs to be pulled. They're also used for towing vehicles that have broken down or have other issues.

They are comprised of long strands of nylon with hooks sewn at each end and when coiled are small and light. They're an important element of your car's emergency kit particularly if you live in a climate where snow or mud is common.

Tow Strap Or Tow Chain?

As well as recovery straps, tow chains, and cables are also commonly used for the same purpose. They both have tow hooks and work in the same way as recovery straps.

There is no real difference in terms of strength between the three options but tow chains and cables carry more risks than nylon tow straps.

For instance, if your tow cable, chain, or strap were to break when you were towing a vehicle you are far less likely to be injured by the lightweight nylon strap than by a heavy chain or cable.

The relative safety of recovery straps is one of the reasons they have become the most popular choice out of the three.

Connecting A Tow Strap

If you've never used one before you're probably wondering how to connect a tow strap. Below, we've laid out three straightforward steps on how to do this effectively and safely.

1) Attach to the recovery vehicle

Your recovery strap will either have a tow hook or a D-ring at each end of the strap. The first step is to attach the tow hook or D-ring to a mounting point on or close to the rear bumper of the towing vehicle or tow truck.

If your vehicle has a trailer hitch ball you can attach it to the steel loops that are designed for tow hooks. It's important that you use a secure mounting point to provide structural support when you begin pulling.

If your recovery strap has D-rings then it's unlikely to detach once you start pulling. If it has hooks then you should give the recovery strap a few firm tugs to make sure that it's securely attached before you move on to the other steps.

2) Attach to the other vehicle

Next, you need to locate the mounting hook on the front of the stuck vehicle. This should be located underneath the front bumper or close to the center axle.

The mounting hook on many vehicles will be hidden away or have a plastic cover but make sure that you find it and don't attach the tow hook to any other part of the vehicle.

Once you've found it, attach the tow hook or D-ring to it, and then give the recovery strap several firm tugs to check that it's secure.

3) Start pulling

Once both ends of the recovery strap are securely attached you can begin pulling the stranded vehicle with the recovery vehicle. The vehicle that's being towed should be in first gear or drive if it's functioning. If not, it should be kept in neutral gear. In both cases, the parking brake should be off.

You should then start to move the towing vehicle forward very slowly until the recovery strap is taught and then continue so that you're gradually pulling the other vehicle.

Make sure you take it nice and slow to avoid either of the hooks from coming free.

How To Connect Two Tow Straps Together

There may be situations where you need to recover a vehicle and one recovery strap is simply not long enough. This means that you'll need to know how to put two tow straps together.

This can be risky as the recovery straps will be more likely to snap when joined together but the safest way to do this is as follows:

• Take the end of one strap and pass it through the eye of the second strap.
• Then pass the end of the second strap through the eye of the first strap.
• Pull the second strap all the way through the eye of the other strap to create a joint.
• Use something soft like a rolled-up towel in between the straps to make them easier to undo and to reduce the risk of injury if something goes wrong.

FAQs

Can I attach a recovery strap with a knot?

You should never use a knot to attach a recovery strap to a vehicle. This will greatly increase the chances of it coming free at either end and causing vehicle damage or even injury. Always use either the hooks or D-rings that are sewn into the strap when attaching it to a vehicle.

How do I keep recovery straps in good condition?

There are several ways to make sure that your recovery straps stay in good condition. Firstly, when using them always make sure that the strap isn't twisted before you attach it to the vehicle being towed. This will help to minimize wear and tear over time.

You should also check that the strap isn't rubbing against any sharp edges on the vehicle before you start to pull or tow it. Proper storage is also important and you should store your straps away from moisture and direct sunlight.

How strong are tow straps?

Generally, a tow strap gains 10,000 pounds of strength for each inch of width. For example, if your tow strap is two inches wide it should have a strength rating of 20,000 pounds.

Final Thoughts

As long as you take all of the necessary precautions then attaching a tow strap should be fairly easy and pretty safe. If you don't have one in your vehicle's emergency kit then it's definitely worth investing in one as they are very useful pieces of equipment.

You may never have to use one but at least you now know how to attach one if it ever comes up and have some extra piece of mind knowing it is at your disposal should the occasion ever arise.

Sources

https://www.liveabout.com/properly-use-a-tow-strap-281764

https://www.offroaders.com/recovery-techniques/how-do-i-use-a-recovery-strap/

https://www.ukratchetstraps.com/blogs/news/how-to-attach-a-vehicle-recovery-strap

https://www.legionlandrover.com/manuales/4wd%20recovery.how%20to%20join%20recovery%20straps.pdf

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