Nobody will claim you need 1/2" steel for your hitch. However, engineering
is usually about designing in safety margins to ensure people don't get
hurt. Your tyres are engineered to take a much greater load than is applied
by your Jeep, for example.

So the rest is philosophy ; given it won't fall off in an ideal situation -
how much of a safety margin are you prepared to begrudgingly spend your
cents on ? I guess the answer is "less than anyone else".

Dave Milne, Scotland
'91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
I am an engineer.

I define engineering as the economical application of scientific
knowledge to a physical application.

To "plan for the worse" is not engineering, if the worst is not worth
planning for.