Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dave R
"...Pretty sure cables handle shock loads better than chains and would probably be an upgrade to any trailer. I know the breaking limit of plain steel cable is roughly 5 to 6 times the working load limit of the same diameter proof coil chain. I like the way cables self coil too..."
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1) Sailors know that there are cables...and there are
cables: Neither show particularly well that they have been dangerously compromised. Stressed cables (or sailboat shrouds/halyards) can unravel or reveal "fishhooks", indicating a severe weakness.
Like knots in rope, cable ends are especially important:
Swaged cable ends are far superior to clamps, but neither connector can be counted on when the cable has any plastic coating, such as found on self-coiling cable.
A chain that has been compromised will stretch, but only an expert's eye (or measure) can determine if the chain is still safe. Tow truck operators will give away stressed chain (
if you're using it for securing a canoe to a tree, say).
2) I discovered first hand why trailer chains should be crossed: If they are
not crossed, and the towing vehicle's hitch requires a longer length of chain than provided by the trailer, the entire "safety-chain rig" can be compromised in a sharp turn. (You can straighten the hook, skew the eye, or even bend the trailer neck).
Crossed chains self-cancel the effect of a sharp turn. The "cradle-effect" is a bonus.
