Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

I noticed that on each corner of my Patrol GRX there is welded to the chassis a very thick steel plate with an elongated hole in it. Are these for lashing the vehicle down during transport by sea and road? Are they adequately strong to act as recovery points to which shackles can be attached?

I ask because with my old Discovery we made up JATE* rings to go through tubes welded to the chassis that were installed for the foresaid lashing purposes but they were sufficiently strong for (at least non-snatch) recovery work. We then made made up shortish extreme strength recovery straps with a hook on either end so that you attach these to both JATE rings after feeding it through the end eye of a proper recovery strap (so you end up with a kind of "Y"), distributing the load and making a "straight-pull" recovery easier as well as safer. It also made it possible to entrain two or three cars together in a "multi-locomotive" arrangement for hauling out very badly stuck machines.

*Acronym for "joint air transport equipment", being a special type of shackle for slinging Land Rovers beneath Chinooks. I kid you not.

Pic of Chinook slinging a Land Rover with trailer can be seen here: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/what- ... 76798.html

Clem, your first guess was correct. The are for lashing during transport.

Definitely not to be used for snatch recoveries please.

On your 4.8, there is a very heavy-duty hook bolted to the bottom of the driver's side chassis leg. This is a very good recovery point. If you want, you can purchase a second one from Nissan for around R550-600, there are holes in the other chassis leg to attach a second one.

On the rear of the vehicle, there is a closed loop hook in the middle of the chassis just under the rear door. This is Nissan's attempt at a rear recovery point and according to them is rated for 8 tons, but many forum members are sceptical. There are two possible options, the one is that a standard NAto pintle hook fits the same bolt holes: http://www.patrol4x4.co.za/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=3695

Another option is that forum-name G-Man makes a heavy duty replacement. Personally I prefer the pintle hook as it eliminates one shackle, and four M10 bolts are at the end of the day only so strong.

Thank you very much Peter.

I had noticed the recovery point at the front but was not aware that one could be fitted to the other side as well. Thank you for that tip.

On the rear recovery point, I imagine it would be okay for pulling on but I think a snatch on it is looking for real trouble. Anyway, snatching is really only for when there is absolutely no alternative (i.e., you have already spent eight hours digging, jacking and so forth without joy).

The pintle may make for good recovery but it is hardly a thing of beauty and also, not really great for towing.

As for those lashing points, I think if they are used with some degree of discretion, they can be used for recovery – though I definitely would not use them for snatching – I rather suspect one will end up doing some damage to the car.

But Patrols do not get stuck, do they? :-)

I can confirm what Peter Connan has said!!!

Excuse my ignorance Clem, but I always snatch? Even if lightly stuck. Please elaborate.

@ dieselfan...... I presume, by snatch, you mean using a kinetic strap/rope.

You can do a recovery by means of using a snatch rope, but a snatch/kinetic strap or rope has a limited life span. This can be shortened by incorrect storage after doing a recovery, cleanliness of the strap/rope, as well as various other factors. So for me, unless I'm recovering someone else, and he/she only has his/her own recovery snatch rope, I will never use my snatch rope to do a recovery.

I broke my snatch ropes virginity a few weeks back after having the snatch rope for 5 years at a Nissan 4x4 Club recovery training day.

I have only used my pull strap to do any recoveries, but have the snatch rope in my box of tricks as a last resort for a recovery of me... sounds selfish but we should all have our own recovery equipment, and a snatch rope or strap is an expensive item to replace once it has lost its elasticity... Once it has lost its stretching properties is is then basically just a very nice expensive pull strap or rope

dieselfan wrote:Excuse my ignorance Clem, but I always snatch? Even if lightly stuck. Please elaborate.

By "snatch" I mean using a kinetic rope and simply driving off at speed. The forces and energy involved in a snatch are massive and it is easy to do damage or injure someone. I have always used the method of using a strap or rope and moving very slowly until tension is taken up. Once at full tension, the throttle of the towing vehicle is then opened up wider to drag the other vehicle out of whatever it is stuck in or on. Risk of damage or injury is far lower this way.

Clem wrote:

dieselfan wrote:Excuse my ignorance Clem, but I always snatch? Even if lightly stuck. Please elaborate.

By "snatch" I mean using a kinetic rope and simply driving off at speed. The forces and energy involved in a snatch are massive and it is easy to do damage or injure someone. I have always used the method of using a strap or rope and moving very slowly until tension is taken up. Once at full tension, the throttle of the towing vehicle is then opened up wider to drag the other vehicle out of whatever it is stuck in or on. Risk of damage or injury is far lower this way.

Very true I agree ..only as mutch force as needed

Cool, my snatch strap is almost 9 years old and done quite a few recoveries of mine and mostly others. I generally use it as a pull strap due to it's forgiving nature. I'm not too sure how much elasticity I have left, but I clean my strap the moment I'm back and make sure it's dry and good. I've bought both my dad and BIL their complete recovery gear for their birthdays etc and never ended up buying myself a normal pull strap as the snatch was "good enough".

Wonder when I should consider replacing it?