The Recovery 8 and Recovery Link are specifically designed to work with Recreational Winches using Synthetic Line.
Using the R8:
Extends line life by eliminating the need for knots
Reduces the load on your battery and alternator
Extends the life of your winch
Keeps your winch in its power range
Expedites your safe recovery setup
The concept for the Recovery 8 (R8) was born from years of searching for a safe and efficient method of shortening line in rescues, rigging, and recoveries. Over the years, a variety of methods have evolved, most using knots or tight bends to adjust line length. These often resulted in rope damage, or a permanent knot. The R8, based on the Rescue 8 used in high angle rescue, provides a method to adjust line in a safe and expedient manner. In line up to 1⁄2 inch, the bend around the R8 and RL is greater than the recommended 3:1 ratio, preventing line damage and excessive loss of strength.
The pulling power of recreational winches is measured with the line on the first layer of the drum. To maintain maximum pulling power and reduce the wear and tear on your winch, you need to start your pull with the minimum number of line wraps on the drum. Use of the R8 enables you to adjust line length quickly and safely, while extending the life of your winch and line, and reducing the strain on your battery and charging system.
In training, we learn to always remove the line to the minimum wraps on the drum (11 wraps is a good safe minimum). That gives us max winch power for the longest distance, reduce stress on the winch, and charging system. The R8 provides a simple and safe method to accomplish this.
We seldom remove all the line because we don’t have a quick and easy way to deal with the excess. We purchased long lines just in case the anchor point is 80 feet away, but infrequently use the total length. We recommend loading shorter lines, and carrying an extension. By loading a shorter line, (60 ft or so), using the Recovery 8, and an extension when necessary, you can avoid many of these issues. You save money by exposing less of your line to the elements, and reduce stress on your winch by staying in the power zone.
Recovery 8 - Recovery Link - Recovery Radius
The Recovery 8 (R8), Recovery Link (RL), and Recovery Radius (RR) are the perfect additions to your recovery gear. They provide a safe and effective method to connect and shorten synthetic line while maintaining the line strength.
The Recovery Link provides a safe method of attaching synthetic line directly to your vehicle hitch. Rated at 9,500 pounds, it serves as a perfect quick attachment point.
Ensure that your applied load does not exceed the rating of your hitch.
The Recovery 8, rated at 20,000 pounds, matches perfectly with most recreational synthetic winch line.
The Recovery Radius helps to maintain the recommended bend radius, extending the life of your line and enhancing your safety factor.
Use the Recovery Resistance Calculator to estimate the required pull to recover your vehicle. Calculate your total pull, and ensure all your components working load ratings exceed your anticipated load with a 25% safety margin.
A 10-15 ft. section of synthetic line serves as a great partner for the R8 and RL. The short line with end eye splices provides: a quick bridle, safety anchor, short tow line, quick attachments, etc.
The R8 can be used in a variety of operations where quick and safe line adjustment is required. It can easily adjust your synthetic line length for vehicle to vehicle pulls, winch pulls, hi-lift as a winch rigging, safety line setup, and more.
The Recovery 8 is NOT designed to be used with metal line, or part of a dynamic recovery.
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
Excess line loops MUST be the same length.
Always check your rigging before you apply a load.
The R8 and RL are made of Lightweight precision CNC machined Aluminum
Round edge holes are designed for synthetic line up to 1⁄2 inch diameter
R8 is Rated at 20k pounds WLL, RL is Rated at 9,500 pounds WLL
Each is Anodized for oxidation protection
Each Weighs less than 2 pounds
Recovery Radius
As we secure line, we need to consider what happens to the rope and how we affect its strength. On some ropes, we can reduce the strength by 50% by bending it back on itself, another words a 1 to 1 radius bend. When we bend the rope, the outer strands of the rope must stretch further than the inner strands, which can cause friction within the rope. This can result in the permanent distortion of the line, frequently seen after a 1 on 1 radius bend loaded with near max loads. This damages our line, and greatly reduces the strength and longevity of our investment.
We can help extend the life of our line by increasing the radius of our bends when rigging. One easy way to increase our radius is with the Recover Radius. By using the Recovery Radius (RR), the normal recreational winch line bend radius is above manufacturer’s minimum bend recommendations.
By Adding the RR to your soft shackles, you increase the bend ration of the soft shackle, and the attaching line, increasing the safety margin, and reducing the stress on both lines.
The RR is NOT a pulley,
and can cause dangerous and damaging friction if rotated around a line under a load.
It does allow easy line adjusting prior to applying a load.
Simple Line Adjustment
With the Recovery 8 (R8), you can easily adjust the length of synthetic line.
Pass the excess line through the anchor attachment, creating equal loops out of the excess line. Pass the end of all newly created loops, including the “live line” (the one from the winch) through a hole in the R8, and slide them over the opposite end of the R8. Ensure all of the loops are exactly equal in length to prevent line damage.
Lightweight precision CNC machined Aluminum
Weighs less than 2 pounds
Rated at 20k pounds
Round edge holes designed for synthetic line up to 1⁄2 inch diameter
Anodized for oxidation protection
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
Excess line loops MUST be the same length.
Always check your rigging before you apply a load.
Multi-Loop Asjustment
The Recovery 8 (R8) multiple loop adjustment is used when you need to secure more line than the Simple Line Shortening technique will secure.
For instance; when you need max pull, (line down to minimum wraps) and you are in close proximity to the anchor.
Determine the distance that you need to winch, select your anchor and decide how much excess line you need to secure. Set up your anchor point to allow multiple loops of line to be passed through the attachment point without sharp bends.
With the end of your winch line attached to the anchor, pass up to two loops through the anchor point and create equal length loops extending from the anchor along the “live line”.
Leave enough slack in the “live line” to create a loop that matches the excess loops, then pass the ends of all the loops through the R8, and over the opposite end.
Adjust all the excess loops to the exact same length, position the lines so that they are not on top of each other, and you are ready for action.
Complete your safety checks, and recover.
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
Excess line loops MUST be the same length.
Always check your rigging before you apply a load.
Equalizing Bridle
The R8 can easily create an equalizing bridle from two connection points using a short section of line. The R8 will allow you to quickly and safely equalize the load in the direction of pull. On the opposite end of the R8, simply use the eye loop or soft shackle to complete your connection.
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
Excess line loops MUST be the same length.
Always check your rigging before you apply a load.
Quick Attachment
The Recovery Link (RL) is designed to make a direct connection to the 2” receiver on your vehicle. The hole in the RL has rounded edges making it possible to safely connect your synthetic rope without damage. The design allows for the line to be inserted through the hole, around the RL, then placed in the receiver and secured with a pin and lock. The RL has two mounting holes, allowing you to rotate the RL 90 degrees in the hitch in order to select the best angle to protect your line.
Lightweight precision CNC machined Aluminum
Round edge holes designed for synthetic line up to 1⁄2 inch diameter.
Fits standard 2” receiver hitch, with standard 5⁄8” pin
Anodized for oxidation protection
Weighs less than 2 pounds
Rated at 9500 pounds
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
NEVER exceed the factory receiver hitch pull rating.
Always pull in line with the hitch, DO NOT side load the RL
R8 Toggle
The R8 makes a great toggle for connecting two eye to eye slings. By inserting the R8, you create a toggle in the handshake type connection that will allow you to break the handshake after the recovery. To ensure the toggle does not fall out, you can use a soft shackle to lock the R8 in place, creating a very secure connection.
Recovery Resistance Calculator
One of the most important considerations for rigging a safe and effective recovery, is to conduct a Stuck Assessment. There’s a variety of methods to estimate just “how stuck” you are.
The Recovery Resistance Calculator (RRC) is designed to give you a very close estimate of the necessary pounds of pull to free a vehicle. By entering a few variables, the calculator will give you a total load estimate, plus a 25% safety factor.
To use the calculator, you will need to know the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), or Trail Weight, which is the base weight plus all that you have added.
Use the calculator estimate as a starting point to select your gear and begin rigging. Ensure each of your components exceeds the calculator estimate.
Winch capacity rating is determined from the first layer of line on the drum. As the line builds up, the drum surface gets larger, and winch pull is reduced.
An issue that faces most winch operators is how to use up the extra line when setting up recovery rigging. Do you use pulleys with multiple anchors, place knots or bends in the line, daisy chain, or use the Recovery 8? Either way, getting the line down to the first layer provides the most pull, extends winch life, and reduces strain on the battery and alternator.
The Recovery 8 is an easy, quick, and safe method to adjust your line without using knots. The bends around the R8 are large enough that they only slightly reduce rope strength.
As with all specialty equipment, you should obtain professional training and understand equipment applications prior to placing them in your recovery operations. Failure to use this equipment as designed and intended may result in damage to the equipment, your vehicle, personal injury, or death. You may obtain training through the links on this site.
Warning
Excess line loops MUST be the same length.
Always check your rigging before you apply a load.
