come-along help

[84gmcjimmy]

I am getting really frustrated...
I brought the old come along out to see if I could drag the jimmy sideways into it's old tracks... well it didn't move and now I can't release the come along cable... here is a pic
http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/15029PANA0808.JPG
I don't have a clue how to release it, before all I did was press that bent tab and the cable would come out... I hit it a few times with a hammer to see if it would release, but it just bent...
SO... I was wondering if I can just cut the cable with a grinder...
This is how it looks from 20 or so feet away...

http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/15029PANA0807.JPG

If I were to cut the cable, would it just fall to the ground, or is there a chance something would try to hit me in the face? I'm throwing this away after because it has never worked from the beginning when my dad bought it.

 

[darkshadow]

try pulling on the handle so you tighten up the cable a little bit more, then press the tab, the handle will now go backwards and losen the cable a bit, then you have to keep doing that untill you have enuff slack to take off you hook.

if that dosent work and you want to cut it. throw an old coad or blankit on the cable and stand on the chain side. and use bolt cutters if you have them if not then the grinder

 

[darkshadow]

oh and steve click on this :

and paste your url in there!

 

[84gmcjimmy]

try pulling on the handle so you tighten up the cable a little bit more, then press the tab, the handle will now go backwards and losen the cable a bit, then you have to keep doing that untill you have enuff slack to take off you hook.

if that dosent work and you want to cut it. throw an old coad or blankit on the cable and stand on the chain side. and use bolt cutters if you have them if not then the grinder

I am kind of leary (sp?) of pressing on the tab because I don't want to get my finger caught in it. I can't pull it anymore without using my full bod weight, and then I cant hit the tab.
I can't cut it if I am standing on the chain, it's so tight that when I jump on the chain, the whole Jimmy wobbles. I can't get the chain on the ground long enough.

 

[84gmcjimmy]

oh and steve click on this :

and paste your url in there!

LOL I kow how to do it, but when I press it it won't paste in, then it says "null" when I close it and reopen it... its weiiiiiiird!

 

[RustBuket]

DO NOT!!!!! cut the cable!!!!

 

[whiskey bent]

DO NOT!!!!! cut the cable!!!!

x2

doing that may get you a darwin award

 

[84gmcjimmy]

x2

doing that may get you a darwin award

Why?

 

[tunedportk5]

you've been having hell of a time with thatlast couple days man that sucks good luck

 

[73k5blazer]

I wouldn't cut that cable. You have a very good chance of getting hurt or even worse. If there's tension on it, as you describe, it will snap back in an unpredicatble direction, actually both cut ends will snap back in unpredicatable direction. Find a way to take the tension off. If you have another person, you pull the handle to take the tension off the release lever and have the other guy push the release.
If no other person is available, get another truck and push/pull that jimmy just enough to take the tension off the cable. Even a car would work, you wouldn't have to move it much probably. If the Jimmy runs, try to move it back just enough to take off the tension. Anything but stand over that cable and cut it.

 

[84gmcjimmy]

Well I tried backing out and I didn't get anywhere far enough to un-do the cable.
I actually cut it, I was just wondering why I shouldn't. There wasn't a god awful amount of tension on it. When I cut it it shot back 5 inches and then it dropped. I had a piece of 3/4" plywood in front of me just in case, I also had a sweatshirt over top to weight it down.
I didn't know what else to do. I'm fine, but I realize what your saying, I shouldn't have done it. in the future I won't do it again.

 

[jjlaughner]

Why?

because you will hear a 'TIIINNNNNGGGGG' then you might fall to the ground screaming reaching for whats left of you leg if your lucky enough for the cable not to hit you in the head....