Tips and Tricks of flatbedding

You can see it on something like a stiff load of steel that won't compress. Fold the strap and only stick it halfway through the winch, so the fold doesn't come out the other side of the winch slot. Winch it down... It will start to get tight and then slip out and you can just keep winching all day and it won't get tight.

People used to do that, and that's where stigma comes from.

Stick the fold all the way though and it isn't going anywhere.

 

You would have t be a moron to only give it enough slack for it to be able to slip. If you have two rounds or more n it before it starts tightening, it can not slip. I have done it for years with steel,pipe or anything else you can think of to use a strap on and never had one come loose. period.

 

Short straping works fine. In 8 years I’ve never, not a single time, had one do what you’re describing. Not once.

 

As long as it makes multiple revolutions it can’t come loose. I’d argue that with enough wraps it would stay tight just by being wrapped and not being through the slot. A cable on a crane drum only hooks to the drum by a cable clamp, it relies on friction of the wire rope to the drum to hold it on. Crane manufacturers have a minimum number or wraps on the drum to maintain the attachment.

 

It doesn't take that much force to pull the strap end out of the winch slot if it's only stuck in halfway. You can do it with the winch bar, i have... You can get it tight almost enough to make the straps sing, but right then the strap end slips out. 2-3 wraps around the winch doesn't stop it.

If you can do that with just a winch bar then what if going to happen in a hard brake situation?

 

You’re not going to pull it out if it’s made a couple revolutions around the winch.

 

I’m guessing you’ve no half strapped very much since you’re so against it. What you’re describing is inaccurate unless you only wrap the winch less then once.

 

I,ve seen the winch just spin around because the strap was pulled out of the slot in the winch. It will happen no matter how many wraps you have around the winch.

I understand the theory, it doesn't work. There is a reason the winch manufacturer wants at least 6" of strap to be passed through the winch slots and out out the other side.


I have no doubt you can get away with not doing it for 20 years.... but that one time you have a hard brake, that's going to be it for you.

 

I don’t believe you have.

 

Well, We can ask the community to try it out.