Hensley / Propride safety chain option
I was of course using chains from trailer to hitch but grew tired of trying to get the chains to the perfect length. Owners know the hitch head moves side to side taking the chains with it and the...
Forum Discussion
RinconVTR wrote:camp-n-family wrote:
Not sure what the purpose of your post is if you're just going to shoot down everyone's opinion and find "better" info elsewhere? Since you asked I will supply pics of my hitch setup.
I have a 6" chain extension with properly rated chain and connectors supplied by Hensley. I took 3 links out which leaves me enough length to cross them over several times. Enough slack for any movement but not enough for the tongue to hit the ground should it ever detach. Hard to see from the pic but there is 7" of ground clearance from the chains.
Shoot everyone down? That's was not the intent, but is it not what everyone has done to me? And now everyone gets their 2 cents on your setup. (Thank for posting, please do not take offense.) Let's see if anyone else is man enough to do the same.
Your chains have more slack than I have ever had (no way in h e double L will that hold up the tongue), you are never to twist chains because it reduces their break strength, and the yellow ties on the OCL's are useless.
Worse yet, I verified exactly what the Hensley supplied extension chain and links are and find them both severely underrated for a 6000lb+++ trailer. I was wrong to defend use of those links but think about how many thousand Hensley has supplied and people trust.
My cables are rated at 7400lb min break which is acceptable, but I was using some of the Hensley chain. No more. I'm either going all cable or buying new full length 3/8" chain.
The chains aren't twisted, they are loosely crossed over. There is a difference. Chains are supposed to be crossed to support the tongue should it drop. Hard to see from the pic but there are 2 cross overs at the low point in the slack. =xx=. I don't see how crossing them twice will do any harm vs once. Chain strength testing is not with crossed over chains, it is with a single chain that is twisted in itself. That type of twisting would bind the links and put a side load on them. That is what reduces their strength. Crossing them does very little, if anything, to the strength.
Yes, the yellow cable ties are useless for the purpose of the hitch as I mentioned above. They are there for my personal preference. Easier to see and keep together so I don't lose them.
