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lets talk chain..

X

XHitman396

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welp, its about that time for me to get a 60" hi-lift, so after that, comes the chain. but what size/grade would be appropriate. i saw some 3/8" (i think, its pretty much the all around biggest i can find anywhere) grade 70 chain that seemed ok, is it? should i find some stronger/bigger stuff, if so, where? the hi-lift website said it's max load is like 4 thousand something, then in parenthesis, it had 7000lbs, so i dunno what that means, but i would think i need chain of the same strength, and the stuff im looking at is around like 5k, but not 7k, so should i match the 7k? and does anyone know the size/grade of the chain that comes on the offroad kit? is it worth the money? if this confuses anyone, sorry, im tired... thanks guys....
 
3/8" Grade 70 has a working load limit of 5,500 I believe and an absolute breaking strength of 19,000 lbs.

I doubt there's anything you can do to this chain that will break when using it on a 6,000 lb truck. This is what I use to bind my truck down to the trailer when I'm towing it.
 
Just don't use it like a snatch strap. Don't jerk on it. Only use it when you can tension it slowly.

I wouldn't use chain for recovery either unless it is only a really light recovery. Don't be trying to rescue trucks frame deep in mud or anything were they are stuck hard with chain. Use a strap. Straps are more versitile offroad and are safer.

Snapping a strap offroad while trying to unstuck someone is safer then snapping a chain. I only use chains for towing and securing loads (trucks to trailers, etc).

A good snatch strap is a must offroad along with a shackle and some recovery points.

Harley
 
thanks for the numbers, thats what i needed. i have no lack of tow points, or lack of straps, but straps stretch, which is no good for a hi-lift since you only have limited movement, thanks for the help guys...
 
I never use chains for recovery. I have two 3' lengths of chain I'll use to hook up to a vehicle that has no tow points, and then use a strap. I try to not use chain at all though under any circumstances.

Chain is for binding your truck to the trailer, straps for extracting a stuck truck. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I never use chains for recovery. I have two 3' lengths of chain I'll use to hook up to a vehicle that has no tow points, and then use a strap. I try to not use chain at all though under any circumstances.

Chain is for binding your truck to the trailer, straps for extracting a stuck truck.

[/ QUOTE ]
Straps are ok for pulling another vehicle out of a mud hole or a ditch but should never be used for anything else as far as a recovery goes. Now if Your talking about a real recovery then grade 80 or 100 chain is what you would use between a vehicle and a winch line. Trust Me on this Tim I have done more recoverys than You have ever dreamed of.
 
[ QUOTE ]
3/8" Grade 70 has a working load limit of 5,500

[/ QUOTE ]
3/8 grade 70 has a working load limit of 6,600 lbs. and is designed for load binding and is not rated for recovery use.
If You use 3/8 chain for recoverys I would recomend grade 80 rated at 7,100 lbs or grade 100 rated at 8,800 lbs.
 
You are correct in stating that grade 70 chain is not made for recovery in that sense of the word. That is because often you're going to end up lifting a vehicle with a tow truck for a recovery like that.

Grade 80 and 100 chain is VERY expensive because it it rated for overhead hoisting. There is absolutely no need for it for getting a truck un-stuck.

"Straps are ok......"

The majority of off roaders don't know what they're doing in reguards to a professional recovery. They don't have 25,000 lb winches either nor are they in the most ideal situation. Straps are the safest tool that an ameteur has at their disposal. Winch cables and chains have killed way more people than tow straps in the past.

There is absolutely no reason to get in a pissing contest on what a chain is rated for. If you're not overloading the chain it is not going to fail. If you were doing this professionally day in and day out, then you need to ensure that your chain gets the recovery stamp of approval. Grade 80 offers minimal strength improvement over Grade 70 but is FAR more expensive as it is rated for overhead hoisting.

I do not use chains for recovery. A tow truck operator can do that if he wants, but I am going to use my tow strap in 90% of cases. It is strong, safe, and easy. I will use my winch in all other cases where a strap is not ideal.

As I said, straps are for recovery. Chains are for binding your rig down to the trailer.
 
But wait, he is talking about chain to use with his hi-lift- which could mean that he is trying to lift his truck with this so called chain.

If he did that to crawl under to say, fix a spring pack, then yes, it would (or at least it *should*) be considered overhead duty.

if I had to crawl under my truck to do anything, and I was using achain in addition to my hi-lift, I'd spend the extra dough to get 100 grade. Your only talking a few feet of it anyways. (I dont know how much grade 70 or 100 goes for, just a guestimation).
 
go to your local Wrecker shop, where they build Tow trucks, find out where they get their recovery chain. stuff kicks butt, and never ever breaks atleast not with what your gonna be using it for!! /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
i run 150 feet of 7/16's cable on my winch. at the end is 10 feet of 1/2" grade 80 chain perminantly attached. it has 12000lb working load limit. i can wrap it around a 3 foot diameter tree, around your bumper (if you dont have tow hooks)
 
[ QUOTE ]
Straps are the safest tool that an ameteur has at their disposal. Winch cables and chains have killed way more people than tow straps in the past.

[/ QUOTE ]

Straps and Cables can store energy and will "spring" back releasing that energy if they break or quickly detach from their anchor point. While cables are notorious for this danger, straps can be equally as dangerous. It is usually the heavy hook at the end, or the short chain that is attached (not a good idea) at the end of a strap that will come sailing back at you. A strap alone will usually dissipate the energy quickly and fall limp. Chains do not store (much) energy and if used alone will fall to the ground. A chain by its self can be safe, but hard on equipment as there is no give.
 
Shock loading a chain will often result in failure, and if you think chain doesn't store energy, try it sometime and see what your truck looks like when the chain fails and flies into the back of your truck.

Straps will fail but they're made for towing and jerking. They have very high breaking strengths and are designed this way intentionally. If I was trying to jerk someone free, I'd much rather be doing so on a strap than a chain.
 
I don't think some of you guys are paying attention the the question on hand. He wants to use his high lift as a winch to unstick his vehicle. A strap will stretch too far, and a cable is more dangerous (in my opinion), but a grade 70 3/8" chain stretches little. The chain is the best choice for the job. I doubt that he would be able to break the chain using only the highlift as a pulling device.

I myself have a few lenghts of that same chain for this exact purpose. But if another vehicle is around and can pull out the stuck vehicle, a strap is the way to go, and that is why I also carry one of them.

Go ahead and get the g70 3/8" chain. You will not regret it.
 
sorry ive been out of town, unable to respond to this, but im not sure where exactly anyone came up with trying to lift my truck, or jerk out a stuck vehicle with chain, ive just been in a few situations where the recovery vehicle was unable to be in position to use the strap, or i was by myself and just needed a little tug to get un-stuck. thanks for the bit of useful info, and im glad i wasnt the only one wondering where the thread was going Weisel /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif haha.. looks like ill be getting some next weekend...
 
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