Let's hear some recovering/towing stories
04-21-2009, 12:46 PM
#21
Registered User
this one time at college, the parking ticket lady got her un governed golf cart stuck in some wet grass, me and a buddy pushed her out, she sprayed us w/ mud, and drove off noticeably laughing!
04-21-2009, 01:33 PM
#22
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no pics but a while back a buddy called me at like 4am cause he was doing some early duck hunting and the R-Tard sinks his 2wd nissan hardbody up to the axle in the launch ramp (dirt ramp not concrete) Tacoma to the rescue. good thing the lake was only like 2 miles from my house or his ass would have been there for a while.
04-21-2009, 03:44 PM
#24
Registered User
So mine isn't that good but New Years 2008 I pulled my idiot brother in law out of our driveway (its a 3/4 mile long that gets nasty with snow drifts and when its like that only my yota and the neighbors jeep can make it out.) Anyway after everyone was done parting at another neighbor (not on our driveway) he decides to drive his 3/4 ton dodge on bald ass tires down the driveway, he gets about half way down and just gets barried I can't drive around him so I have to pull him forward through the drift he was stuck in. So after a little digging I hook up the two strap and throw it in reverse and pull him through. We "fix" the road and he backs out getting off the road two more times where I need to pull him forward.
04-21-2009, 03:45 PM
#25
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I have a buddy with an 82 Chevy S-10 pickup, 4wd, lift, 6cyl. He decided to go out to the beach, drove all the way to the end, decided he was going so good and smooth he would take it out of 4wd. He called be about 6 hours later when he was stuck up to the bottom of his doors with sand to see if I could pull him out. I got out there no problem, hooked him up, dragged his truck about 15 feet, thinking he was in it and in reverse...Nope, he had his truck in first, e-brake on, no help. Lucifer (my truck) earned a bath that night!
10-24-2009, 04:13 PM
#26
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Scouting during hunting season I got stuck in my toyo 2WD and had a freind come to my rescue. Then I sold that truck and got a toyo 4wd. She's stock with BFG A/T's. But I'm, adding a winch, and BFG M/T's. Hopefully next time I'm stuck, it will be good and stuck unlike the puddle my 2wd was in. Love my 4wd. K.
10-24-2009, 07:18 PM
#27
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Fourteen years ago I volunteered my truck as a support vehicle for the walk across the country that I take my user name from. Near the very end of the walk, I was hauling the usual two 55 gallon drums of water, plus a bed full of wood, plus packs tied on that - about a thousand pounds - up San Marcos Pass Road in Santa Barbara CA. About 2/3 the way up to the 2200' pass, I noticed another support vehicle - a full size Dodge van - stopped and flashing his lights behind me. His vehicle was overloaded too and his transmission decided it was simply too much work.
No sooner had I backed up to him, a "CHP" pulled up and to get him off our backs I told him I had a tow strap and would get the van off the road. Amazingly, he bought it and left. Even though I was a bit dubious, we hooked up the strap. I must have taken a few years off my clutch trying to get going but there was no way I could get us started. So I locked the hubs and put her in 4 low (I now know I should not have locked the hubs on the dry pavement - oops) and sure enough, we took right off and my veezy pulled us both over the pass. I told the driver of the van to do the braking for both vehicles to keep the strap taut.
Several miles down the north side of the pass, we reached our destination campsite. After stopping to ask the campground manager where to park, I took off on the wet dirt road like normal - that is until I saw the van skidding sideways behind me with all four wheels locked(!) As soon as I put in the clutch in we stopped with a sudden jar, but until then I had absolutely no idea the van wasn't rolling happily along behind me. The van's owner ran up and said, "Dude, I didn't know you were going to go" and I said, "Dude, until I saw you sideways in my rear view mirror, I didn't even know you had your brakes on." lol.
He shook his head and told me I had a strong truck - but that I already did know.
No sooner had I backed up to him, a "CHP" pulled up and to get him off our backs I told him I had a tow strap and would get the van off the road. Amazingly, he bought it and left. Even though I was a bit dubious, we hooked up the strap. I must have taken a few years off my clutch trying to get going but there was no way I could get us started. So I locked the hubs and put her in 4 low (I now know I should not have locked the hubs on the dry pavement - oops) and sure enough, we took right off and my veezy pulled us both over the pass. I told the driver of the van to do the braking for both vehicles to keep the strap taut.
Several miles down the north side of the pass, we reached our destination campsite. After stopping to ask the campground manager where to park, I took off on the wet dirt road like normal - that is until I saw the van skidding sideways behind me with all four wheels locked(!) As soon as I put in the clutch in we stopped with a sudden jar, but until then I had absolutely no idea the van wasn't rolling happily along behind me. The van's owner ran up and said, "Dude, I didn't know you were going to go" and I said, "Dude, until I saw you sideways in my rear view mirror, I didn't even know you had your brakes on." lol.
He shook his head and told me I had a strong truck - but that I already did know.
10-24-2009, 07:46 PM
#28
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I managed to get my new (new to me) 1993 4x4 get stuck two weeks ago. Bad. I was wheeling up in the hills with my girlfriend when conditions started to get kinda tough. Frozen snow and all-terrains with no locker is not exactly the perfect combo. As I was turning around my center cross-member found a wedge shaped rock in the middle of an open valley. One side of the truck was in the air and the other was buried in a foot of white stuff. I had got stuck around 10pm and it was 2am when help finally arrived. We were high enough in the hills that the temperature reached down into the teens. That made for one cold and long night. Good thing I was able to get cell phone service.
We had to leave the Toyota for the night because none of the rescue 4x4s could get all the way back to me. One of them was a 1994 runner. The next day I some buddies and I were able to get the truck off the rock with some jacks, rocks, and finally a 12,000 wench. That was one stuck truck!
Wish I had pics
We had to leave the Toyota for the night because none of the rescue 4x4s could get all the way back to me. One of them was a 1994 runner. The next day I some buddies and I were able to get the truck off the rock with some jacks, rocks, and finally a 12,000 wench. That was one stuck truck!
Wish I had pics
10-24-2009, 07:46 PM
#29
Registered User
Yesterday i pulled a stock cherokee out of a mudhole.
His comments before and after.
Before: "Your truck is too light to pull this thing out"
"Your gonna break that flimsy strap, we broke ours"
(Note: Moron had auto-hubs and was trying to go out in reverse. Cherokee hubs unlock after two wheel rotations in reverse... So he was trying to get out in 2wd)
Me: "Well, momentum and 4lo will pull this turd right out"
*5 seconds later*
Me: "You're welcome."
Then, to show off, i went through the same thing he did, but in reverse
His comments before and after.
Before: "Your truck is too light to pull this thing out"
"Your gonna break that flimsy strap, we broke ours"
(Note: Moron had auto-hubs and was trying to go out in reverse. Cherokee hubs unlock after two wheel rotations in reverse... So he was trying to get out in 2wd)
Me: "Well, momentum and 4lo will pull this turd right out"
*5 seconds later*
Me: "You're welcome."
Then, to show off, i went through the same thing he did, but in reverse
10-24-2009, 08:08 PM
#30
Registered User
I'll add this story at the risk of being moderated off the page due to it not having a toyota in it. But I think the lesson is worth sharing.
Back in high school (ahem, this was some years ago
) my stepbrother was bombing my Dad's K5 Blazer (400 ci, headers, turbo duel exhaust and the most pathetic stock highway tires you ever saw) through about a foot and a half of fresh snow. And, since the snow was dense and wet, and the tires were worthless, the Blazer got hopelessly stuck - resting on the frame and going nowhere.
Luckily, we were just down the road from a friend whose father had a tractor of the type used by golf courses - a large one (Allis Chalmers, I think). We attached the tractor to the Blazer with a heavy chain, and our friend Dean began driving the tractor forward. The tractor had good traction and soon the chain was rock hard taut and the Blazer and tractor were both straining, but nothing was moving.
Until there was a great metallic SNAP!! as the chain broke where it was hooked to itself at the Blazer. Those of you who have witnessed something like this know what happened next. The chain snapped forward at bullet speed and in less than a second, the full 25 feet of it flashed just inches past Dean's head as it extended to its full length in front of the tractor, then snapped back again. If it had hit Dean's head it would have taken it off, no question. Dean said he felt a powerful rush of wind of it as it flashed past his right ear. He was shaking for a long time after.
Only then did we realize the risk involved in using a chain, and hooking it to itself, and having some poor soul in the line of fire. We were very very lucky. Dumb lucky.
The strange part is, Dean died later that year in a head-on collision that occurred at freeway speed. He was sitting sideways in the back seat of my stepmom's Pontiac Ventura and his neck snapped when his body hit the back of the front seat. My stepbrother was driving the car.
Back in high school (ahem, this was some years ago
) my stepbrother was bombing my Dad's K5 Blazer (400 ci, headers, turbo duel exhaust and the most pathetic stock highway tires you ever saw) through about a foot and a half of fresh snow. And, since the snow was dense and wet, and the tires were worthless, the Blazer got hopelessly stuck - resting on the frame and going nowhere.Luckily, we were just down the road from a friend whose father had a tractor of the type used by golf courses - a large one (Allis Chalmers, I think). We attached the tractor to the Blazer with a heavy chain, and our friend Dean began driving the tractor forward. The tractor had good traction and soon the chain was rock hard taut and the Blazer and tractor were both straining, but nothing was moving.
Until there was a great metallic SNAP!! as the chain broke where it was hooked to itself at the Blazer. Those of you who have witnessed something like this know what happened next. The chain snapped forward at bullet speed and in less than a second, the full 25 feet of it flashed just inches past Dean's head as it extended to its full length in front of the tractor, then snapped back again. If it had hit Dean's head it would have taken it off, no question. Dean said he felt a powerful rush of wind of it as it flashed past his right ear. He was shaking for a long time after.
Only then did we realize the risk involved in using a chain, and hooking it to itself, and having some poor soul in the line of fire. We were very very lucky. Dumb lucky.
The strange part is, Dean died later that year in a head-on collision that occurred at freeway speed. He was sitting sideways in the back seat of my stepmom's Pontiac Ventura and his neck snapped when his body hit the back of the front seat. My stepbrother was driving the car.
10-24-2009, 08:37 PM
#31
Registered User
sorry to hear about dean...
and yeah, never use a chain for this kind of thing... unless you weight the chain down to the ground with atleast a 10 pound weight...
and yeah, never use a chain for this kind of thing... unless you weight the chain down to the ground with atleast a 10 pound weight...
10-26-2009, 08:03 PM
#33
Yeah, a bit. Sorry to hear about your buddy.
My best story is actually from back in high school before the time I owned a Toyota 4wd and instead was stuck driving a FWD diesel VW camper van. It started out innocent enough, two friends and I went for a BBQ at park not too far out of town. We were BBQing and fishing, not a care in the world until we saw what looked like the park attendant coming to lock the gate for the evening. We waved and he waved back and we started walking to the car with our BBQ, coooler and fishing rods. As I climbed in to the driver's seat, the guy drove off, after LOCKING us in the park. WTF! My temper got the better of me and first thing that came to mind was to pull the gate over with some rope. I had a look and realized that not only would that not work, I would damage the (parents') van trying. Not wanting to spend the night in a parking lot beside a highway, I had a look around and realized that the only way out would be to cross a 4' deep trench about 8' across. Now there was no way I was simply going to drive through it obviously, as I couldn't drive through it with my locked 4wd truck now if I tried.
Clearly, a bridge was needed. Cutting down trees was not an option because none of us wanted to pay the fine if caught, luckily, we had a better idea. Highway signs! Spent about hour hiking up and down that highway ripping whatever signs we could out of the ground- speed limits, dangerous curves (shoot me), merge lanes, and no parking. We ended up with maybe dozen 8' long 4x4" posts and maybe 50' of 1/4" nylon rope. We lashed it all together, a were just about to nudge the van over a 6" high parking barrier when a motorcycle pulls up. It was dark by now and I was CERTAIN it was a cop. I shouted at my friend to pretend caught his penis in his zipper and it was bleeding bad, as we had discussed earlier that this was the most likely event in which a cop would not ask to see the "injury". Turned out to be two members of a motorcycle gang we have up here in Canada. All they wanted was to have the lake to themselves to go skinny dipping. Not want to see what a 50 year old biker chick looked like in the buff, I asked them if they could spot us while we drove over our hyper-sketchy bridge. I eased the van onto the bridge and was greeted with a loud snap- one of the posts had broken. The other seemed to hold though as I inched the van over. Finally got the van climbing up the other side of the ditch on some stacked up boards and gunned it. It slipped sideways a bit then got traction, there was a quick chirp as the tires hit pavement again and we were free! Drove a couple minutes down teh road and realized the campsite we wanted to stay at locked its gates at night, so we slept in the other parking lot that night.
****
Another time, I had been fishing for salmon in a river near Whistler, BC. The river started to rise and, as I had crossed the river to get to my spot, the rising water level jeopardized my chances of getting home that night. I chose to pack it in early and made it back across the cold, fast rib-deep water just in time. This left me with a couple hours before dark, so I chose to go explore an old copper mine. I'd headed out alone as it was a week day and my buddies had work or school, so no one had any idea what I was doing or where I was, but I headed off anyways, fairly confident that it would be a neat little drive and I find somewhere cool to explore more extensively at a later date. I lock the hubs just in case and head on up the road.
I drove quite a while until I was way out of cell reception and my fuel light started coming on up steep hills (meaning I had at least 60miles of fuel left, I've gotten pretty good at estimating- nearest fuel was about 45 miles away). I decided that I'd go over the next hill then turn around. I crested the hill and there, right in front of me was some big old mining machinery that I clearly couldn't pass up checking out. It was fairly muddy, but it looked pretty compact. Our mud is usually either sloppy watery stuff or compacted soil- neither of which gum up tires that much. I didn't bother checking as I was tired and wanted to make it quick. Clearly, this mud hadn't read the rule book, because no sooner did i get my back tires 6' into the mud that I ground to a stop, hopelessly bogged down in what I can only describe as peanut butter. I couldn't even walk across it in my boots without it pulling them off. Just horrible stuff. There was a bulldozed stuck in the middle of the mud pit no deeper than 6", yet totally stuck.
I had a Hilift and chain, but there was absolutely nothing to attach to. I checked for my shovel and then realized I'd taken it out the other day to shovel some dirt off the driveway. I was thinking I was screwed. It was days before anyone would ever guess where i was, and probably at least a day before anyone would run across me- I'd probably have to hike out to get reception then call a friend.
I looked around for what materials were at hand. A couple old very rotten boards that were as good as useless. Nothing else I could move. I was walking over to grab my ax to get myself some better wood, when I came across the corner of oil drum sticking out of a bush. I rolled it out, had a look and realized that if I crushed it, I could stick it under a tire to maybe get myself the 10' I needed to back up to solid ground. I went at it with the back of my axe and eventually smashed it flat. I slipped it under one of my rear tire (rear locked) and after many tries to get it to catch a tire, the tire finally caught it and... launched it into my front tire. Bummer. Tried this again after crinkling the flattened oil drum, I was able to get enough traction to back out. By this time my fuel light was on on level ground.
In the end I was able to get out of the woods, back on the road and too a gas station where I filled up with 16gal of fuel (17 gal tank). Pretty happy to get home that night. I don't take that shovel out and leave it places anymore now though.
My best story is actually from back in high school before the time I owned a Toyota 4wd and instead was stuck driving a FWD diesel VW camper van. It started out innocent enough, two friends and I went for a BBQ at park not too far out of town. We were BBQing and fishing, not a care in the world until we saw what looked like the park attendant coming to lock the gate for the evening. We waved and he waved back and we started walking to the car with our BBQ, coooler and fishing rods. As I climbed in to the driver's seat, the guy drove off, after LOCKING us in the park. WTF! My temper got the better of me and first thing that came to mind was to pull the gate over with some rope. I had a look and realized that not only would that not work, I would damage the (parents') van trying. Not wanting to spend the night in a parking lot beside a highway, I had a look around and realized that the only way out would be to cross a 4' deep trench about 8' across. Now there was no way I was simply going to drive through it obviously, as I couldn't drive through it with my locked 4wd truck now if I tried.
Clearly, a bridge was needed. Cutting down trees was not an option because none of us wanted to pay the fine if caught, luckily, we had a better idea. Highway signs! Spent about hour hiking up and down that highway ripping whatever signs we could out of the ground- speed limits, dangerous curves (shoot me), merge lanes, and no parking. We ended up with maybe dozen 8' long 4x4" posts and maybe 50' of 1/4" nylon rope. We lashed it all together, a were just about to nudge the van over a 6" high parking barrier when a motorcycle pulls up. It was dark by now and I was CERTAIN it was a cop. I shouted at my friend to pretend caught his penis in his zipper and it was bleeding bad, as we had discussed earlier that this was the most likely event in which a cop would not ask to see the "injury". Turned out to be two members of a motorcycle gang we have up here in Canada. All they wanted was to have the lake to themselves to go skinny dipping. Not want to see what a 50 year old biker chick looked like in the buff, I asked them if they could spot us while we drove over our hyper-sketchy bridge. I eased the van onto the bridge and was greeted with a loud snap- one of the posts had broken. The other seemed to hold though as I inched the van over. Finally got the van climbing up the other side of the ditch on some stacked up boards and gunned it. It slipped sideways a bit then got traction, there was a quick chirp as the tires hit pavement again and we were free! Drove a couple minutes down teh road and realized the campsite we wanted to stay at locked its gates at night, so we slept in the other parking lot that night.
****
Another time, I had been fishing for salmon in a river near Whistler, BC. The river started to rise and, as I had crossed the river to get to my spot, the rising water level jeopardized my chances of getting home that night. I chose to pack it in early and made it back across the cold, fast rib-deep water just in time. This left me with a couple hours before dark, so I chose to go explore an old copper mine. I'd headed out alone as it was a week day and my buddies had work or school, so no one had any idea what I was doing or where I was, but I headed off anyways, fairly confident that it would be a neat little drive and I find somewhere cool to explore more extensively at a later date. I lock the hubs just in case and head on up the road.
I drove quite a while until I was way out of cell reception and my fuel light started coming on up steep hills (meaning I had at least 60miles of fuel left, I've gotten pretty good at estimating- nearest fuel was about 45 miles away). I decided that I'd go over the next hill then turn around. I crested the hill and there, right in front of me was some big old mining machinery that I clearly couldn't pass up checking out. It was fairly muddy, but it looked pretty compact. Our mud is usually either sloppy watery stuff or compacted soil- neither of which gum up tires that much. I didn't bother checking as I was tired and wanted to make it quick. Clearly, this mud hadn't read the rule book, because no sooner did i get my back tires 6' into the mud that I ground to a stop, hopelessly bogged down in what I can only describe as peanut butter. I couldn't even walk across it in my boots without it pulling them off. Just horrible stuff. There was a bulldozed stuck in the middle of the mud pit no deeper than 6", yet totally stuck.
I had a Hilift and chain, but there was absolutely nothing to attach to. I checked for my shovel and then realized I'd taken it out the other day to shovel some dirt off the driveway. I was thinking I was screwed. It was days before anyone would ever guess where i was, and probably at least a day before anyone would run across me- I'd probably have to hike out to get reception then call a friend.
I looked around for what materials were at hand. A couple old very rotten boards that were as good as useless. Nothing else I could move. I was walking over to grab my ax to get myself some better wood, when I came across the corner of oil drum sticking out of a bush. I rolled it out, had a look and realized that if I crushed it, I could stick it under a tire to maybe get myself the 10' I needed to back up to solid ground. I went at it with the back of my axe and eventually smashed it flat. I slipped it under one of my rear tire (rear locked) and after many tries to get it to catch a tire, the tire finally caught it and... launched it into my front tire. Bummer. Tried this again after crinkling the flattened oil drum, I was able to get enough traction to back out. By this time my fuel light was on on level ground.
In the end I was able to get out of the woods, back on the road and too a gas station where I filled up with 16gal of fuel (17 gal tank). Pretty happy to get home that night. I don't take that shovel out and leave it places anymore now though.
Last edited by Matt16; 10-26-2009 at 08:36 PM.
10-26-2009, 08:22 PM
#34
Registered User
I did not even know this guy he posted a thread on NW-Wheelers.com asking for help. I was the only rig to show up, I had just swapped in a motor and was looking for an excuse to put it to work. I found out alot about the motor I swapped in and was glad to find the defects on this recovery trip before a hardcore wheeling trip.
The pictures dont do it justice! The guy was in about an 8' drop off the road. It took all my recovery equipment to get him out. If I did not have a winch, snatch block, bag of shackles, receiver tow points, three stretchy straps and tree savers,choker straps the recovery could of never happend.
Can you imagine trying to recover a flipped yota in snow?
The pictures dont do it justice! The guy was in about an 8' drop off the road. It took all my recovery equipment to get him out. If I did not have a winch, snatch block, bag of shackles, receiver tow points, three stretchy straps and tree savers,choker straps the recovery could of never happend.
Can you imagine trying to recover a flipped yota in snow?
10-26-2009, 09:41 PM
#36
Registered User
whoa, i thought you posted up a picture of my truck for a second...
trippy.
I just remembered, last year i was out with some friends when we decided to go mudding..
I forgot to lock my hubs *fail*, and attempted to go through the hole.
i got stopped about 2 feet into the hole with no way to even attempt it in 2wd..
My friend's 2WD Ranger pulled me out, lol.
trippy.
I just remembered, last year i was out with some friends when we decided to go mudding..
I forgot to lock my hubs *fail*, and attempted to go through the hole.
i got stopped about 2 feet into the hole with no way to even attempt it in 2wd..
My friend's 2WD Ranger pulled me out, lol.
04-10-2010, 11:16 PM
#37
Registered User
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