When placing items on the roof racks, tie up the loose ends of the straps to prevent them from falling over during transport. They are run through a buckle that lets you loosen and tighten the strap, so you can lengthen the strap until you can pull it across your entire load, then tighten the strap again until there’s enough tension to secure the load. How To Use Ratchet Straps Also Has Informative Blog Articles Diy Ratchet Straps Household Hacks Straps A similar, patented buckle is toothless and avoids the potential wear that a standard, toothed buckle can cause. How to work a ratchet tie down strap . One piece has the ratchet assembly on the other end while the other has a plain strap. Lock the ratchet in the closed position. Grab the polyester tie down webbing from the nonfixed side and begin to pull the webbing to release. Tie down webbing is available in 1 webbing, 2 webbing, 3 webbing, 4 webbing, seatbelt webbing, & cordura sleeve.to adjust the length of your str...