On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:38:39 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:02:59 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:


"HHSupply" wrote in message
...
Twist the chains to take up slack. We do that with our horse trailer.
Chains should be criss crossed so if hitch pulls free it will be cradled
in them so tongue doesn't plow into road and trailer flip.

I'll post a pic of the chains. I think they are about a foot too long.
Twisting them is a good idea and I can see the function of it, but to
twist
them THAT much, they would have bunches in them here and there. I never
thought of rigging it that way with the X to cradle it. That was one of
my
questions, how long to make the chains so that if it did come off, what
was
the best way to have it rigged so it was least likely to damage or take
off
on you. And you answered that.

Now, to get the tongue changed. Simple, really. $47 for the whole new
piece. Cut and replace. Weld.

Steve

Heart surgery pending?
Read up and prepare.
Learn how to care for a friend.
http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

Cross the chains under the tonge, pass the chains THROUGH the eyes on
the drawbar, and link back to the chain at the tongue.
You then have 4 strands of chain doing the job instead of 2.

The chains are 3/8" and have slip hooks on the ends. There's nothing to
hook the slip hooks safely to. As someone said, driving down a bumpy road
could shake them loose. I wouldn't even try it with moused grab hooks.

My last trailer had chains which were too short after installing the
6" drop hitch in the receiver. I picked up a pair of safeties from HF
which have screw-type quick links like these: http://fwd4.me/dhW Their
current safety chain has el-cheapo spring-clip style S-hooks I
wouldn't want to trust. http://fwd4.me/dhX

I've only had one trailer come off my ball in 40 years of towing, and
that was a doozy. I borrowed my friend's trailer and my friend hooked
it up. I installed the safeties and doublechecked that the knob was
tight. I didn't know that his wife had recently lost the locking
spring inside the knob. We got 100 miles up, into HelL.A. proper,
when the truck suddenly lurched sideways into the next lane with only
a slight shudder of a warning one second earlier, as the tires hit the
slight dip on an overpass bridge. I looked into the rear view mirror
and saw 6 lanes of traffic stopped dead behind us and the trailer
heading up over the guard rail. I was already slowing down but
immediately hit the brakes and veered over to the right safety lane
and backed up to the trailer. It was teetering on the top of the rail
but hadn't gone over into two lanes of traffic. My friend and I added
our weight to the rear and it slid back down into the slow lane. Once
we got it hooked back up, the 6 lanes of backed up traffic started
slowly moving by. In a minute, it was back up to speed. I'm amazed
that we didn't feel anything until it jacknifed us. Evidently, it had
come loose at the bridge bump, swung enough to go crazy, and poleaxed
the tailgate with the tongue as it bounced up and moved us over a
lane, as it came loose. We lost one safety chain to the gods of
towing and the wiring was shot, but even with a couple broken welds,
it held together enough to get my cubic meter of Aussie jarrah wood
home that day. My friend was kind enough, as we reattached the bent
trailer, to tell me that his wife had lost that safety lock spring the
week before. I coulda killed him on the spot. And you can be sure
that I made 5 safety stops on the way home to ensure that the knob
hadn't rattled loose again.

Like Gunner and his infamous spare tire mount, I don't want to repeat
that performance ever again.

--
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball!