How to Select a Recovery Shackle

If you are going on an off-road trip, there are several tools you need to take with you if you are in a situation where your vehicle needs to be recovered. A recovery shackle is one such tool. There are different types of recovery shackles and you need to select them from a reliable supplier so that you can assure high quality.

The three main types of recovery shackles or hitches are D-ring shackles, soft shackles and tow balls.

The most common recovery hitch you will come across is tow ball hitch and these are recommended for lighter vehicles. You can use this for vehicle recovery in easy terrain. Some lightweight vehicles will need to be towed gently and in this situation, you can use soft shackles. But if you have a heavier vehicle and you are in a more challenging terrain, you will need to select D-ring shackles. Before you select a recovery shackle, an important factor to consider is the weight of your vehicle. It will not be of any use if the shackle can’t handle the weight of your vehicle. Always select a shackle that has a slightly higher weight capacity as this will make the recovery situation safer.

Where you locate the recovery point on the vehicle is also important.

The shackle has to be attached securely to the recovery point and if this has not been located at a proper location, you may need to think about a different way to attach it. A lot will be depending on the quality of the shackle so you need to choose from a manufacturer that is known to create recovery shackles from high quality materials. This has to bear the stresses of recovery without failing. If you are using a poor quality recovery shackle simply because it happens to be cheaper, you may find yourself in a risky situation especially if you go off-road driving. One of the risks you face with poor quality shackles is that they can break during recovery.

You will be using recovery shackles in an emergency situation so you need to make sure that they are easy to use. Check how you can attach and detach them and whether you can easily use this anywhere you go. Sometimes recovery shackles tend to be more complicated when it comes to usage which is not great for dealing with emergencies. The shackle should also be compatible with your vehicle and other recovery equipment you use. And before you purchase the shackle, you need to check if the shackle can be used without issues on the recovery points of the vehicle. It is also best if you can select a more versatile recovery shackle so that it can be used in a variety of recovery settings. For example, a D-ring shackle can be used in a lot of situations and with a lot of vehicles but you may not have the same versatility with a tow ball hitch. You can check reviews for recovery shackles of different brands when making a decision.