Chain Archives – Mechanical Elements

National Association of Trailer Manufacturers – Oops?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains. We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment. I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance Director of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. This is a good organization because they … Read The Article

NATM Answers : Are You Trailer Safety Aware?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

What do you see wrong with the way the safety chains and other trailer safety equipment are set-up in the image? That’s the question we asked in the previous article. The image is a screenshot of a YouTube video by NATM, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.

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Simple Chain Anchor System – Free Plans

December 31, 2022December 31, 2022 by Mechanic

Free Plans for an adjustably permanent Trailer Safety Chain Anchor system. It’s easy to build, easy to install, absolutely solid, yet it allows chain length adjustments fairly easy. The goal is making the trailer safety chains very secure, while also

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Improving Trailer Safety Chain Connections

July 15, 2023December 22, 2022 by Mechanic

We often joke about safety — Yup, Safety 3rd. While it’s fun to joke, there are a few things we do get quite serious about. How to attach trailer safety chains is one. Today we’re looking at connecting chains on the trailer tongue, so the chain is the right length.

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Link Lock Safety Chain Product Review

February 11, 2023October 17, 2022 by Mechanic

A couple years ago in an article about trailer safety chains, I mentioned the “Link Lock” system. It looked pretty interesting, and I like creativity, especially when it solves real problems. So, I tried to connect with the company to learn more.

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Building A Trailer – Critical Things To Get Right

October 3, 2023August 3, 2022 by Mechanic

There are a lot of little details that go into a trailer building project. Some big, some small. Overall, it’s not hard, yet, when we think about the really important things that make a trailer perform well, the list is pretty short. Give just a little extra

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Good Ways To Shorten Trailer Safety Chain

December 31, 2022April 20, 2021 by Mechanic

In previous articles we discuss the importance of trailer safety chain length. If the chains are too long, what can you do? Yeah, odds are you won’t need them, but what if you do? Long chains can complicate things quickly, so how can we safely shorten a chain?

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Dangling By A Single Trailer Chain

December 31, 2022March 22, 2021 by Mechanic

If you ever doubt the sanity of safety chains, then see this example of where a single trailer chain literally saved lives. The story is amazing from all angles –

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Where and How to Attach Safety Chains

December 31, 2022January 6, 2021 by Mechanic

What are the best ways to attach safety chains on a trailer? That’s a simple question without a single best answer. Don’t you hate it when the answer starts with “It depends . . . “? Unfortunately, it does depend on many other things

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Convenient Trailer Tongue Hinge For Storage

December 31, 2022December 29, 2017 by Mechanic

Need to store your trailer in a smaller space? Consider adding a trailer tongue hinge like these. It’s helpful, for sure, but has some definite things to consider.

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The Low-Down On Twisting Safety Chains

December 31, 2022October 25, 2017 by Mechanic

Should you twist trailer safety chains to make them shorter? Certainly twisting them reduces the length so they don’t drag the ground. That part is good. However, there are big issues with twisting safety chains?

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