Well that's put the cat amongst the pigeons - thanks for your concerns for our safety Folks, neither of us were injured or in any significant danger due to understanding the operation required, 'planning' it over a couple of months and executing it in a methodical manner, explained to co-pilot, who was acting as banksman well out of the way.
Strops & shackles used were inspected before use and of adequate capacity (Unknown qty was car jacking point strength which I shackled to and crush strength of windows, roof pillars etc)
Orientation of side restraint angle iron stakes was reversed after hammering commenced as I wasn't thinking when I first positioned them
Car was raised onto stillages on drivers side to give some mechanical advantage at start of roll (to avoid damage to superstructure)
Top link was chosen as point of attachment for the same reason (not a 'live' link BTW) - the simplest analysis of the forces / moments involved should put your minds at rest.
Practical test after hooking up showed no sign of front end lightness, horrible crunching or rending sounds from strops or car
Car propped by timbers while working...............
For the avoidance of doubt, no it is not generally safe to use the upper link as an anchor for traction for the reasons described, I don't use it to pull trees down or stumps out or anything else which might unpredictably present enough resistance to cause the tractor to rear up.
At the first Tunstead Rally of the NICE Society in September 1974, I witnessed from a few yards distance the owner of a Standard Fordson giving someone a driving lesson, he was stood on the towbar as the clutch was dropped in hard by the pupil causing it to rear, as it dropped, he lost balance and went round with the rear wheel and was run over, I don't recall how many months he was hospitalised - never regarded tractors in quite the same light since then !
Now about this unqualified use of
NEVER
