Cheap ratchet straps

[rv9aviator]

I am now replacing a skin on the horizontal stab because it fell from the ceiling where it was stored. I had some Harbor Freight ratchet straps lying around and decided to hang the tail parts up to get them out of the way. I knew they were cheap straps but with 2 straps on the horizontal stab without the elevators attached I thought what could possibly go wrong. After about six months one strap unraveled and let the whole thing fall about 8 feet. You can literally pull the straps apart with your bare hands. These straps have never seen sunlight or moisture. I never even considered testing them with so little weight. The picture shows where I pulled them apart with my hands. The straps look brand new.


Maybe this will keep the same thing from happening to someone else.

[Mel]

Thanks for the heads-up, Jim. I have a bunch of these straps that I use regularly. I'll be testing them before each use from now on.

[Rupester]

Wow. Me too. In fact my tail feathers arehanging from the ceiling with some of those very same straps. Gotta run ......

[Brantel]

Several people have reported that mice will actually cause this problem. They like to chew through that stuff to make nest with the material.

[Ironflight]

I have been averse to using "cheap rope and lines" for most of my life....back when I was young teenager, I helped rebuild a couple of J-3's. We spent months putting the wing structure together (the needed new spars), and after we got everything lined up and perfect, ready for cover, we tied ropes to them to hoist them up into the hangar rafters until ready to cover. They got almost all the way up before the cheap clothesline broke, and they came crashing down. That was the end of THAT set of wings.....

[cytoxin]

ive used the cheap ones for boat tie downs and they always break or pull the thunb lever back ove..the cheap ones (ratchet or pull) just ar not worth a flip.

[rv9aviator]

I first thought of mice too until I pulled them apart with my bare hands. I bought straps from other sources like Wal-mart and never had problems.

[wingtime]

Here at work we use different styles of webbing and we found that polypropylene will deteriorate quickly when exposed to UV light. Nylon and polyester webbing hold up much better in the sun and have a much higher working load. Quality load straps should be made out of nylon or polyester and sewn with polyester thread.

When I first read your thread It looked like polypro webbing that had been exposed to UV. The only webbing that I have seen rot like that are those made from natural fibers such as cotton or something. If those straps were made from a synthetic then I would say it is some cheap stuff and that the "molecules stopped holding hands"

[flion]

What I did to hang my stuff was drill through the joists above the garage for 1/4" threaded rod. Four 3-foot rods were installed down through the ceiling and then I suspended angle iron between pairs of the rods. A little foam weather strip cushioned the angle where my parts rested on them. Or you could use plywood (though I'd still support the wood with the angle) and then even smaller bits could be stored up there. If your garage has an open ceiling you could still adapt this idea by using anchors in the roof joists; my dad used to do that in his pole barn/garage on his farm.