Car Tow Ropes

[fizzy]

I thought a strap wasnt a great idea? Not as forgiving as a rope - more shock loading.

 

[Farside]

Power steering and assisted braking makes towing quite interesting, best avoided if possible.

Yep. Being used to unassisted brakes or steering, it was no big deal back then. *
Now though, many would get a fright with disabled power steering or brakes.

* And the built in mechanical ratios were human-friendly in the first place.

 

[JOEPRO]

Ask any owner of a JLR vehicle. They will have regular experience with getting towed / recovered

 

[fizzy]

Ask any owner of a JLR vehicle. They will have regular experience with getting towed / recovered

Funnily enough whenever I drive my Land Rovers it seems to be me doing the recovery work!

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I'm never sure legally how it works at traffic lights.

Let's say I'm towing my mates Peugeot partner...if I go through an amber and pull him thro a red would that be an offence or does it all count as 1 wagon train?

I'm pretty sure all the horn hooting and swearing out the window at me was an offence but let's ignore that for the moment!!!

 

[qwakers]

towing you have to plan further ahead... so shouldn't have gone through on amber.

however, if you crossed the line on amber, the combination crossed the line on amber.

 

[Bullet2012]

shouldn't have gone through on amber.

• Amber: Stop at the line, unless you are so close that stopping would cause an accident

 

[qwakers]

hence the planning ahead part.

 

[NickW]

Whatever you use, try not to attach it to a screw in towing eye. You won't be popular with the front of the casualty attached to the rope, but not the car

 

[gaz1]

you can use a rope to tow something out of the way / to make it safe

for anything more than that you're supposed to have a solid tow pole

I always just used a ratchet strap with a hoop in each end for shackles...

got pulled over while towing by a very angry copper who thought we were gig to plow through a school and kill a bunch of kids or something crazy


bought a "5 ton" tow pole after that... and bent the hooks on the end if it first time I used it, range rover towing an empty sprinter and taking it easy :-(

that gets ignored often by drivers including me

ive been towed by rope and being towed by towbar i prefer towbar but have the same issues with first towing car going too fast when they should know better

i also like the 2 wheel car dolly much better

 

[qwakers]

only if you dont screw it in properly. ive seen that loads, the end two threads ripped out, the rest pristine. use the jack handle or wheel brace to screw it in, and keep screwing until it hard stops.

 

[Mick Annick]

My apologies, just in France it's illegal apparently, if push comes to shove ratchet strap, straps work well.

Didn’t know that! I got towed out of a ditch (don’t ask) by a a mate last year. I always carry a towing strap but more for recovery than getting me home, that’s what breakdown cover is for.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

however, if you crossed the line on amber, the combination crossed the line on amber.

Good to know...I guess in London it also applies when the tow rope is invisible too...it really annoys me when people tailgate onto a roundabout without even looking!

 

[Bullet2012]

In the UK, towing a vehicle with a rope is legal but requires strict adherence to safety rules:
the maximum distance between vehicles is 4.5 metres, and if over 1.5 metres, the rope must be clearly marked with a coloured cloth. The towed vehicle must be road legal, have a qualified driver, and display "On Tow".
Key Tow Rope Rules & Safety

• Distance & Visibility: The maximum distance is 4.5 metres. If the gap exceeds 1.5 metres, a, "flapping" cloth must be attached to the middle of the rope for visibility.
• Signage: The towed vehicle must display an "On Tow" sign at the rear.
• Driver Qualification: A qualified driver must be behind the wheel of the broken-down vehicle.
• Lighting: If towing at night or in poor visibility, the broken-down vehicle must have its lights on.
• Speed & Control: Keep the rope taut to avoid jerking. It is advised not to exceed 15 mph.
• Motorway Restrictions: While not explicitly illegal, it is highly recommended not to tow on a motorway with a rope due to danger; if necessary, it should only be used to move the vehicle to the nearest exit or safe place.
• Vehicle Legalities: The broken-down car must be taxed and have a valid MOT.

 

[bricol]

If you're getting on, getting worried, two old cars, so I assume anyone you rope ( ) into sitting in the towed car is also going to be older and worried, could I suggest you put the cost of the rope towards a recovery company subscription?

I'm okay towing, or being towed, but my nearest and dearest . . .

 

[bricol]

This sort of thing always reminds me of an incident at the last place of work.

One of the young lads managed to flatten a finger under the clamp of a rather large power guillotine, meaning he was unable to drive home.
So one lad drove his car for him, another going in the works Transit pickup to bring helpful lad back.

His car breaks down, and will not restart. Transit lad used one of the ropes in the Transit to attach lads car to rear of Transit. Transit lad is actually in a bit of rush to get home as he has something on, so gets on with the job.

The lad in the car isn't too chuffed with the towing speed, so has his foot on the brake. A lot. Smoke and smell soon starts to come from the front.

They stop at a red traffic light - I suspect due to the hot brakes, lack of servo and maybe inexperience in being towed, the lads in the car end up quite close behind the Transit - the rope is not tight.

Lights go green . . . Transit lad, even keener to get the job done and back, takes off . . . notices quite quickly its towing very easily this flat road . . . funny noise though . . . looks in mirrors . . . on the end of the rope is the Astra cross member . . . Astra is still at the light with crossmember sized hole in the front.

Oops! A rearrangement of rope and crossmember and they are off again, slightly more gently.

I mention "Astra" as this point - it was a car lent to him by his mate's dad when he took his Alfa Romeo in for service at his mate's dad's garage that morning. I'm not sure how the conversation went, but he did get his Alfa back.

For unknown reason, they didn't leave the crossmember with the garage - so that had to be taken back the following day. I saw it - it was rather rusty, so no wonder it exited the chat.

There also seemed to be some complaint the front wheel trims now looked melted . . .

Even better, the Astra had actually been sold, and the buyer was due to collect . . .

 

[KTMart]

I wouldn't recommend towing with a rope or strap other than to recover a stuck vehicle onto the road or to travel a short distance at slow speed, no brake servo and no power steering can make things very interesting,
I once broke down in my sprinter on the M5 half way up the bridge over the severn and got towed by a police X5 off the M5 into a nearby indusrial estate to await proper recovery using a rather short strap, so short I couldn't see their rear bumper! No sevo and no power steering they had their hazards on so didn't have a clue which way we were going until it was almost too late

 

[rtcosic]

Ask any owner of a JLR vehicle. They will have regular experience with getting towed / recovered

You're right. That got me thinking.
Back in the 70's and 80's, towing some random person to a place of safety, helping change a tyre or giving a jump start was a regular and normal thing. Then cars and tyres got better and it became less frequent. When did you last see a car on the hard shoulder with a forlorn-looking owner peering into the engine bay surrounded in a cloud of steam?

The last jump start was last year to the neighbour's visitor's little baby Benz thing.
I've got to go back a few years, then to a local horsey girl with her Audi thing with a double horsebox on the back.
Then another decade, oddly enough to another horsey girl, in a little Audi coupe thing.

I've never had to help a fellow modern Jaguar owner, let alone a Land Rover! I did stop to help an Irishman in a MkII en route to the Fishguard ferry. That was a dead SU fuel pump.

 

[MoreWellie]

my two chariots now have an average age of 26 years

Before worrying about what you will use, make sure you have a genuine towing point on the front of your motors and not just a tie down point. Before you get all kitted up with stuff you cannot use

 

[Migmac]

I would seriously advise against towing with a chain, or wire rope for that matter, unless you're experienced at towing or being towed.

Thanks, I’ve used a chain for decades