This Pulley Block is designed from the ground up as an interoperable component of the Safe-Xtract Momentum Xtraction-Traction Xtraction Packs, Base Kits, and Xtreme kits., and also functions perfectly as a stand-alone component to complement the recovery equipment you have in your own inventory. No recovery system is complete without a couple of blocks in your kit.
The Best Device for Increasing Efficiency
The pulley blocks by Safe-Xtract are the first designed from the ground up to be compatible with both Soft Shackles and correctly rated Screw Pin Bow Shackles. You can build an effective pulley system using one of these blocks and a Safe-Xtract Soft Shackle to give yourself a mechanical advantage when rigging to free a stuck vehicle. You can increase your mechanical advantage and decrease the force applied to pull a vehicle by adding more blocks in the direction of pull.
Technical Specifications of the Safe-Xtract Pulley Blocks
Soft shackles work well for attaching to recovery points that have radiused (or beveled) edges (you will want a metal shackle to attach to points with hard or sharp edges). The Safe-Xtract Pulley Blocks feature the following sizes and max weight ratings (you should select the one needed for your vehicle recovery situation):
- SX-8000G: 8,000-pound working load limit, Delrin wheel
- SX-20000G 20,000-pound working load limit, Delrin wheel
- SX-30000G: 30,000-pound working load limit, Aluminum wheel
- SX-40000SS: 40,000-pound working load limit, Aluminum wheel
- SX-60000SS: 60,000-pound working load limit, Aluminum wheel
While the pricing on these blocks is higher than you will find when you search for similar items on Amazon (or via other online sellers), the benefit of the features is well worth the price. The quality is easily an order of magnitude better–when you purchase one of the Safe-Xtract pulley blocks you will understand the difference and your pulley system will be ready to run.
The design of these pulley blocks features unique details that make them ideally suited for use in the Vehicle Recovery environment. These include:
- QUALITY DESIGN/FABRICATION: They’re constructed and finished in the United States with high-strength corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, polymer, bronze, and stainless steel components. They have machined aluminum cheeks that are more rigid than stamped or laser-cut mild steel. These blocks are simple to take apart and put back together, and spare parts are available. They are Buy American compliant from a Veteran owned company.
- DESIGNED FOR SAFETY: Wide cheek design more evenly distributes loading and prevents the use of undersized screw pin shackles, which are too narrow to connect. The bushings are uniquely engineered to be self-cleaning, ejecting dirt and debris that would bind the pulley of a standard pulley block configuration. The Safe-Xtract pulley block’s attachment holes are designed specifically to accept a screw pin shackle in its correct configuration – with the shackle pin inserted through the cheek holes. This reduces the risk of tree savers and other recovery gear components being crushed, damaged, or overloaded incorrectly.
- UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY: Custom design incorporates wide cheeks, chamfered cheek holes, radiuses edges and is uniquely shaped to prevent the pinching and crushing of synthetic line that is common to other block designs – and enables the direct use of soft shackles.
- MILITARY PROVEN: The US Department of Defense (including SOCOM) is using hundreds of these devices right now, and they’ve been incorporated into the US Military Vehicle Program of Record as a standard design. The pulley block has been validated by the Nevada Automotive Test Center for US Special Operations Command and chosen by the US Army’s 1st Special Forces Regiment to be the pulley block training standard within US Army Special Forces Groups. They’ve been employed for Special Operations Ground Mobility training by the West Virginia Army National Guard’s Mobility Testing Center, and have been verified for use by other government agencies.
The SX-40000SS and SX-60000SS also feature a built-in soft shackle and the unique design automatically reverts the block to the proper orientation when the line comes under load after being slack. This addresses a key design flaw with aluminum donuts that are found in many kits.
Good for Wire Rope?
We do not recommend the use of these pulleys with wire rope since the cable can imprint on the pulley when pulling during winching applications. If you need a wire rope pulley, this will still work, just make sure you keep it reserved for that application only. Mixing the use of wire rope and synthetic line on components under load can damage the synthetic lines (and the manufacturer does not recommend mixing use). It is better to spend the money and shop for a second pulley than to risk damaging lines attached to a heavy pickup or object you are moving.
These Are Not Snatch Blocks
It is important to note that these pulley blocks are not snatch blocks (many people have called them interchangeably). Snatch blocks are designed to remain attached to the anchor while you access the line. This allows you to change the rigging without the need to remove the snatch block. Snatch blocks are the sort of thing that you find more in lift applications rather than pulling something on a wheel.
The Safe-Xtract Recovery App (Android and Apple iOS versions available) and the Safe-Xtract Training Program work with these pulley blocks. Before field usage of any recovery equipment, including winch applications, users should be professionally trained – visit https://etservicesconsulting.com/offroad for more information.