Towbar Incident Report

[lindyp38]

was it your leaving the interstate that created that stress......?

 

[KsM715]

Ferro, Glad you were able to get stopped with out and major problems. I'm curious, do you still have the broken pin? Does it show any signs of being previously cracked?

This reminds me I need to check over my pins before I loan out my towbar.

 

[papabear]

I've heard the Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) are amazing.
Unmanned Deuce Vehicle (UDV) may be a REALLY bad thing heading down the interstate

Glad ya had her chained so she couldn't make her own path

 

[3dAngus]

It would be burrs most likely, from repetitive use that weaken the pin.

If used extensively, it is always a good idea to change them out, and throw the old ones away.

 

[lindyp38]

makes me wonder ...about all those pins..i see for sale......

are they really safe.....???

how can a new guy like me tell......???

 

[3dAngus]

Just be sure you buy original mil-spec pins that come with the towbars, or from a GL auctions.

There are plenty of people out there with them. I would never use a grade 8 bolt, or anything else other than the original mil spec pins specifically tested at the highest standards for these things. You just got to do regular maintenence on pins and towbars, just like you do on your trucks, though it is not something we usually think about. Why? Cause they never go bad.

This is an extreme rare exception.

 

[doghead]

I think the lynch pin failed for some reason, and allowed the 1" pin to come out.

The ring can come out of the head of the lynch pin, then there is nothing to hold the lynch pin in.

 

[Recovry4x4]

That sounds most reasonable Eric.

 

[m16ty]

I think the lynch pin failed for some reason, and allowed the 1" pin to come out.

The ring can come out of the head of the lynch pin, then there is nothing to hold the lynch pin in.

I tend to agree. I just can't see a 1" pin breaking under normal conditions.

 

[doghead]

I replaced the lynch pin with new ones not that long ago.

If the new lynch pins were "foreign" manufactured, I have seen the rings come out of the head with one or two uses. The quality of "foreign lynch pins is very low(non spring steel rings).

There's a good reason TSC or ACE can sell them, 10 for a dollar.

 

[3dAngus]

I tend to agree. I just can't see a 1" pin breaking under normal conditions.

Lynch pin falling out is a possibility. He did say the pin broke though.

Stress test are run all the time in the Air Force. Fractures due to stress are known to bring down $70M fighter jets, or $100M cargo jets.

Metals will only take so much abuse, and he did say he was pulling off the interstate when it happened, which would induce additional stress on the well worn pin or on the lynch pin.

We'll never really know, but if you had the half of the pin, a mechanical analysis could be done to determine the problem, and more probable cause. Private individuals don't have the financial resources Uncle Sam does thought, so I'm not saying this is likely, but we have done every downed plane that ever fell in America to determine stress levels and cause/effect relationships.

 

[ODdave]

Ok i read through quickly but is there anything left of the pin and do you have it? if so can we have pictures????????

 

[doghead]

Ferro

I guess the pin broke due to fatigue.

Angus

He did say the pin broke though.

He never said he had any of the "broken " pin to prove it did break.

 

[ODdave]

I have to agree with DH, when i was looking for lynch pins i compared the ones from tsc and maynards to the ones i use from fastenall and man are they chit! the ring has about half the tention and the pin is not even the correct diameter (smaller) fastenall is a bout twice as much but i specificaly requested a USA made product. They did an origin search and the ones they suppied me with seem far superior.

 

[3dAngus]

Ferro

Angus

He never said he had any of the "broken " pin to prove it did break.

I see what you're saying.

He should change the title from;
"Towbar Pin Broke" to

"Maybe the towbar Pin Broke"

 

[doghead]

Maybe we'll change the title after we get some more info from Adam, to confirm this is correct.

 

[bigugh20]

Adam, glad you or someone else didn't get hurt. I guess all the trouble that you go through checking, double checking, tripple checking your hookup only has to pay off one time. Good job with the heavy safety chain.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Ok, you guys are correct, I *don't* know that the pin broke for sure. I guess we can change the title to towbar pin fell out, or towbar incident, pucker factor 8. (not 10, I've had a 10, 10 is way worse.)

I do know that my lynch pin was new, and that I wire tie them in, so that's why I *assumed* the pin broke. Angie also mentioned last night when we were talking about it again that she saw a bit bouncing down the road a few miles before she pulled ahead of me, that was not as large as a full pin but not just the golden lynch pin either. She just assumed it was road debris that got bounced up, and didn't think to mention it until I brought up the question of if the pin broke or not.

I don't have a piece or the whole pin to be sure, and I didn't want to brave the interstate traffic walking back what could have been miles looking for it.

We may never know if it truely broke or the lynch pin came out somehow. I guess the purpose of the thread is to remind others about what can happen, check your setup often, and make sure you have the chains that are rated to do the job.

All we need is for one deuce to break loose and hurt or kill someone, and then it's bye bye hobby.

 

[3dAngus]

You're a good man! And this is some great info. Thanks.

Glad it all worked out. No pun intended...

 

[doghead]

I looked at this thread as an after accident report. Analyze the data and make a reasonable summary. Learn from it.

Thanks Adam, I appreciate it.