4x4

Which tow rope for your 4x4? The 4x4 recovery size chart

Choose a kinetic recovery rope with a breaking strength of 2 to 3 times the maximum permissible mass of the lighter vehicle. You will find that weight on the registration document. If the lighter vehicle is registered at 2,600 kg, choose 18 mm.

Breaking strength is not a working load. The maximum permissible mass on the registration document is the weight fully loaded. Heavier than 7,000 kg? We make kinetic recovery ropes up to 56 mm and 65,000 kg: see all kinetic recovery ropes.

Connect with a soft shackle or bow shackle that is at least as strong as your rope. Note: a soft shackle shows its breaking strength, a bow shackle its working load limit (WLL). When pulling from two recovery points, a bridle spreads the load.

4x4 recovery with a winch: the right winch rope

We recommend a breaking strength of at least 2 times the pulling force of your winch. That pulling force applies to the first layer on the drum. A 4,300 kg (9,500 lb) winch therefore needs at least 8,600 kg breaking strength. Always follow your winch's instructions.

Dyneema SK75 winch rope with hook

• Yellow, braided from Dyneema SK75 fibre
• 6 to 16 mm, 10 to 40 metres
• Safety hook spliced in by us

View Dyneema SK75

Prorope HMPE winch rope with hook

• Blue, 12-strand braided with coating
• 6 to 16 mm, 10 to 40 metres
• Safety hook spliced in, with protective sleeve

View Prorope HMPE

• Hawse fairlead, not a roller fairleadSynthetic winch rope belongs on a smooth aluminium hawse fairlead. Switching from steel? Replace the fairlead as well.
• Too short?Extend with a winch extension line with stainless steel eyes, and never wrap the rope around a tree: use a tree trunk protector.

4x4 recovery: never do this

Each rule tells you what to use instead.

• Never use a tow ball or tie-down point

  They can break off and fly. Use a proper recovery point with a soft shackle or bow shackle.

• No bystanders nearby

  Keep everyone at least 1.5 times the rope length away. A recovery damper or heavy blanket halfway along the rope reduces recoil if it breaks, but does not rule it out.

• No snatch with a tow strap

  A static tow strap barely stretches. Recovering with a run-up is done with a kinetic recovery rope from the size chart.

• No steel shackle between two ropes

  Join two kinetic recovery ropes loop through loop or with a soft shackle. Steel becomes a projectile if something breaks.

• Not for towing on the road

  Kinetic ropes are made for recovery, not for towing on public roads. Road towing rules differ per country: see the questions below.

• Never lift

  Winch ropes, recovery ropes and soft shackles are recovery equipment, not lifting gear.

4x4 recovery gear we test ourselves

Otto Tromm pulls rope to breaking point on our own tensile testing bench, following ISO 2307:2019 as closely as possible. For each test we do several pulls and publish the average and the lowest measurement.

Breaking strength is not a working load: always allow a generous margin. All results are in the rope test database, and here you can read how we test.