You never know when it might happen

[joshuajim]

I went to move my equipment trailer. If it's just a short move, I just hook the safety chains to the bucket on the tractor and pull it along with the chains (unloaded of course). When I got it to the location, I noticed that one of the chains was unhooked. Here is what I found.




Now this is a 17 year old trailer and I replaced both hooks, but I'm glad I found out before I really needed the safety chains.

[JIMNLIN]

My smallest flatbed is a 10k gvwr bumper pull car hauler. It comes with 6700 lb work load rated 3/8" grade 70 clevis type slip hook with a safety latch.

I use 1/4"...5/16" and 3/8" grade 70 chains of various lengths and grade 70 grab hooks or slip hooks when felling/moving dead trees or moving something heavy around my place or chaining down my 7600 lb blue tractor/7' mower on a trailer.

[Lynnmor]

wnjj wrote:
Those “hooks” are really weak anyway and I wouldn’t trust them for a real breakaway event. My flatbed trailer came with those and I replaced them with real forged hooks.

Even when brand new those bent wire style could pull out straight with enough force.

I tried to bend these shut and gave up, I believe they are made from kryptonite.

[wnjj]

Those “hooks” are really weak anyway and I wouldn’t trust them for a real breakaway event. My flatbed trailer came with those and I replaced them with real forged hooks.

Even when brand new those bent wire style could pull out straight with enough force.

[JBarca]

Good pics!

Yes, your right, yearly close inspection of all hitch equipment is a need.

And as QCman stated, the crack in the dark area started a long time ago and it looks like it may have progressed in stages.

I found cracks in the welds of one of my WD hitch heads. It was about 10 years old at the time. Fine hair line cracks down the center of the welds. Several of them. That is the time to find these cracks, they are tiny and in the early stages of failing. You really have to clean the parts and use good lighting, but you can see some of these issues before they create big problems. The key is, you have to at least look.

[QCMan]

That looks like it was broken for a long time before the last little bit let go.