Snatch block pulley: utilisation

If you need more pulling power for your winch or if you need to divert the trajectory of your 4x4, opt for a snatch block pulley.

These are very useful for increasing your pulling power, which will be doubled or more depending on the number of pulleys installed. Thanks to them, nothing will stand in your way. You'll never have to worry about getting out of a jam with the snatch block pulley.

A pulley is part of your vehicle's winching system. It can be made of steel or aluminium. 

Some are suitable for use with steel cable, others for synthetic rope.

A pulley can be used in two ways:

It can deflect an angle to avoid an obstacle or increase pulling power.

• Reeving increases the force of your winch. This reduces the pulling effort of your winch to prevent it from overexerting.
• Changing direction when this cannot be done directly. For example, if you have to go around an obstacle blocking your route.

This operation involves doubling the pulling power of your winch by using a reeving pulley.

Two pulleys can be used together, increasing the pulling power of your winch by a factor of four.

The winding speed will be proportionally reduced. For example, it will be halved if you use a single pulley, and quadrupled if you use a double pulley.

These accessories prevent your winch from being overworked reducing the risk of a break in your synthetic rope or cable.

Note: the nominal pulling capacity of a winch is based on the first layer of cable wound onto the drum. The further you move away from this first layer, the more you reduce the nominal pulling capacity, which is why it's a good idea to use one or more reeving operations.

This single reeving technique doubles the pulling power of your winch.

This double reeving technique increases the pulling effect of your winch even more. 

Example: with a 5.4-tonne winch, you can increase the theoretical pulling force to 21.6 tonnes. For this operation, you need strong shackles and pulleys. You'll also need a solid anchoring point on your 4x4.

A snatch block pulley can also be used to change the trajectory of your 4x4 in a difficult passage.

If the vehicle is off-centre, use one or more deflection pulleys. The cable must never form an angle of more than 45° with the axis of the towing vehicle.

• Analyse your surroundings.
• Only one person should manage the manoeuvre.
• No one should be in the vicinity.
• Don't forget to put a "winch rope damper" on the cable to protect it in case it breaks.
• Place a piece of wood under the rope if it is touching the ground so that it doesn't sink into the earth or get damaged if it is a synthetic rope.
• Always leave 4 to 5 turns of cable or synthetic rope on the drum to prevent it from being torn off.
• Handle the rope with a pair of gloves.
• Do not overtighten the shackles to prevent them from jamming when pulled.
• Use a strap to secure the pulley block to a tree to avoid damaging it. 
• Leave the engine of the 4x4 running during the manoeuvre, with the driver on board and his foot on the brake. Adjust the engine speed if necessary.
• If necessary, tie the towing vehicle to an opposite fixed point to prevent it from moving during the manoeuvre.

Euro4x4parts offers  6 models of snatch block pulleys with different capacities. 

Snatch block pulleys