You know..... not being a smart a$$ at all but...
This is the second time in less than a week that the PTO pin sheered. Notice I did not say "Failed". It did not fail. It did it's job and committed suicide to save the winch from destroying itself in an overloaded situation.
Why did the pin have to shear in the first place? Simple,
operator error.
What error?
Failure to use the proper equipment and technique for the job.
What equipment? What technique?
In both cases (This one and the one earlier in the week) it was clearly the failure to use one or more snatch blocks to double, triple or more the pulling force of the winch. In both cases, there was plenty of anchoring for the winching truck, just not enough available safe winch power to do the task in a straight line pull.
Guys, use of a snatch block for vehicle recovery is as basic as it gets.
Gunfighting 101, Chapter 1, page 1: Have a gun and know how to use it.
Winching 101, Chapter 1, page 1: Have a snatch block and know how to use it.
Owning a truck with a winch but not owning at least one or two or even three snatch blocks and enough extra cable to take advantage of them is, well, just plain silly.
As noted earlier in this thread: Read the vehicle recovery manual. It is packed full of all sorts of stuff you really need to know AND UNDERSTAND before you get into trouble. Using the correct tools with the correct techniques makes life so much simpler and SAFER. (Work smarter, not harder).
Also as noted in another part of this thread, take a look at this thread:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/62241-help-need-pulled-out-mud-houston-pasadena-tx.html it too has a lot of useful info including a minimum tools list that you should really consider for yourself. Even if you do not have a winch, most of the stuff in that list will be of use and when somebody finally does come up with a winch who is as unprepared as the vast majority of winch owners are, you will have the proper equipment and (Assuming you have read the vehicle recovery manual) the proper knowledge to properly and safely use it.
Also, even without a winch.. If you have the cable and somebody in a large enough vehicle to hook to to pull you out you can use the snatch blocks to multiply their ability to pull you out just as if their entire vehicle is a winch. Be careful not to shock load the cable, just take out the slack and slowly apply power. Smooth and easy. As the towing vehicle moves, so does the stuck vehicle. With enough cable and snatch blocks a VW can pull out a 5 ton buried to the fenders. OK... that is a bit extreme but you get the idea.
Remember Archimedes? "Give me a lever and I can move the world" Give me enough snatch blocks and enough cable to use them and.....
I have been 4 wheeling and off roading for many years and I have found that only a small portion of those proclaiming to be "Real off roaders" have a winch and only a small fraction of them have the proper tools and know how to correctly and safely use them. I just don't understand that.
Unfortunately, the last "Stuck" was in Texas, and this one is even further from me in California. Both way to far for me to even consider going to help.
This whole ordeal reminds me of a friend of mine who just got his first 4x4. He pulled up in my drive about 8pm and jumped out and was proud as a new Dad. I can't blame him, it was a real nice truck.
First thing he said was, "Now I have a real 4x4, I'll NEVER get stuck again"
I replied, "Now you need to get a winch, some proper tackle and some experience using it"
His reply was "Naw, don't need it"
My reply was, "Now that you have a 4x4 you'll still get stuck, only worse and in a worse place" He was having no part of that conversation so I dropped it.
4 hours later (Midnight) he was on the phone asking me to come pull him out.
Now that you have a really cool MV: You'll still get stuck, only worse and in worse places AND your going to need a lot larger equipment, more of it, and more know how to get out than your buddy in the Jeep....
When a Deuce, or 5 ton or HEMTT is stuck you really need to know what your doing and have the right gear.... Either that or like I noted in the other thread, an understanding buddy with an M88 is always nice to have on speed dial.
I'm just sayin....
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It wasn't pretty, luckily no one was hurt.