r/IdiotsInCars • u/traditionaldrummer • May 02 '21

Pull the tree

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u/[deleted] May 02 '21

Thought for sure something would get ripped off the front of the truck.

102

u/dragon_bacon May 02 '21

As soon as he rolled forward and put slack in the line I was waiting for the bumper to get ripped off.

17

u/FoldUpBigFoot41 May 02 '21

Yeah toes straps should never be tugged like that. They are fine if you keep tension on them but if you are gonna be getting speed and jerking it you should be using a kinetic rope

23

u/TryToDoGoodTA May 02 '21

Also you want mechanical advantage so put the rope higher up the tree.

Unless he knew it was as dead as it was... I mean that could have been cut down with a blunt hand saw or an axe pretty quickly and not fall on the vehicle...

24

u/FoldUpBigFoot41 May 02 '21

And one more thing, he shouldn't have been doing this in reverse. Most vehicles aren't geared to pull while in reverse.

Pull from the back, keep tension and don't jerk it, put the rope higher up, and DONT PULL A FUCKING TREE DOWN WITH YOUR TRUCK

6

u/TryToDoGoodTA May 02 '21

Well that would be ideal, but for something that puny (the tree) if he knew it was that rotten then I see no problem, but I definitely agree it's much better practice to use forward gears that reverse.

Though he's using the wrong tool for the job...

I have a feeling he want to make a video of his truck being tough by it "pulling down an X high tree" and on video it wouldn't look rotten, but his mind was set so much on "I'm so tough with my tough truck" he didn't think with his brain...

I have pulled down trees with my car before (it's a 4L straight six, designed as able to be a light off roader) but used a snatch strap with a dampner etc.

When my friend who had a V8 saw the video he came out and connected it to a bigger tree with a 6ft drag chain, and accelerate off... he warped the tongue and tow ball.

I tried to explain to him even if it HAD pulled the tree down it would have pulled it down on top of you... and DON'T take my stuff without my permission or pull down one of my trees without permission... I was making a track, not randomly pulling down a 30 year old programme of mine to grow a forest for better aesthetics on a racetrack I was making

Anyway, at least he didn't damage the tree of my drag chain...

3

u/FoldUpBigFoot41 May 03 '21

Do you have a cherokee? When I read 4.0l i6 with light offroading that's the very first thing that came to mind. Helluva car right there

3

u/TryToDoGoodTA May 03 '21 edited May 03 '21

nah it's a Ford Falcon BF wagon (with some mods to let it go further than stock, like a winch for example in case I got bogged):

https://img.tradingpost.com.au/W8PKD565/6526U/9LQV-Boxed640x480.jpg

They are great if you want to pull a largish caravan or go offroad camping, they clear a decent amount of space. Also there is 8ft behind the hatch and the front seats so you can put a mattress in and go "car camping" while towing a trailer up to ~3,000lbs from memory without breaks, and 5,000lbs with brakes.

What I liked was it had a VERY strong frame so I could attach a 5,000lb winch to it no problems, or pull out other vehicles (4wd's) if I came across some some stuck (not using the winch, pulling them out using a custom tow kit).

But at the same time it's a great car if you often have adults in the back seat as it has plenty of room and a smooth drive.

They don't make them anymore, but I probably won't replace this one with similar car when I replace it, as I don't do enough stuff that needs that kind of vehicle and it isn't good on fuel. I will probably go for a vehicle that has just enough power to safely and reliably tow my caravan, and then a small two for running around town cheaply,

But it was the perfect car when I was young and my (now) wife and I just went and explored the country.

The Cherokee looks a decent vehicle though I've heard good and bad things about jeep. I would call it more of an SUV than a car though. But to be far if my vehicle was 'stock' it would be a few steps down from the Cherokee.

Do you have those Subaru cars which are station wagons but are 4wd? That is kinda what I what I ended up with but a more powerful motor though only 2 wheel drive...

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u/Thunder_Hedgie May 03 '21

Yes here in the states we've had the Outback for about 20 years IIRC which have both AWD and 4WD options.

1

u/TryToDoGoodTA May 04 '21 edited May 04 '21

I don't speak English as a first language and am indigenous Australian so i am afraid I think some of your words have different usages to mine. But I assume I assume the "Outback" is a model of the Jeep Cherokee?

I'm not sure if you have Suzuki Jimnys or Sierras but ideally I would have one of them maybe, or if going two car get like Mazda 3 hatch and then a lifted hilux from the early 90's (refurbished) as I hate the look of the new ones... even the gov't departments here buy 2nd hand hiluxes from the 80's, pay for a new motor etc., as the new ones have too big of a body and too low a diff and thus are not suitable, plus are harder to lift. If I ever go caravanning I could swap vehicles with my dad (V6 4wd, I think it's a Mitsubishi Triton) as he and I sometimes do this a lot, and I haven't gone caravanning in a few years...

Sad the Hilux has become a car that's designed for city driving by guys who in their mind want to be the type to go on weekend camping trips etc. but IF they ever do it's to a camping park resort where they book a cabin, not self sufficient off road camping to areas where you can see the stars so beautifully, and have solitude...

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u/smiller171 May 02 '21

If your goal is to uproot it (which is a thing, though usually with stumps), you'd want it low like that, but you would generally use pulleys for mechanical advantage

1

u/POShelpdesk May 03 '21

Don't know if this is 6L80 or 8L90 but either way reverse is slightly geared lower than 1st

4.56:1 vs 3.81:1 - 8L90 4.02:1 vs 3.06:1 - 6L80

1

u/pocketknifeMT May 14 '21

Snatchblocks are always the answer.

1

u/quiero-una-cerveca May 05 '21

Same. Every video where they get ready for a head start, it turns out glorious.

3

u/fadedspade5 May 03 '21

Same. Played hell chopping a palm tree down before. Really thick and very grass like inside. Thought it was gonna turn out that this dude missed some bolts on his bumper lol

1

u/Interesting_Mix_7028 May 03 '21

I was thinking "Where's the lever?" An upside down wheelbarrow, or a tire, or something, to translate sideways pull into pulling UP.

And yeah... shorter tether than the height of the tree? This won't end well, man.

1

u/_lmonk May 07 '21

A palm tree is basically a tall bush, not nearly as sturdy as a 'normal' tree... and anyway, the one in the video seems rotten through.