Thread: Rated shackles may be cheaper

Was wandering thu the locak supercrap yesterday and noticed that they had rated shackles right next to generic hardware shackles in two places in the store.

The rated shackles where either the same price or cheaper than the same size in crappy generic hardware shakles.



Why would you not use a rated shackle?

cheers

But who is rating the shackles? Can I take it that this an Australian or at least an internationally recognised body?

OK ,I am playing devils advocate here.
Just whose word do we take?

Caravan Industries Association of Australia recommend AS 2741-2002 standard

Although there do not appear to be any specific requirements for shackles, the CIAA recommends shackles meeting the AS 2741-2002 standard be used to secure rated safety chains up to 3500kg capacity. In addition, they recommend that shackles should also have the following characteristics:

The shackle grade is “S” or “6”.
The working load limit is 1000kg.
The shackle diameter is 10mm.
Either a bow or D shackle may be used.


Manufacturers from a certain country can't all be trusted
Take castors for instance made in a certain country rated at a certain value.There has been made mention of more than a few times by our own contributors where castors rated at a value had collapsed under a load far less than rated value.

Grahame

I answered my own question then! You gotta love Google.


You can easily identify a shackle that meets AS 2741-2002 “Shackles” because they will be permanently marked with the following information:

• The manufacturer’s name or trademark
• Quality grade of the shackle, e.g. (“M” or “4”, “S” or “6”)
• Working Load Limit (WLL) or Rating; and
• Identification marking in order to correlate shackle to test certificate

Source boatpoint.com.au

I am talking about shackles marked and rated and stamped with an australina standards mark in accordance with the requirements of lifting industry regulations.

Any shackle legall sold in australia stamped with WLL or SWL (in the past) and a standards mark can be pretty much be relied upon to meet the standards and have at least a 4:1 safety factor ...... most of the better brand shackles will have a safety factor far exceeding .... most 6:1 or greater.

Hardware shackles on the other hand can not be relied upon to have any particular strength or manufacturing standards ..... while some will publish a minimum breaking strain ..... many of the suppliers have omitted any load rating from their documentation and packaging.

cheers

and here is the difference .

A 10mm or 3/8" rated shackle will typically be rated at 1000Kg

A 10mm or 3/8 hardware shackle might typically be rated at 1200Kg

the difference is the rated shackle is specified alloy steel and that 1000Kg is Working Load Limit that includes at least a 4:1 safety factor ..... this makes the test before failure load at least 4 tonnes .... and distortion is failure ..... if when loaded to test and released the pin binds ..its a fail .... good brands will have a safety factor of 6:1 or more

The 1200Kg of the hardware shackle is not specified by standard and legeslation but will typically be minimum breaking strain ...... maybe

So ya rated alloy shackle is good for at least 4 tonnes, 6 tonnes if it is a good one

ya hardware shackle made of who knows what is good for 1.2 tonnes .... if ya lucky.

cheers

Correct me if I am wrong , but I thought that any shackle used to connect safety chains now has to be a stamped compliant type .

The plain unmarked ones no longer to be used .

Michael

Yeh thats a point that is up for argument ... and actual polocy may vary from state to state.

The reality is that unless the shackle is stamped you cant prove that it is fit for the purpose.

But there is still argument about that point.

No argument from me ..... there is not much I'd use a non rated shackle for.

cheers

Originally Posted by soundman

No argument from me ..... there is not much I'd use a non rated shackle for.

cheers

Particularly when you can buy a proper rated shackle so cheaply and easily now. Where once you had to find a specialised lifting products retailer to buy rated chain and shackles, you can now find them at Bunnings, Supercheap ARB stores and other common retailers.
Now if we could just stop people using snap clips to connect safety chains........

I am having trouble convincing the store staff that a shackle rated to at least 3.5 ton is what I want for my cruiser ute which has been upgraded to 3790 kg and has a proper 3.5 ton towing capacity .

I dont ever want a trailer to come away when its loaded .

To me the safety chains have to support the initial shock load if the coupling failed and then be able to allow you to get to a safe place to stop .

Michael

What you have to understand in the rating system.
It is un necessary to have a 3.5 tonne W.L.L. shackle on a 3.5 tonne trailer.

Remember a rated shackle is required by law to have a failure srtrain ( distortion is failure, breakage is not required) of at least 4 times its stamped rating, better quality shackles will have a failure strain of 6 to 8 times their stamped rating.

A 3.5 tonne shackle is quite a large lump of steel ...... and ya don't need a 12 tonne pluss breaking strain shackle on the safety chain on a 3.5 tonne trailer ...... particularly if you have twin safety chains.

1.5 tonne lifting industrly rated shackle should be sufficient with a failure strain of at least 6 tonnes if you want more safety margin .. but a brand name shackle with a higher safety factor.



one restriction will be ..... if the shackle will fit thru the chain and the attachment point ...... at 1.5 tonnes you may be pushing the limits there and may have to step back to 1 tonne.

I carry 3.25 tonne shackles for recovery equipment ...... but not for towing safety chains.

cheers

cheers

I do understand the rating systems and have also seen the results of erring on the lighter side.

When the tow hitch fails for what ever reason if a trailer is loaded and there is a sudden application of 3-4 tons of trailer and load a 1 ton shackle will tear apart and the results are not pretty.

I prefer to over engineer items which are safety related , the hitch is 1/2 plate where the shackles connect and the plasma cut opening will accept a 4.7 ton shackle easily.
The chains which I have on my own trailer are rated for 4 -6 ton even though the current trailer is only a little 2400kg one .

When I hire a trailer to move larger items I always make sure that the safety chains are not just for looks, I also carry a length of heavy chain and shackles just in case.

I have seen too many trailers and caravans come to grief because of poor maintenance, operator is a cheapskate, or the classic "I'm not going far it will be all right".

Its better to be ridiculed because of over the top safety than living with serious injury or worse.

I am on the road daily ,for my work area is about the size of Victoria so there is a lot to see when it comes to vehicles and trailers big and small.

I am not disagreeing with anyone, just want people to realize what can happen.
Michael

sorry mate but a 1 tonne shackle with a minimum failure load (distortion is failure) of at least 4 tonnes is not going to "rip appart" ...... A 1.5 tonne shackle certainly wont.

PARTICULARLY if you are running dual safety chains.

on most light trailers the safety chains are not lifting industry rated nor do they have to be ......



SO this 6 tonne chain .... how big is the rod it is made of, what aloy is it and this 6 tonnes ..... 6 tonnes what .... S.W.L., W.L.L., nominal working load, Minimum breaking strain or a figure someone pulled out of the air.



look at your chain .... if there is enough room to put a rod the same size that the chain is made of inbetween the links OR you can fit the body of a shackle the same size as the links of the chain thru an end link ...... it is long link mild steel chain.

look here https://www.lifting.com.au/documents...section-05.pdf

this page lists most of the lower grades of general purpose chain

look here Alloy Lifting Chain & Fittings | Atlas Chains - Marine, Lifting & Rigging Equipment
look in the straight sling rating collumn tis is rated lifting chain

Safety factors vary .... if the rating is "minimum breaking strain" there is no safety factor, if it is transport chain the safety factor will be ( from memory ) 1.5 to 1 .... if it is lifting chain the safety factor will be at least 4 to 1.



tell me what is this 6 tonne chain you speak of ..... what is the diameter of the rod it is made of and what is the alloy

Remember 10mm general purpose chain will break (real world) at around 4 tonnes probably rated around 3 tonnes minimum breaking strain ..... workimg on a 1.5 to 1 safety factor as a trailer safety chain good for 2 tonnes.

A 10mm 1 tonne rated lifting industry shackle MUST be good for at least 4 tonnes failure strain (distortion is failure) ... a good qulaity shackle may be good for 6 pluss tonnes

A 16mm rated shackle will be rated at 3.25 tonnes, must be good for near 16 tonnes, if it is a good manufacturer it may be good for 20 odd tonnes.

IF the manufacturer has used 3.5 tonne rated "trailer safety chain" ..... marketed for the purpose ..... it will be 13mm long link chain ..... it is likly to have a 1.5 to 1 safety factor, which puts its minumim breaking strain at around 5.5 tonnes. ... probably actually break at around 6 tonnes.

A 1.5 tonne lifting industry shackle will be perfectly adequate with that chain ..... because the 1.5 tonne lifting industry shackle MUST be good for at least 6 tonnes, if it is a good manufacturer it may be good for 9 pluss tonnes ....... pretty good chance the chain attachment point on the drawbar will fail first.

running a 3.5 tonne lifting industry rated shackle on a light trailer under 3,5 tonnes is rediculous.

cheers

The chain on my trailer was take from a two legged lifting sling ,taken out of service because three links on one leg were damaged .
I cut the other leg in half and fabricated a hitch similar to that used by Heavy rigids when attaching their safety chains, the links are 13mm from memory the ears of the attachment are 1/2 bisalloy just because there was some offcuts laying around.

The pins were purchased from a local Beaver outlet , they just fit through the links of the chain.

I have pulled 10mm 1 ton rated shackles apart when a trailer coupling snapped due to a faulty 50mm ball , the trailer luckily went off the road into the table drain and stopped .

That is why I prefer to use heavy chains at least the trailer will stay attached and not drop to the road or spear up the rear of the tow vehicle.

I dont overload and all loads are secured to prevent any movement in the event of sudden braking etc.

Each to his own .

I feel safe with my setup , some of the junk that people travel on the highways is scary, some of it is hire equipment to boot , all a few of them care about is getting money from customers.

Have a good day
Michael

Another thing to watch is that the tow bar assembly is well attached to the vehicle. Years ago I managed a trailer hire place, got a phonecall to come and collect a trailer, I asked why, answer "cos it came off the car", when I got there, on a cnr of a major intersection, there was the trailer with tow bar still attached.
The other day, the lady next door had her grandson visit, showing me his fancy ski boat and Nissan Patrol tow vehicle, he had a Commodore, but was to slow coming up the freeway, I explained about 4WDing to him and looked around the vehicle showing him tow points etc. Explained about using snatch strap off a tow bar, he didn't quite get it, so went to show him about pulling out the pin, GUESS WHAT no pin holding the tow ball hitch on, the only thing that stopped it from coming off was the anti rattle bolt done up really tight!!!!
Kryn

Not everyone is that stupid, but I have come across many vehicles with rusty chassis rails from taking the boat to the seaside ramp , dont ever bother to run fresh water through the chassis rails .

People just dont check the basics , I have replaced all suspect bolts on both the tow hitch and bullbar mounts with decent industrial supply ones not the hardware store butter sticks.

The factory supplied receiver pin has had a change as well , I had some 1 inch, 25mm 4140 left over from a job and turned a pin out of it , bit tougher.

Michael