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Old 04-10-2003, 09:55 PM   #1
pap
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Question Safety Tow Chains

I got depressed over at the "wrecks on the highway" / "war stories" thread;
http://www.airforums.com/forum...1889#post31889 (but I am better off to have read it all). One thing mentioned was this regarding safety chains:
Quote:
"...the forged steel hooks on the ends of our
safety chains both snapped in two. The broken ends look
like tiny bobbles in the metal. Hydrogen imbrittlement?
If I need safety chains in the future I'll use screw type
carabineers as I have in the past." (according to Tony the accident victim).
*What is this all about?
*What is Hydrogen imbrittlement?
*What is a screw type carabineer? How much are they?

*and if the chain hooks had held, so what would have been different in the accident I wonder?
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Old 04-10-2003, 11:38 PM   #2
5 rivets, 1 loose screw
 
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re: safety chains

pap, I posted to the original thread before I noticed yours.

The short definition of hydrogen imbrittlement is a defective weld.
A screw type carabineer is a coupler such as a "quick link" that screws shut (pic below).
It is possible that the trailer flipped because the broken chains allowed the tongue to dig into the roadway.
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Old 04-11-2003, 04:59 AM   #3
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no way!

pap and rog

save the carabineers for the mountain climbing folks!

they are not rated for that!

look here instead! http://www.thecrosbygroup.com/

the life you save may be your own.

we use crosby rigging exclusivley at the good old power company. i have never seen one of their fittings fail.

we are very rough on stuff!

john
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Old 04-11-2003, 09:31 AM   #4
5 rivets, 1 loose screw
 
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1966 20' Globetrotter
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I agree, john hd

I was just answering pap's question as to definition.
Personally, I wish all RV manufacturers would use grade 80 alloy chain and hooks rather than the cost-saving grade 30 proof coil chain which is NOT recommended for lifting or pulling.
A common misconception about chain is that bigger is stronger.
The chart on the link below illustrates that 5/16 grade 80 chain has a working load limit 3 times higher than 5/16 grade 30.
I don't know what grade A/S uses as standard.
BTW, I sold chain and other items to the industrial market for more than 20 years. Crosby is top-of-the-line but so are Campbell Chain and CM Chain. I steer clear of imported chain.

Rog

http://www.wallingfords.com/Industrialchain1.htm
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Old 04-11-2003, 10:16 AM   #5
pap
 
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Great stuff rog & chopper-john!

I have visited all your suggested links and bookmarked them for further study. Rog might I suggest that you copy and paste your other-thread post over here too. I think this is a very important subject.


I have a runaway trailer (not RV) war story too regarding NO chains. I was 1st on scene of a dump truck which was stopped in road with a trailered back hoe implanted in its engine compartment. The dump truck driver was pinned in the cab by the steering wheel and instrument panel. His drivers door was jammed shut. I entered the truck on passenger side but could do nothing but listen to the poor fellow gasp and gurgle. He was 90% unconcious. Others arrived,someone went and called help (prior to cell phones), it arrived and they admined an IV and waited for jaws of life arrive to extricate the man. Sadly he died later that day. The driver (who had fled scene before my arrival) of the pickup truck was found to be an illegal Mexican immigrant. The safety chains were still hooked to their storage carriers on the trailer and had never been used that day. I went before the city council and implored them to crack down on trailer users and unsafe tow setups. They stared blankly at me and as far as I know never even followed up with the Police chief as to the ramifications of such a crackdown. Since that day for the last 20 years I have glanced over at almost every trailer I pass, lookin at the safety chains, I have seen countless numbers not being used at all or skipping along on the pavement. I would support the harshest of laws and fines including checkstops and random pullovers or special inspection sticker requirements for trailers and hitch units.I do believe in less government ..except on the highways..and at the borders!

In Houston and Birmingham I see overloaded pickups (often overloaded with passengers too) pulling small construction or lawn maintenance trailers, with poorly secured or overloaded trailers. Many I believe are piloted by illegals who may not have any license, much less any briefing on safety towing.
My brother a Houston policeman tells me that traffic officers there hesitate to even stop some aliens for the lack of co-op they get with the immigration people. He says the Houston jails could be filled to overflow in a week if they just arrested those with no or fake drivers licenses. They have been advised not to arrest for such offenses.
Have we all lost our minds in this country or what????
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