Thread: DIY - Steering guard

Originally Posted by Tank

Mark I have no idea why you are confused (or are you having a dig), if I was there and could see the situation it would be easy. Commonsense says to do it safely.
If I fitted the shackle pin vertically and it appeared to me that when the load was applied and the shackle took the load and the pin was jambed (at least until the vehicles were on the same or similar plane) I would mount the shackle horizontally, till the towed vehicle was level then I would change it back to vertical.
Mark you seem to think that I'm fixated on Vertical or Horizontal, my priority and yours too should be to make sure the shackle is NOT loaded sideways with a jambed pin, please read my reply to Martyn above, oh and BTW there is no way I would snatch Geoff's pride and joy, forward or back, Geoff, some Lockers mate, Regards Frank.
P.S. If you have a look at the back of (4x4 Action's) Roothy's Milo, he has a very good setup on the rear bar, 2 vertical (pin hole) eye bolts, with a decent length of a bridle strap the best of both worlds.

Thanks Frank,
I did have the idea that you were advocating that a shackle should only be mounted with the pin vertical for recoveries re:

Originally Posted by Tank

If the 2 lugs sticking out the front are recovery points, then the shackle pin holes should be vertical and not horizontal, shackles are designed only to be loaded in the straight ahead line, with the holes horizontal any pull off dead centre will pull the shackle sideways causing damage. The shackle pin in the vertical plane will align itself to the line of pull and will not be damaged

...which seems the bit the arguments started on-but as I tried to show by my query, out on the tracks it can be a compound angle of pull, and without swivel eyes either plane is a compromise. In the case of recovery points, swivel eyes aren't always feasible (I have them on the front but not the back of my County) and it happens that fitting the recovery point to suit a horizontal pin shackle is the easiest to maintain strength.

Description: Heavy duty 360 degree swivel shackle particularly useful for winching applications as it allows rope to twist/untwist as neccesary. Supplied with backing plate and mounting bolts.

The holes in deep sand dust are a good idea as they give a place for the stuff to escape. Recovery points well I'm not going there. Would it fit my 89 110 i.e. want to make two? Will the recovery points sit forward of the original front bumper?

Originally Posted by spudboy

Description: Heavy duty 360 degree swivel shackle particularly useful for winching applications as it allows rope to twist/untwist as neccesary. Supplied with backing plate and mounting bolts.

Just how good a fixing mechanism is this/is required?

To my untrained eye, this would not? be suitable for fixing as a stand alone to a bull bar for example and might require an angled bracket onto the chassis rails, plus the bolts don't seem all that substantial, even if they are high tensile.

I'm interested because I read these and similar posts AFTER making enquiries on this site about front recovery points and did not become aware of the availablility of swivels until AFTER I had purchased a couple of vertical section/horizontal shackle bolt pieces of equipment. Given the now obvious advantages/existence of ideally swivel or at least vertical shackle bolt options, I'm surprised they are not hammered/expoused more for the benefit of newbies when they ask questions.

in terms of the swivel point it has what I know as a D shackle on it '(this could be a terminology mix up though)..now I was always told that D shackles are really a no no because (now dont quote me on this) when applied under stress they have no stretch????? where as a bow shackle would due to its shape there for a d would let go much before a bow would.

can anyone expand on that?? or does it really not matter which shackle was placed on that swivel...

PS I think the majority of this thread should be chopped out and placed in its own thread in the recovery section

Originally Posted by Tank

Have you seen my ugly mug.
PM sent with link to Riggers guide, Work Cover version, P. 70-71, Shackles,
will post here for anyone interested, Regards Frank.

http://www.riggingtraining.com.au/Ri...ide_part_1.pdf

Frank, Thanks for posting this, a lot of usefull info there.
My pennyworth is the guide should be ( & obviously is) related to a work environment. The wording states that use of a shackle in the fashion discussed here will lead to it's eventual failure,

Shackles are designed to take vertical forces only. Diagonal forces will strain the shackle and lead to

eventual failure.

This makes sense.
I was feeling lucky there until I read that word, as I have been guilty of mis-using shackles since 1970 & read your comments as valid for recreational applications. I have also lost a few shackles ( & had a few disapear into other travellers kit) which might have avoided long term failure.
I shall continue to mis- use my remaining shackles in the confidence that, sensibly used ( I put the threaded side towards the direction of pull so the pin won't bend the bullbar) they are highly unlikely to be the "weakest link" in a winching/ snatch situation & that the likes of ARB have taken usage into consideration when designing these things.

Regards, David

For some reason that link will not open on my computer..I dont usually have issues....

any chance someone can cut and paste page 70-71 in to a PM for me so I can read it as well? pretty please

The only difference between Bow and D shackles are that a Bow shackle is designed to accomodate multiple sling/strap eyes, if you put 2 sling/strap eyes on a D shackle the eyes can become crushed, with one eye bearing down on the other, the bow shackle simply gives more room the the eyes. There is no difference in strenght or stretch, however you may find a bow shackle has a thicker constuction than a same SWL/WLL D shackle, Regards Frank.