westend wrote:
For reference: a 16d nail is rated at 60K lbs. of shear strength. I wouldn't stress over the pin.
They're strong, but not that strong.
For reverence, a 5/8" bolt has the following shear strength;
Grade 2 is 13,621.5 pounds
Grade 5 is 22,088.9 pounds
Grade 8 is 27,611.1 pounds
Bear in mind however, that is the
single shear strength. A hitch pin goes through a pair of tubes so the amount of force required to shear it would be the single shear load times
two.
So if for instance you were using a cheap Grade 2 pin the shear strength would then be 13,621.5 x 2 = 27,243 pounds since you would have to shear through it on each side of the receiver tube.
Just for giggles then, the shear strength of a Grade 8 bolt as a hitch pin would be 55,222.2 pounds.
