image: Ford
When you head out on the trail or into inclement weather, having a good recovery bag is a critical safety component. It’s also important that the equipment is well organized and easy to carry; otherwise, it may remain on the garage shelf, useless to everyone. The adage “buy once; cry once” certainly rings true for these items. You should invest in quality products that not only meet your working loads, but also have a large error of safety in their failure load. Rated shackles will have their working load limit (WLL) labeled on the device.
There are very few situations off-road that could so easily turn dangerous or even deadly as recovery. Two 5,000lbs-plus vehicles under strain –– this is not the time to have poorly rated or poorly maintained equipment. In other words, don’t buy the cheapest stuff on Amazon.
Soft Shackles vs. Metal (Hard) Shackles
In this article, I will outline the metal and the soft shackle, how they are used correctly and why you might want to carry one over the other.
Your Bronco and Bronco Sport are equipped with designated recovery points. Depending on your trim package and model, that can include two front and rear points, all the way down to a single, attachable point on the non-Badlands Bronco Sport. If you elected for a receiver hitch/tow package on your Sport, you will have to rely on that receiver hitch as your recovery point, because the package covers up access to attache the screw-in recovery point. It is essential to be familiar with your recovery points and how to use them by reviewing the vehicle manual.
What is a shackle?
At its simplest definition, a shackle is used to connect two objects together. Typically, this would be attaching your recovery rope to your vehicle. In off-roading, it’s important to have a minimum of two shackles so that you can also attach the recovery rope to your recovery vehicle. In theory, the other vehicle would have one (or more), but I always advise to have your own complete recovery kit.
Metal Shackles
Although there are different kinds of metal shackles, I am simply going to lump them into one category and compare it against the soft shackle. A metal shackle, sometimes described as a bow shackle or even a D ring, is a forged metal horseshoe-shaped piece with a pin that closes that horseshoe and screws into place. Metal shackles have been used successfully for many years and often are seen decorating front bumpers of off-road vehicles.
The advantage of this type of shackle is the durability. Being metal, it is resistant to damage and abrasion, but the downside is the weight and bulkiness, plus the increase in stored energy. By that, I mean if it breaks during a pull, that metal can rebound and potentially injure or cause damage. It also hurts when you drop it on your foot.
Proper use is to fully attach the pin and then back it off a quarter turn to prevent binding during the pull; otherwise, you’ll have a hard time getting the pin to unscrew after use.
Soft Shackles
About the time that synthetic rope winch line came on the scene, the soft shackle was developed. They are typically designed from the same materials and have load ranges similar to the metal shackles. They look like a piece of braided rope with a knot on one end and a loop on the other end.
Pros of soft shackles are that they are easy to use, lightweight, and easy to store. Two or three take up very little room, and you can drop them on your foot all day with no pain. They store less energy, but they are prone to abrasion damage. Prolonged dragging over sharp rocks can render a soft shackle useless. Many soft shackles have an abrasion-reducing cover, but they are a device that you may have to replace more often than the metal shackle.
Proper use is to thread the rope between the bumper and recovery rope and to feed the knot through the loop. It’s that easy.
Conclusion
For occasional recoveries, soft shackles may just fit the bill. We have moved to them exclusively; however, which shackle –– metal or soft –– you decide to use is up to you. Just make sure you have them in your Bronco when needed as part of your recovery kit.
In need of recovery gear? Check out the options in the Bronco Nation store, from ARB to Ford Performance. Members get special pricing!
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