Hanging Trailer Chains

[Diamondpilot]

What I do when they need replace is drill 2 5/8" holes though the frame then use threaded link and safety cables instead of chains. Takes care of the slack issue and chains dragging also.

Chris

 

[radioman]

wouldn't twisting the chains lower the rating of the chain if the trailer came disconcted?

I don't see how it can. Chain is same strength before/after twisting chains. You are not physically twisting each link, you are twisting the whole chain.

 

[TheTrailerGuy]

That's what you have to love about this world. Everybody is coming up with something different every day.

Craig
TheTrailerGuy

 

[QRTRHRS]

I wonder if there is a regulation on welded loops and such? There is not one for stake pockets. You know, the quality and strength of the steel, certified welder, etc.

I attached a photo of the Bri-Mar dump I used to have. Wish I had a photo from the backside but you can somewhat see the double tabs the factory welded on with bolts holding the chains in place.

Don't know if anyone mentioned it but gooseneck chains are supposed to be crossed as well.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Maybe I could use a threaded repair link or a double clevis on the loop...
The integrity of the welded loop is not the issue for me, it's the permanency of welding a captured link in it.

I had considered the quick link or clevis option. What would be the problem with either of those options?

My thought was to weld the captured link at first. Then if I needed to change it ever, I could cut the old chain off and use the quick link or the clevis as a repair.

 

[Rancher Ed]

Yeah I know, I thought someone might say that, but with the u-bolt it would be tight. you would be able to see/ feel that from the outside. with the bolt thru the link it is always loose and moving so no way to tell what's really holding it.
I'm not saying you should change it, just not something I would plan on doing if I were designing a trailer.
The double clevis would require a plate or a loop welded on, so for simplicity a u-bolt would seem to be the way to go, provided you can find a stout stubby ubolt, like what's used on a cable clamp.

One problem I can think of with clamping a link tight though would be how to position it so when a shock load came on, it wouldn't be the weakest link because it can't move. Then I suppose you could leave the ubolt loose by using the nylocks, but now your back to climbing under or at least feeling underneath to check their condition/position.

I guess OP had a legitimate/ good question

JB

Hmmmmmm, you do have a point. Ours has no play in it but without looking under there you don't really know if the nut is on like it should be or if the bolt is just barely through the chain link and ready to fall out.

Maybe weld two rounded tabs 3/8" appart where the slot is on our trailer with a hole in them and you could put the bolt through the one side, the last chain link, and the the other side? Like this you could see if the nut was still on the bolt and the chain could move.
I made a pretty crude drawing but it should show what I mean.

Ed

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Hmmmmmm, you do have a point. Ours has no play in it but without looking under there you don't really know if the nut is on like it should be or if the bolt is just barely through the chain link and ready to fall out.

Maybe weld two rounded tabs 3/8" appart where the slot is on our trailer with a hole in them and you could put the bolt through the one side, the last chain link, and the the other side? Like this you could see if the nut was still on the bolt and the chain could move.
I made a pretty crude drawing but it should show what I mean.

Ed

How do you think that set up would do if the chains were needed? Would it twist those tabs? I wonder if rotating that bolt 90 degrees would be better.

 

[Rancher Ed]

How do you think that set up would do if the chains were needed? Would it twist those tabs? I wonder if rotating that bolt 90 degrees would be better.

I was thinking it would still have the loop at the bottom of the frame like our horse trailer has so that would make the pull mostly down. If you didn't do the loop then it probly would be better to rotate them so if they were needed it would be a straight pull on them. You could use what ever size plate you wanted but I was thinking either 1/4" or maybe even 3/8" for the tabs.

Ed

 

[TheTrailerGuy]

How do you think that set up would do if the chains were needed? Would it twist those tabs? I wonder if rotating that bolt 90 degrees would be better.

Here is my LAST opinion on this.... look at the chain itself. How is the chain built... it is resistance welded together. Look at the size of the steel wire used to make the chain... 5/16" maybe 3/8".. even with heat treatment it will only gain so much tensile strength.

Ok... now think about this. Take a 1/2" cold rolled steel rod, bend a little 'crook' in it, so that the chain link can swing unhindered, then weld this rod to a 6.2lb per foot A36 steel channel (otherwise known as the tongue of the trailer) with .045 wire in a 400 amp wire welder using Stargon gas and make sure to put on FOUR 1.25" welds (each side of the rod on either end).

do you think that you could pull that rod back off of that tongue without breaking the chain? We had the design lab tested (as required to obtain a $2 million liability policy) and in all 14 tests, the chain broke long before this mount design did. In fact the lab guys said that the design didn't even MOVE before the chain broke.... we're talking about 15,000psi of yank strength. Every trailer has two chains which means that you would need to exert 30,000lbs of total force to snap the chains anyway, which is an insane number by any measure on a trailer.

it swivels easy, doesn't bind up and is stronger than the chain itself. Get your wire welder out and get-r-dun.

by the way... why are you changing safety chains? never seen it done unless the trailer was in a crash. Just curious.

Now... on with our lives.

 

[JB4310]

Maybe weld two rounded tabs 3/8" appart where the slot is on our trailer with a hole in them and you could put the bolt through the one side, the last chain link, and the the other side? Like this you could see if the nut was still on the bolt and the chain could move.
I made a pretty crude drawing but it should show what I mean.

Ed

I like this idea, turned 90 as mentioned even better.

My dump trailer uses a single plate tab with a 3/8" hole, for use with the double clevis connector Like I showed a few post back.

Here is my LAST opinion on this.... look at the chain itself. How is the chain built... it is resistance welded together. Look at the size of the steel wire used to make the chain... 5/16" maybe 3/8".. even with heat treatment it will only gain so much tensile strength.

Ok... now think about this. Take a 1/2" cold rolled steel rod, bend a little 'crook' in it, so that the chain link can swing unhindered, then weld this rod to a 6.2lb per foot A36 steel channel (otherwise known as the tongue of the trailer) with .045 wire in a 400 amp wire welder using Stargon gas and make sure to put on FOUR 1.25" welds (each side of the rod on either end).

do you think that you could pull that rod back off of that tongue without breaking the chain? We had the design lab tested (as required to obtain a $2 million liability policy) and in all 14 tests, the chain broke long before this mount design did. In fact the lab guys said that the design didn't even MOVE before the chain broke.... we're talking about 15,000psi of yank strength. Every trailer has two chains which means that you would need to exert 30,000lbs of total force to snap the chains anyway, which is an insane number by any measure on a trailer.

it swivels easy, doesn't bind up and is stronger than the chain itself. Get your wire welder out and get-r-dun.

by the way... why are you changing safety chains? never seen it done unless the trailer was in a crash. Just curious.

Now... on with our lives.

No doubt this is an economical, safe effective method. that's why it's seen on so many trailers.
I need to change the chains on my equipment trailer cause I believe they are undersized.
I'm sure there are other reasons to need to change a chain. Cutting them off is easy enough, and if you can find a rated repair link I guess all would be good. If you had to cut the loop and reweld that would not be good.

JB.