Some of you have recently inquired on how to tell what force your winch is actually applying to your rigging and or vehicle. The truth is it’s hard to tell without the correct measurement instruments. Most of us can simply estimate the loads based on your winch capacity, what layer of rope you are on etc.. It’s best to be conservative, meaning that you should estimate the load on the high side of your approximation. When we are out field testing, we need a more accurate method to measure the actual loads to our recovery gear. We prefer to use a rechargeable load cell equipped with a data acquisition port.

So, is your vehicle recovery gear supplier not only lab testing, but also field testing their equipment? If so, how are they obtaining and the compiling the data?

Factor 55- Engineered, Tested, and Made in the USA

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade
#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer 
#madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch 
#winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter 
#racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement 
#equippedtoexplore

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We just received an update from our friends on the BFGoodrich Tires East-West Australia Jeep Expedition. The team has been fully off the grid for seven days and successfully completed the crossing of the Simpson Desert. This area has been closed to the public for decades. The group is attempting to locate and follow Ian McDonald’s original tracks from 1969 and is moving west toward Uluru and the Olgas. Factor 55 USA Made winch safety products are equipped on every Jeep. Follow their progress at Seven Slot Expeditions as the head for another 6 days of off grid travel. Best of luck to the entire team!

BFGoodrich Tires Jeep Australia Jeep WARN TeraFlex Suspensions BestopDometic MAXTRAX Long Range Automotive JeepKonection J.W. Speaker Corporation Darche Offroad Animal Seven Slot Expeditions

#builtonbfg #sevenslotexpedition #jeep #km3 #warnindustries #teraflex#bestopteam #dometic #factor55 #maxtrax #longrangeautomotive#jeepkonection #jwspeaker #darche #offroadanimal

Happy Birthday America! FREE ROPE GUARD with purchase of any flat Winch Line Shackle Mount! This also includes all UltraHook products. Limited time offer!

In celebration of America’s 243rd Birthday, and to thank you for your continued support of Made in USA products, we are offering our first ever 4th of July Special!

Purchase any FlatLink, FlatLink E, FlatLink Multimount, or Flat Splicer- Receive FlatLink Rope Guard- FREE!
Purchase any UltraHook- Receive UltraHook Rope Guard- FREE!
Purchase any UltraHook XTV- Receive UltraHook XTV Rope Guard- FREE!
Purchase any FlatLink XTV- Receive FlatLink XTV Rope Guard- FREE!
Purchase any FlatLink XXL- Receive FlatLink XXL Rope Guard- FREE!

How do you redeem this Special? Simple!

No need to add the Rope Guard to the cart. Simply purchase any of the above products on our website and we will include the corresponding Rope Guard in your order, absolutely FREE.

Valid Wednesday July 3rd – Sunday July 7th.

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Factor 55- Engineered, Tested, and MADE IN USA

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer #madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch #winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter #racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement #equippedtoexplore

*No Federal Endorsement Intended or Implied*

Recently we were honored to take part in some battle exercises. In this training exercise, soldiers were being instructed on Personal Security Detail Recovery. The objective of PSDR is to be able to extract a disabled vehicle quickly and safely without soldiers having to exit either vehicle. These battle conditions include vehicles damaged by IEDs as well as taking on other enemy fire. In the attached photos are examples of how these Humvees are prepared prior to entering hostile territories. Note how vehicle recovery straps are coiled and pre-attached to the front and back of each vehicle. Also note how the ends of the straps are also easily reachable through the Humvee side windows.

As an example, under battle conditions when a Humvee is damaged by an explosive charge and rendered disabled, the next Humvee in line can pull closely along the side of the damaged Humvee, and through the side windows, soldiers can connect the two ends of the straps with a soft shackle or hard shackle, thereby attaching one vehicle to another without any personnel having to exit the vehicle and put any lives in harm’s way. Once the strap ends are securely connected and tension is applied, the tow straps will uncoil and break free from the attach points and the damaged vehicle can be safely towed back to safety. The close side by side vehicle arrangement also reduces the exposure to taking on sniper fire to the soldiers that are positioned adjacent to the open side windows. These exercises are practiced over and over again until the process is second nature. They say that necessity is the mother of invention and in this case USA soldiers came up with an ingenious way to quickly and safely extract a fellow crew in need.

These exercises were being conducted with USA made Factor 55 Standard Duty polyester Tow Straps attached with our Velcro Strap Wraps and linked together using our Standard Duty and Extreme Duty Soft Shackles.

Let’s hope that none of these soldiers will need to perform this type of vehicle recovery. Godspeed

*No Federal Endorsement Intended or Implied*

#F55Equipped #EquippedToExplore

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade
#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer 
#madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch 
#winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter 
#racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement

You asked for it and we listened. Factor 55 introduces our new 10 inch Standard Duty Soft Shackle.

The Factor 55 10 inch Standard Duty Soft Shackles are Made in the USA under the uncompromised Factor 55 quality standards. Like all Factor 55 rigging products, these shackles have been lab and field tested to assure consistent repeatable minimum breaking strength values. Each Standard Duty soft shackle is constructed of 7/16 diameter UHMWPE 12 strand rope similar in construction to synthetic winch lines. WLL and minimum breaking strengths clearly marked. Minimum Breaking Strength – 39,000 pounds WLL – 7,800 Pounds. Weight – 6.3 ounces.

Similar to our Extreme Duty Soft Shackles, each individual soft shackle is serialized for manufacturing date and material lot traceability. You can now decide whether you need full outer sheath protection for severe conditions or a less extreme, more affordable option. The Factor 55 10 inch Standard Duty Soft Shackle will be a great addition to any recovery kit.

Engineered, Tested, and Made In The USA

In just a few weeks, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee and owner of Adventure Architects LLC, Chris Collard will be joined by fellow Hall of Fame Inductee and Jeeping guru Rick Pewe, retracing the tracks of the 1969 Simpson Desert East-West Australia Expedition (the first Jeep crossing of the entire Australian continent).

To celebrate this milestone adventure, Ben Davidson of Seven Slot Expedition, along with Ian McDonald and John Eggleston (two of the three surviving members of the original expedition), Hall of Fame Inductee Sue Mead, and Justin He will head a group of Jeeps from different eras including TJ, JK and new JL Wranglers replicating the 1969 adventure. The crossing will take 20 days +/- and cover 3,000 miles through some of toughest outback terrain. Highlights and challenges for the crew will include the remote tracks and deep, soft, unforgiving sand of the northern Simpson Desert before reaching Alice Springs. From there they will head to Uluru and Kata Tjuta before heading west across Outback WA to reach Steep Point and the Indian Ocean. Crossing 37 degrees of longitude.

We are honored to have been chosen as the supplier of winch safety and vehicle recovery products for this historic adventure. The 50th Anniversary project- BFGoodrich East-West Australia Jeep Expedition – starts in a few weeks and we wish Chris and his entire team a safe and successful journey.

BFGoodrich Tires | Jeep | WARN | Bestop | TeraFlex Suspensions | JeepKonection | Jeep Action Magazine | Jeepfreeks | Offroad Animal

#builtonbfg #km3 #jeep #sevenslotexpedition #warn #teraflex #bestop#jeepkonection #offroad_animal

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade
#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer 
#madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch 
#winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter 
#racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement 
#equippedtoexplore

Standard and Extreme Duty Tow Straps

MADE IN THE USA

You asked for it and we listened. Take a look at our new Made In USA tow straps. These straps are tested and made to Factor 55 specifications by a certified USA rigging manufacturer. We offer these straps in two models, Standard and Extreme duty. Both straps are a double ply 2 inch wide by 30 foot long constructed of low stretch 100% Polyester. Both straps have Cordura reinforced eyes but the entire 30 foot length of the Extreme Duty strap is sleeved in Cordura for maximum abrasion protection. Like all Factor 55 soft goods each strap is individually serialized for date and material lot traceability. All straps are clearly marked with Working Load Limits (WLL) based on the various strap configurations. We prefer double ply 2 inch strap construction over wider single ply 3 and 4 inch wide straps. We have discovered that the wider strap edges get abraded and worn easily versus narrower straps. Remember, tow straps are not dynamic elastic recovery straps like “Snatch”, “Yank” and Kinetic Ropes. Tow straps retain very little elasticity and are designed for longer distance prolonged towing. Because of this, the Factor 55 Standard and Extreme Duty Tow Straps may also be used as winch line extensions. You will not find a higher quality tow strap on the market today.

STANDARD and EXTREME DUTY TOW STRAPS: CLICK HERE

Have a safe weekend.

MADE IN USA

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade #precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer #madeinusa #madeintheusa

#buyamerican

#winch #winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter #racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement

Can you use a roller fairlead with synthetic winch rope? – Yes. Do we prefer them over a Hawse style of fairlead? – No.

Take a look at the article written by certified off-road trainer Nena Barlow regarding roller and Hawse fairleads. Nena prefers the lower rope friction provided by the rollers.

If your rollers are new and without burrs and sharp edges, then they will not cause harm to synthetic rope fibers. We simply don’t like how far roller fairleads stick out as well as the weak steel frames that support the roller axles. One small impact to a roller fairlead and the entire assembly can easily twist. It really comes down to a personal preference on roller versus Hawse.

So which do you prefer?

http://www.fourwheeler.com/…/1903-nena-knows-winch-fairle…/…

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade
#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer 
#madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch 
#winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter 
#racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement

CRAWL Magazine | Trails Magazine | SpiderWebShade | Carolina Metal Masters | TNT Customs | sPOD | Rock Krawler Suspension | BFGoodrich Tires | Raceline Wheels | Radflo Shocks | Savvy Off Road | Synergy Manufacturing | Off-Road Solutions | Overland Journal | Expedition Portal | Barlow Adventures | I4WDTA – The International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association LLC | Ultra4 Racing | King of The Hammers | COMEUP | SUPERWINCH | 4×4 Magazine | XTREME4x4MAGAZINE | Jp Magazine | Extreme 4×4 Nation | Tread Magazine | Jeepfreeks | ModernJeeper | Poly Performance | Safe-Xtract| Off-Road Safety Academy – Blue Sky Adventures, Inc. | Off Road Consulting and Driving Instruction

Take a look at the attached images of Factor 55 soft good products. Not only are these products manufactured in the USA, they are also individually serialized and legibly labeled with WLL and manufacture date. The labels may appear to look the same but they are not. Look closely and you will see that each and every rigging product is marked with a unique serial number. Why go through the extra trouble of printing all of these individual labels? – Simple actually. It allows for material lot traceability and product age data.

Factor 55 – Engineered, Tested and Made In The USA

#factor55 #closedsystemwinching #shadebrigade
#precisionengineering #professionalrecovery #itsyourwinchonlysafer 
#madeinusa #madeintheusa #buyamerican #winch 
#winchsafer #winchsafety #vehiclerecovery #trailridesmatter 
#racerecovery #innovationnotimitation #hookreplacement

CRAWL Magazine | Trails Magazine | SpiderWebShade | Carolina Metal Masters | TNT Customs | sPOD | Rock Krawler Suspension | BFGoodrich Tires | Raceline Wheels | Radflo Shocks | Savvy Off Road | Synergy Manufacturing | Off-Road Solutions | Overland Journal | Expedition Portal | Barlow Adventures | I4WDTA – The International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association LLC | Ultra4 Racing | King of The Hammers | COMEUP | Mile Marker Winch | SUPERWINCH | 4×4 Magazine | XTREME4x4MAGAZINE | Jp Magazine | Extreme 4×4 Nation | Tread Magazine | Jeepfreeks | ModernJeeper | Poly Performance | Safe-Xtract | Off-Road Safety Academy – Blue Sky Adventures, Inc. | Off Road Consulting and Driving Instruction

MADE IN THE USA Thursday

What does “Country of Origin” mean on vehicle recovery products? Well, pretty simple actually – where it’s made. All companies must provide this information on the product packaging, it’s the law. If it doesn’t say “Made In USA”, its not.

We take pride in employing a local staff here in Idaho. From our Engineering analysis and CAD work, to sourcing USA materials with lot trace ability as well as machining, anodizing and destructive testing, our products are manufactured here in the USA. Be careful out there folks, for higher profits many American companies are simply putting their American brands on cheap imported recovery hardware. Always ask where it’s made and tested. If you are wondering where your recovery products are made, simply look for the “Made In USA” mark. If you don’t see that, then it’s not.