Rated shackles for safety chains

I would say logically, that YES, you should have rated shackles. What else would you use, D-shackles from Bunnings???

Considering the shackles will be the weakest link in the safety chain I would go with rated shackles just for the sake of safety as opposed to the legal requirement.

What are padlocks rated to as I've seen a lot of them used to join the safety chain to the tow bar mounts?

Cannot confirm but I was told recently that some caravan insurance companies were telling their clients that all "D" shackles must be stamped with the rating.

Brian

Safety safety safety ... for the low price of rated shackles, why even consider using anything else? Seen the horror stories of things gone wrong, and its not worth it. My $0.02 cents worth. ;-)

Just go out and buy some - I've got 2 sets supplied with new towbars - WLL of 1T marked on one set and WLL of 0.75T on another.

Lets not get too excited.
I use 10mm shackles which even unrated would be far stronger than the chains themselves. ( The ones in Supacheap have AFAIR 1.05 tonnes on the package but not the shackle).
But that may not do me any good if some copper wants to see a WLL.
Unfortunately my 3.2 tonne ones will not fit through the chain.
I intend to buy some but AFAIK there is knowhere on the web which sells them, so its a matter of calling Nobles or Bullivents and getting them to mail them. Repco, Supacheap, and "Metal by the Meter, Bolts by the Bucket " certainly do not know about it.
Regards Philip A

I just had a look at ours & they are stamped "Hayman Reese" & we purchased them from a reputable Auto retailer/ fitter at the time of purchasing Hayman Reese weight distribution equipment & having the same distributor fit a suitably rated tow bar to our tow vehicle to tow our van.
I hate assumptions, but assumed at the time that seeing that they new we were setting up to tow a van & were given the necessary weight specs. of the van & that they had fitted the tow bar, sold us the distribution equipment & the shackles, that all equipment, including the shackles met with any lawful requirements.
What does WLL stand for? Cheers

OK you towing experts. Vans over 2 tonnes are required to have breakaway units with batteries to applied brakes for 15mins if activated. Vans are also required to have safety chains, except one cancels out the other. If the van breaks away but retained by the chains its unlikely the breakaway unit will be engaged as designed so what is one supposed to do.

Personally I use a 3tonne sailing shackle to connect the chains to the vehicle.

Russell

When we built our trailer a year ago we were told that the shackles should be rated!

Now this was by the bloke in the bolt shop of course, but he claimed to have had customers come in to get rated shackles because they had been told too by the police of Dept of Transport. (IIRC the police or Transport visited a local caravan club meeting).

The shackles did not cost very much!

Don't forget, the chains have to be rated as well. Don't ask me what is the actual rating is , I wouldn'd have a clue. But I do know the correct chain is bloody heavy.

Ok ,so now we know that we all have to have rated shackles on the safety chain/s and that the chain itself should also be rated ,, no problem ??? Now how can we be assured that the WELD holding the chain to the chassis is strong enough / RATED !!

Philip

"12.3 Drawbars Safety Chains
All pig trailers with rigid drawbars and any other trailer without breakaway brakes must be fitted with safety chains complying with the following:

trailers of ATM up to 2.5 tonnes must have at least one safety chain complying with AS 4177.4 -1994 or as amended from time to time;
trailers of ATM over 2.5 tonnes and up to 3.5 tonnes must have two safety chains of designation of 3500 kg complying with AS 4177.4-1994;
trailers of ATM over 3.5 tonnes and up to 4.3 tonnes must have a chain size of at least 7.1 mm a minimum chain breaking load of 6.4 tonnes be made from steel of a minimum 800 Mpa breaking stress and conforming to the mechanical properties of Grade T chain as specified in AS 2321-1979 'Short Link Chain for Lifting Purposes (non calibrated). trailers of ATM over 4.3 tonnes and up to 4.5 tonnes must have a chain size of 9.5 mm a minimum chain breaking load 11.6 tonnes be made from steel of a minimum 800 Mpa breaking stress and conforming to the mechanical properties of Grade T chain as specified in AS 2321-1979 'Short Link Chain for Lifting Purposes (non calibrated) or as amended from time to time
(Effective from July 1998)
12.4 Drawbars Safety Chain Attachments
The chain must be permanently attached to the trailer shackles are not permitted.

For trailers up to 3.5 tonnes ATM the safety chain attachment can be by welding. The weld must extend around 50% of the circumference of the link and the adjoining link must have free movement.

For trailers over 3.5 tonnes ATM safety chain attachment must not involve welding or deformation of the chain. Suitable pin-lock couplings should be used.

The safety chain attachment must be located as near as practicable to the coupling and where 2 points of attachment are required they must be mounted one on either side of the centreline of the drawbar

The safety chain attachment must withstand the following minimum forces separately applied without incurring either any residual deformation that would interfere or degrade the function of the assembly or any breaks cracks or separation of components

Longitudinal tension (N) .. 9.81 x ATM (in kg)
Vertical Load (N) ..... 0.5 x 9.81 x ATM (in kg). "

Have a read of this link Au gov.

Cheers

Richard