dorelse
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 624
Re: Texas state law, CROSS YOUR TRAILER SAFETY CHAINS!
I'm going to get flamed but here goes.
Crossing the chains is a good practice but will not catch & hold a trailer up off the ground.
Think about it everyone...If one end of the chains are attached to a trailer that's come unhooked and has fallen...what holds that end of the chain up?
Answer...Nothing...they're on the ground just like the rest of the trailer. Crossed chains do keep the tongue more in line with the center of the vehicle, they most certainly do not hold the tongue up.
The chains are only there to keep the trailer somewhat under control...when you hit the brakes, that trailer tongue is going under the rear of your vehicle as you try to stop...
In order for chains to hold up a trailer they'd have to be shorter than the height of the chain's attachment point to the vehicle. So if the chains attach at a height of 13" off the ground, your chain could only be 12" in total length...
I'm guessing most of us use a draw bar and the chain attachment point is back under the bumper, with the attachment point on the trailer set back a decent amount on the trailer, a little added slack for corners...and we're all over the total length.
Twisting chains weakens them and increases the chance of failure...
I'm going to get flamed but here goes.
Crossing the chains is a good practice but will not catch & hold a trailer up off the ground.
Think about it everyone...If one end of the chains are attached to a trailer that's come unhooked and has fallen...what holds that end of the chain up?
Answer...Nothing...they're on the ground just like the rest of the trailer. Crossed chains do keep the tongue more in line with the center of the vehicle, they most certainly do not hold the tongue up.
The chains are only there to keep the trailer somewhat under control...when you hit the brakes, that trailer tongue is going under the rear of your vehicle as you try to stop...
In order for chains to hold up a trailer they'd have to be shorter than the height of the chain's attachment point to the vehicle. So if the chains attach at a height of 13" off the ground, your chain could only be 12" in total length...
I'm guessing most of us use a draw bar and the chain attachment point is back under the bumper, with the attachment point on the trailer set back a decent amount on the trailer, a little added slack for corners...and we're all over the total length.
Twisting chains weakens them and increases the chance of failure...