Straps, or tie-downs, are all the same, right?
Most would agree that that statement is fairly broad and that not all tie-downs are the same. We admit we used to think most tie downs or straps were all basically the same. Really, how many differences can there be?
Then we tried ShockStraps. Revolutionary might be a bit strong in describing the ShockStrap, but we will say it works very well and its design does separate it from the others.
ShockStraps are made of one-inch red polyester webbing, use 3/8-inch steel hooks and a cam buckle with aggressive teeth to bite into the webbing. Then there is what the company calls the “dog bone,” a rubber piece made of a proprietary formula and the one piece of the strap that we think makes the ShockStrap a great way to tie down your ATV or side-by-side.
According to the Utah-based manufacturer of the ShockStrap, the proprietary formula that is used is not affected by most chemicals, sunlight, oil, salt water, fungus or moisture.
The dog bone portion of the ShockStrap stretches and flexes when you go over a bump or if there is side pressure put on it. What does that mean? That means you no longer have to compress a vehicle’s suspension to get that extra little restraint so that the vehicle will stay put on your trailer or in the back of your pickup. With the ShockStrap, when you hit a bump, it stretches and flexes and then goes back into shape. Ideally, using the ShockStrap will put less stress on your off-road vehicle’s suspension.
According to the makers of ShockStrap, polyester webbing stretches less than polypropylene webbing and is more resistant to rot and mildew. The polyester webbing has a 3,800-pound breaking strength and 1,100-pound working load limit. The cam buckle is rated over 1800 lbs. Each ShockStrap has a 500-pound strength rating.
We’ve used the ShockStrap in both summer and winter on our side-by-sides as well as with a snowmobile. It’s easy for one person to hook up the strap to either vehicle as you don’t have to have someone else compress the suspension so you can cinch the strap tighter. Because of the “dog bone” portion of the ShockStrap, you can cinch up each strap fairly easily, creating a tight strap that, because of the constant tension, is less likely to come loose.
One thing that takes a little getting used to is seeing your off-road vehicle “sway” or “bounce” just a little (and we mean little) when you go over a bump. Because the dog bone is flexible, it gives and then retracts when going over a bump and your off-road vehicle moves. We never felt like our off-road vehicle was going to come off the trailer, it was just a little different to see it react like that after a bump.
Overall, the ShockStrap is easy to use, does the job and works in both summer and winter. We’ve only used the ShockStrap for a few months now, but the dog bone has stayed flexible and pliable, which is important for long-term use.
The six-foot ShockStrap retails for $19.99 while the 19-foot version goes for $24.99.
For more information, visit www.shockstrap.com.
