Hitch mounted shackle Q's

That's the same one I purchased.

Shackle Hitch Receiver by Vault - Connect Tow Straps for Vehicle Recovery with A 30000 Lbs Capacity - Towing Accessory Mounts to 2" Receivers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I25Z5F4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's the only one I found that had a load rating.

 

Factor55 seems to be the holy grail for a receiver hitch based on what I can tell from research and product reviews. But @ $75 for just the Hitch Link and you also need to buy a shackle and pin you now into it for about $100. F55 is rated @ 9500 lbs. on the website description and weighs about 5 lbs less than the Smittybilt or Vault. My thought is that as long as they work the same, I'll pay less for a quality product even though it's heavier.

 

I have the Factor55 hitchlink and a Warn Epic Shackle. F55 has a breaking point of somehwere near 41,000lbs but a safe working load of 9500lbs. The Epic Shackle (3/4) is rated at 18,000lbs. Pretty sure that will hold up to anything I need it for, may be overkill.

 

To answer all of your questions with one word: yes!

I have the Vault brand of this, also from Amazon. I was recovered, with hitch shackle on factory receiver, at LBL stuck to the axles in wet sand and had to be tugged pretty hard to break lose. It held up and nothing is bent or broken. I use a regular standard pin with a clevis. Why do you think grade 8 will be any worse/better?

 

Thank you!
I've never had to tow or pull anyone out and I am fairly new to off-roading. I'd rather be safe than sorry and purchase the appropriate gear to be better prepared.
I did purchase the vault receiver and a 4 3/4 Ton D-ring.
Regarding the grade 8, everything I've read states it as having the highest shear strength. I wasn't sure if that would be better than an standard 3/4" pin. I am still not familiar with the kind of loads one is putting on the equipment when recovering from mud or other material.

 

No one can tell you, definitely, the stress and load put on certain points. It varies too much depending on the situation. WAY too many variables.

Stop overthinking it!

 

This thread is helpful. I guess I'll return my cheap HF $9.99 hitch & shackle and get an appropriate one for recovery purposes. Don't judge! Haha

 

I bought mine from Home Depot and have pulled out a Nissan Titan that was buried in a snow bank. It held up great and I think it was under $35

 

I currently use the Smittybilt set. I love it. Used it 5 times to help out guys in the sand the other weekend.

 

Thanks for everyone's input on this! I've had the same questions, and they've now been answered.

 

Agree on this sentiment. I fell for for some cheap Chinese unknown junk on Amazon in the guise of "Trailhead Multi Maui Receiver Hitch" to replace and old standby that I gave away a while back. The pieces looked ok, and the price & Prime shipping were attractive, but two of the holes for the hitch pins were undersize and the pin wouldn't pass all the way through in either plain. Put it on the drill press and reamed them out and touched up paint, which was a distracting PITA. Should have paid a few bucks more for a known quality.

On a more positive side note, the receiver hitch wrapped in a rag with the shackle removed fits snugly fore and aft in the Gen3 rear under-seat storage just inboard of the jack, and three 3/4" shackles wrapped in rags (I use red ones so I have spares for hauling long lumber or pipes) have a perfect cranny in there, along with 2 tow straps and jumpers.

 

What pin did you use??

 

Damn..

I literally just got my d-ring receiver hitch delivered a few minutes ago.

 

It was one of the cheaper ones for sale on Amazon. The body and d-ring feel heavy duty and decent quality, but the pin didn't feel too strong. I guess I won't know until it's put to use.

 

The shackle pin, or the receiver pin? I would think either one could inexpensive to replace if needed.

 

The receiver pin.

 

I bought my Smittybilt Receiver Shackle before doing research. Now I have it, hopefully I will not have use it... If I will, just because reading whatever you guys wrote, I'll feel better about it... At least maybe better, lol.
We are contemplating about hefty chunks of steel, some people don't...

 

If your tow strap has a loop on the end all you need is a receiver pin. Just stuff the loop of the tow strap into the empty receiver, put the pin through the receiver and through the loop on the strap. Rock solid, works great.

 

The potential issue with doing this is there is a chance you bend the receiver pin. And getting a bent pin out of the receiver will not be a fun task, much swearing will be involved.

 

Those receiver pins are hardened steel, it would be pretty tough to bend one. I guess if you were pulling it out with a big Cat dozer or jerking on it hard you might possibly bend it, but you would be breaking all kinds of other stuff at the same time. I've done it plenty of times and never had an issue. Also, you would have to bend it really bad to not be able to get it out.