Changing the clevis hooks on my safety chains

Question

I posted earlier that the clevis hooks on the safety chains of my new trailer are a BEAST to connect / disconnect from my F150, so I want to either swap them out for S-hooks, or find a heavy duty bracket of some sort that I can attach to the frame of my truck which will serve as a quick connect for the clevis hooks.

If I decide to replace the Clevis hooks with S-hooks, I'm going to have to add an extra quick link in order to attach the S-hook. I'll of course choose parts rated higher than the GVWR of my trailer, but I'm wondering if adding an extra link to the chain is going to make them too long? I wouldn't think that only one extra link would matter much, but you never know.

scottg · Answer

Clevis hooks are a lot stronger than S hooks. I'm curious, why is it so hard to connect them to the truck?

royb · Answer

My F150 trailer hitch looks like this google image view. I cross connect the chains in the two hook slots shown here. My chains have the safety latch - easy to hook-up for me...

I also use one of these type D-RING hooks that goes through a separate hole on the rear bumper for the breakaway cable. Easy to slip the breakaway loop into the spring loaded slot of the D-Ring. I notice alot of folks have their break-away cable in-with one of the chain hooks...

Roy Ken

hddecker · Answer

RoyB wrote:My F150 trailer hitch looks like this google image view.  I cross connect the chains in the two hook slots shown here.  My chains have the safety latch - easy to hook-up for me...I also use one of these type D-RING hooks that goes through a separate hole on the rear bumper for the breakaway cable. Easy to slip the breakaway loop into the spring loaded slot of the D-Ring. I notice alot of folks have their break-away cable in-with one of the chain hooks...  Roy KenI was taught to use the crossover method to hook up the chains and if they are too long put a twist or two in them.I thick it was your pervious post that I suggested that you grind the tip of your clevis hook down a bit. I hd the same problem with my F150, I went to the hooks that Roy is using. I used them for one trip and went back to the clevis hooks. That little spring loaded safety got mangled on on of the slip hooks and I found it laying on the ground when I stopped for gas.

mosseater · Answer

Reguardless of what you decide for attaching your hooks, I'd refrain from twisting the chain to take up slack. If you ever need the chain to do it's intended job, twisting can potentially weaken it. I'm not understanding how the chains can be too long and that's a problem. cut a link out if they're too long. Use these if they're too short. Although, probably cheaper to just buy a longer chain!

camperforlife · Answer

Check your state regs, some don't allow S hooks.

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Changing the clevis hooks on my safety chains

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