I just installed a steel bumper & 9000 lb winch. If I want to winch somebody out of the ditch then I need to have a way to keep my Jeep stationary. Using the E-brake and the park pawl in the trans would seem...kinda stupid.

So I'm going to whip up some grates using angle steel and chain that you throw in front of the front wheels, run chains to the bumper shackles, and then drive forward onto the grates until the chains come tight. That way I can leave the Jeep in neutral, set the E-brake and git to wenchin'.

Does anybody else do this? Is there a word for this grate thing?

 

Overkill?

 

If I'm winching something heavy enough to pull my jeep I hook the back of my jeep to something like a large tree

 

Then the flat grates become ski's under your tire's. I think a set of wheel chocks would be better than the grates.
Heck those plastic ones are cheap enough you could get 4 of them and chock all 4 of the tires.

 

Yeah...but I've seen a guy pull stumps using this method. Using a self made wrecker truck with logging winches on it. Big stumps. Like 30" fir trees.

And I got a brand new MIG and a few sticks of 1" angle...

What if you have no tree? Or if the tree is across the road? What if all you got is a cactus? You might need winching grates...

 

Dig a hole, burry a anchor...

 

That idea might work for pulling stumps, but you asked about pulling someone out of the ditch.....so i'm assuming you would be on asphalt or a hard packed dirt road.

 

You REALLY think I'd make something that would slide like a ski? And the plastic wheel chocks would just end up as smashed muddy trash you'd have to pack home.

Too much mucking around. I'll go make a set and then we can see.

 

Maybe a dirt road up in the hills, or a snow & ice covered road around here.

If they run off the ashpalt road when there's no snow on it...then screw 'em. They were probably doing something stupid (like texting) and deserve to pay the tow truck.

 

I've been using what your describing since the mid 70's I built for my 4wd wreckers in CO. They work excellent on any kind of surface from hard to ice/snow/mud/asphalt.

On my wreckers I had slots cut in the rear bumper (vertical) on each side centered between the duels, for the chain links. The blocks are wedges about 12"-24" long and just wider than the tire. I made mine from 3/16" plate except for the end where the chain attached and it was 1/4" then it was fully welded.

With that finished I took it to a friend at a machine/welding/fab shop and for 1 six pack had him punch 1" holes in the 3/16" plate to make it a little lighter. Then had him weld the 3/8" chain on the wedge end.

I pull my tires up on the wedges the first time till they are almost to the edge. Then I have recovery points on each side 2 D-Rings, I pull the chains tight into the D-Rings and hook them. Then I paint exactly where to hook back into the chain the next time I need to winch, sit them down in front of the bumper then winch myself up onto them to the correct point where they bite best.

Just make sure of your attachment points strength before using this method.