WD shanks

joshuajim wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I actually own an EQUALIZER shank. That is how I know that not all manufacturers use the same steel. I didn't mention my shank in my previous response as I had no idea if it was one you were looking at.... I guess that made that response unintelligent in your eyes.... But now that you have an "intelligent" response, do you still believe the type of steel is of "no consequence"?

I personally like that part to be as good as it can be... It is a pretty important part of the system.

As I stated in a previous post, common mild steel has a yield strength of at least 25,000 psi. A 2x2 solid shank is 4 square inches which computes to 100,000 lbs. YES the steel is of NO CONSEQUENCE when it has a safety factor of 10 or more.

I disagree- you are talking static load, and a hitch shank is very much subject to dynamic loads. To me, better steel is a no brainer.

Huntindog wrote:
I actually own an EQUALIZER shank. That is how I know that not all manufacturers use the same steel. I didn't mention my shank in my previous response as I had no idea if it was one you were looking at.... I guess that made that response unintelligent in your eyes.... But now that you have an "intelligent" response, do you still believe the type of steel is of "no consequence"?

I personally like that part to be as good as it can be... It is a pretty important part of the system.

As I stated in a previous post, common mild steel has a yield strength of at least 25,000 psi. A 2x2 solid shank is 4 square inches which computes to 100,000 lbs. YES the steel is of NO CONSEQUENCE when it has a safety factor of 10 or more.

if they're both rated for 14k, are they both equally capable if carrying their rated loads?

IOW, is one a 140k hitch that's over-built and -priced for the job being asked of it?

It always helps when you supply more information. ;)

Chris Bryant wrote:
The Equalizer is 7 pounds heavier and made from better steel (says chrome-moly) in the USA, the Eaz-lift is mild steel, made in China.

Finally, an intelligent answer!

The Equalizer is 7 pounds heavier and made from better steel (says chrome-moly) in the USA, the Eaz-lift is mild steel, made in China.

Sorry for the delay in my response, but Verizon wifi has been operating at dial up speed for 2 days. The benefit of living next to nowhere.

Anyway, here are 2 similar shanks from major manufacturers. I used Amazon to keep pricing comparable to eliminate site to site variation.

Now can anybody tell me why one is worth twice the other?

I once watched an office supply distributor repackage some rubber bands, "Because the customer preferred a certain brand". This may well qualify as a similar situation. Some people like to pay fifty dollars for ten pounds of iron and some other guy may think that spending one hundred gets him a better product when the results are the same. Think what it would be worth if it was painted orange.

joshuajim wrote:

LarryJM wrote:
IMO the reluctance of the OP to give us the info about which specific shanks he is talking about tells me this is most likely a BOGUS question and is a troll post.

Larry

I guess that means that you can't answer it... so spin it!

No spin here just honest thoughts and reasonable questions for clarification, but thanks for confirming my suspicions and I can answer actual meaningful questions which you have failed to ask. I suspect what you are characterizing as two basically similar items are in fact very different and it's just your lack of knowledge to recognize those differences.

Of course I can't prevent others from wasting their time posting in this for the most part a totally meaningless thread, but so be it.:p

Larry