Receiver Shackle Advice Please

[WOODY2]

This is going around as an example of a hitch pin failure (bent) as a recovery point. Someone said they had never seen a hitch pin bend.........Don't know the details of the pull, just fyi.

View attachment 736447View attachment 736448

That bent pin must have been very hard to remove from receiver without cutting it.

 

[Metcalf]

I’ve used the pin technique plenty in straight pulls. I always figured that it wouldn’t fail easily and if it did, there would be a low likelihood of it becoming a projectile.

The pin isn't that strong in bending. It is a fairly low likelihood of the pin becoming a bullet. When it bends, there is a risk that one end is pulled in causing a quick release of the energy of the strap. It's like a trigger. Bending the pin and have it get trapped in the hitch is another issue. The other danger in this rigging system is the edges of the hitch cutting/sawing the strap in the critically loaded eye area.

It's just bad practice that should be avoided whenever possible.

 

[Alloy]

Interesting, I just looked up the Factor 55 hitch pin. They state that its made from 303 Stainless Steel (UNS S30300) which according to matweb has a UTS of just at 100,000 psi. I forget the alloying make-up of 303, but I've always viewed it as the free machining, semi red-headed step-child of the 300 series stainless steels. Useful for when you need it to be a 300 series, but isn't as good at anything as any of the more common 300's (for good reasons) except that it is easier to machine.

I have SS hitch pins that I don't use for recovery due to metal fatigue.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Thinking outside of the box here but you may want to have a look at a hitch skid...

I have the Backbone from Body Armor:


I don't particularly rely on it for recovery since I have recovery points integrated into my bumper but it can be used as an attachment point for a strap (it also makes a handy wheel chock). I only rely on it to protect my receiver. If you're going to be in situations that might require recovery then you'll likely be in situations where your receiver could use some protection. Rather than carry a shackle mount that will be useless at least 99.5% of the time, one of these can do some good in terms of protection and also do double duty for recovery.

 

[pith helmet]

This is the one from Curt Mfg. It is pretty darn solid and can be oriented vertically or horizontally, which is a feature I like a lot. Sorry I don't have a better pic, it is packed away in the truck.

I have a 2021 Rubicon Unlimited, and just got a trailer hitch installed, wasn’t one on it from the factory, and I wasn’t going to pay dealer prices! Now I need a shackle to mount a D-ring. What advice and brands can you point me to? Looking for very occasional use, not going into business pulling people out or getting stuck, but I like to be prepared.

Thank you for the help!

 

[BritKLR]

Thinking outside of the box here but you may want to have a look at a hitch skid...

I have the Backbone from Body Armor:
View attachment 740925

I don't particularly rely on it for recovery since I have recovery points integrated into my bumper but it can be used as an attachment point for a strap (it also makes a handy wheel chock). I only rely on it to protect my receiver. If you're going to be in situations that might require recovery then you'll likely be in situations where your receiver could use some protection. Rather than carry a shackle mount that will be useless at least 99.5% of the time, one of these can do some good in terms of protection and also do double duty for recovery.

Just curious. How would a strap mount on this? Seems to have some sharp edges if looped under the receiver portion and out the opening under the step? Thanks.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Just curious. How would a strap mount on this? Seems to have some sharp edges if looped under the receiver portion and out the opening under the step? Thanks.

Just as you have described is how you would attach a strap, looped under the receiver portion and out the opening under the step. Yes, sharpish edges but I don't think sharp enough to do any damage to a proper strap unless you were to use it for off-angle pulls on the regular. For the occasional recovery (of the Jeep mentioned by OP) I think it would be totally fine.

 

[Metcalf]

Just as you have described is how you would attach a strap, looped under the receiver portion and out the opening under the step. Yes, sharpish edges but I don't think sharp enough to do any damage to a proper strap unless you were to use it for off-angle pulls on the regular. For the occasional recovery (of the Jeep mentioned by OP) I think it would be totally fine.

It's really not a good practice. The strength of strap material drops off exponentially if the radius is less than the thickness of the strap ( Having the metal radius be 3x the compressed thickness if the strap is generally the minimum for full strength), and that is if the strap is laying perfectly flat. When edge loaded it gets even worse.

 

[Alloy]

I will suggest that those pins should be recycled. If they're only good for some of the things, but not all of the things that they're likely to be called upon to do the odds are very good that they will be misused. I try very hard to never give Mr. Murphy an opportunity to exploit, he's too good at finding them anyway without my aiding and abetting him.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I don't use SS for recovery because it fatigues. The SS is probably stronger than the steel ones I use but my worry is instead of bending they will break.

 

[Alloy]

Just as you have described is how you would attach a strap, looped under the receiver portion and out the opening under the step. Yes, sharpish edges but I don't think sharp enough to do any damage to a proper strap unless you were to use it for off-angle pulls on the regular. For the occasional recovery (of the Jeep mentioned by OP) I think it would be totally fine.

It's really not a good practice.

I agree with Metcalf. Even if things don't get cut then sliding over the edge will damage the gear.

Better to use a receiver shackle. If that's not available option are:
- a piece of 3/4"- 1" pipe cut to fit inside the receiver and fit over the hitch pin. I've done this using steel cable. It's cheap and fast
- a strap ( width depends on receiver size) to spread the load over the pin
- 2 soft shackles instead of 1

 

[Alloy]

300 series Stainless is, as a class, rather ductile. Even in the cold drawn (worked) condition it has a 40% elongation before it breaks. You will bend it before you fracture it. 303 is covered under the far more generic "18-8" description, which is what hardware store SS bolts are typically made from. We all know how 'soft' those are.

MatWeb - The Online Materials Information Resource

I've seen enough 316/304/303 break due to fatigue that I won't use it for recovery.

 

[doug720]

I use a draw bar shackle insert as a recovery point, but have only used Grade8 bolts and nylocks as hitch pins for over 30 years on all my vehicles with no issue. The bolts are stronger than most pins, reduce play between parts, and virtually eliminate theft of draw bar. I also use large thick washers on both sides of tube.

 

[Metcalf]

If you're fatigue cycling something like a hitch pin that much then I wouldn't have any around at all.

I tend to use 5/8" G8 bolts & nylocks for the very few hitch pins that I do have. I'm sure that the Hitch Pin Police won't be happy about that, and I'm really not concerned about that.
See post 24 for why I have so few hitches or hitch pins.

I use a draw bar shackle insert as a recovery point, but have only used Grade8 bolts and nylocks as hitch pins for over 30 years on all my vehicles with no issue. The bolts are stronger than most pins, reduce play between parts, and virtually eliminate theft of draw bar. I also use large thick washers on both sides of tube.

If you're going to use a grade 8 bolt for a hitch pin, I would highly suggest using one with a partially threaded shank that is longer than the total span of the hitch tube. Generally, bolts are designed to be shear loaded through the thread minor diameter with tension on the fastener ( clamping force). The thread minor diameter is only 0.513 on 5/8-11 threads ( with lots of sharper inside corners where cracks like to start )....effectively, this is like an instant downgrade to a 1/2" diameter pin on one or both sides.

 

[doug720]

I also use a shoulder length that exceeds the hitch tube OA thickness including washers.

 

[Metcalf]

Could instead go this route: https://www.mcmaster.com/91259A804/ I calc that to have a 25.8ksi single shear strength.
OR since all of those holes are oversize (some very badly so) why not ream them to Ø.750", use one of these: https://www.mcmaster.com/91259A845/ and get a 37.1ksi single shear strength?

Why would you be calculating single shear in a receiver hitch application?

Standard 2" receiver hitches are not going to be limited by the 5/8" pin diameter generally. The wall thickness of the host tube is the limiting factor. Even if we ignore everything upstream, the tube walls will start to deform about 40k-ish.....the chance of all the other structure making it that far without some kind of plastic deformation is pretty low.