Lexan shield for forklift ?

I don't think you can store enough energy in the chain without knowing something is terribly wrong and then do something really stupid. How heavy are the pallets?

I wonder if a loose - e.g. not load bearing - woven through links SS aircraft wire that is bound on each end. Then in the case a link snaps, the whiplash would be kept almost in place - taking up slack and using up energy.

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

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"Chip Chester" wrote in message news:YZtxf.26868$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com... | I believe Dave's got it right. | Nylon slings and steel cables stretch quite a bit under larger loads. | You have the whole structure storing energy, and releasing it when it | breaks. Usually bad news. | Chains store energy in each link, but only release the weakest link's energy | when it breaks. | It may snap back, but usually only within the original dimensions of the | extended chain. | (At least for the loads we're talking about. Tugboats and oil tankers might | be another matter.) | Tow trucks use cable and slings because they're easy to store and manage. | But usually, they're | so overrated for the working load that the elastic properties are not | supposed to be discovered | in practice. | | Transport rated chains are the way to go here, are not too expensive, and | are handy to have around. | | A sidewalk grate or catwalk section would be good for your forklift. | In a pinch, even another pallet sitting up on the forks would do. | Put the lexan under the pallet and it'll slide easier... | | Chip

Excellent idea with the grate. Once you price the Lexan you'll be even more convinced! I usually use straps for most of what I pull on, and I always wrap my second one around the working one loosely. Absorbs gobs of the energy from recoil, preventing the hook or whatever's on the end from puncturing something I value highly, be it my kids or my truck. My own head, there's not much that can penetrate it anyways. :) I watched a cable part from a tree stump and pass by inches from the head of the idiot operating the car. Needless to say it went through the rear window like it wasn't even there.

Or use a blanket like they do for offroad winching competition. Just a heavy fabric about the size of a jacket draped over the line. Air resistance takes most of the enrgy and dissipates it before it can hit. I have seen chains break in multiple places at the same time sending shrpnel from several broken links. Takes a really crazy hard snap on the chain to do it though ... I was that young and crazy once :) It won't be an issue if you are just draging things around and not "snatchin" em. The nylon web is good because you can see it narrow down as you stress it and judge how much pressure you are putting on the line. Where it could get dicey is if the hook or part of the pallett broke and came flying back with the strap. As long as you are making a slow pull I think the forktruck tires would slip before you got enough strain on the line to break either a chain or a strap. Most of the horror stories about broken chains and cables and straps are from offroad recovery adventures where somebody is leaving the line slack and snatching the stuck vehicle out. YMMV Glenn

I agree. I can't believe all the posters that are afraid to use a chain for what it is designed for. Yes, there are some dangers and risks, but the sky is not falling!

I have to disagree here. In the proper hands, a fork lift will pull an amazing amount. A couple of years ago, I hired some riggers to move my big CNC mill into my shop. They had a very large forklift that broke through the crust of gravel in my parking lot and got stuck. These guys are paid by the hour, so I offered to try and pull them out with my four wheel drive. They of course grinned at me. Instead, they asked to use my forklift. I was dumbfounded. I have an old 2000 lb forklift with hard surface tires that look like racing slicks, but I agreed. I moved the forklift over for them, and they asked me to get out of the seat. I gladly agreed, cause this didn't look like something I wanted to try. They kept my forklift inside the shop, and hooked a chain pretty high on the mast. Took a little run in reverse, and popped the monster right out of the hole. Based on the narrow wheel base of my forklift, and the height at which they mounted the chain, I would say this was a pretty dangerous move, but the leverage they created did the job much better than my 4 wheel drive would have.

Dave Lyon offers:

A couple of years ago, I hired some riggers to move my big CNC mill into my shop.

forklift, and the height at which they mounted the chain, I would say this was a pretty dangerous move, but the leverage they created did the job much better than my 4 wheel drive would have.<

Makes me proud

Once again: For those using a fork lift as a pulling machine "USE CHAIN". Purchase quality, properly sized chain and maintain it properly and you'll congratulate yourself down the road. This advise after about 5,000 to 10,000 machine moves and the honor of working with the Riggers in Chicago Local 136.

dennis in nca

That maneuver was far from a typical pull. It was lifting and pulling at the same time. .there was probably more danger in tipping over the lift, than breaking the chain! Greg

A chain is a poor item to use for pulling out a stuck vehicle. I worked at a warehouse a few years back and a driver got his loaded semi stuck on the ice on our ground level loading ramp, the type where the truck backs down an incline, into a hole in the ground so the trailer is at ground level. A backed my 4X4 up to him, tossed him a short piece of G70 chain, and the end of my 1-1/8" nylon tow rope. He laughed and said there was no way I would pull him out as the driveway was covered in snow and ice. I told him to make sue to hook on to something solid because what ever he hooked to was coming with! I backed my pickup right back to his front bumper, put it in four wheel drive, second gear, dropped the clutch and mashed the gas peddle to the floor. When my pickup stopped moving I slammed on the brakes. The truck never moved 'till I stopped, but then it rolled right out. The driver just shook him he as said he never would have believed it! Greg

Not if you know what you're doing. :)

dennis in nca

You gave him just the extra traction he needed. Glad you didn't damage your vehicle. I've seen a Cat part a 3/4" cable trying to pull out a loaded truck.

If you're going to try to jolt a vehicle into motion without damage to either vehicle by all means, use a strap. On the other hand I would never suggest anyone pull pallets to the back of a truck using this method. Instead a nice steady increase in pulling force applied, using a chain, by an experienced operator is the way to go. If you use a strap, especially a very long one, and the pallet gets "hung" you may find, when it breaks loose, it will jerk forward (because of the stretch in the strap) faster than expected, possibly causing problems.

However if pulling out a stuck 4X4 by jerking is what you plan I'd agree; don't use a chain.

dennis in nca

I used to do the exact same stunt with my V8 CJ-5, only 3/4" rope. It worked great. I really pulled some fools out of the deep stuff. Today, the thought of that 3' of chain coming at me propelled by a rope stretched about 30% scares the hell out of me.

Pete Keillor

Damage my vehicle?? How? The 1-1/8" nylon tow rope is not much more than a huge rubber band. The G70 chain is not going to break with no shock load, plus the pickup on snow and ice will not even reach the breaking strength of the chain. The rope stretches 30-40% and then you slow to a stop. The pickup was on snow and ice so traction was at a minimum. You don't even feel anything in the pickup other than some deceleration as the rope stretches. About the only way you can hurt anything in this instance is if what ever you are attaching to will not handle the load or a poor job of connecting it all to gather. The trucker hooked to the frame mounted tow hooks, my end was connected to the receiver hitch that was mounted to the pickup frame with six 1/2" grade 8 bolts. All this and still no shock load because of the rope just stretches a bunch before getting tight. Trust me, I have done this more times than I can count with no problems. Sure, it is not fail safe, but some common sense goes a long way!

I have seen damage done to vehicles doing the same stunt that have had catastrophic results, but when analyzing what happened the rope got cut on a bumper, the attaching chain was some old well used chain of unknown strength, or the attachment points were poor. One friend wiped out the front of his truck when the come along that was rated for 1500 lbs. failed. Another friend took out his tailgate and back window when a chain broke that was attached to the stuck vehicle, the chain was a well used, low quality

Greg O asked:

chain is not going to break with no shock load, plus the pickup on snow and ice will not even reach the breaking strength of the chain.<

I guess I've been in California too long and forgotten most of my cold weather "smarts". I was thinking of traction on dry ground. How soon they forget. Sigh.

dennis in nca

If you can pick up speed the vehicle has kinetic energy, which is converted into stored potential energy in the rope. So the question is what is the maximum amount of energy in the rope and is that safe for the chain, attachment points and any additional hardware, if any, used with the chain.

I figured so! I saw the nca in your posts and thought for sure you forgot what snow is! ;-) Same stunt on dry ground? In 4X4? Not me!! I may be crazy, but I am not stupid!!

I did pull a loaded semi about 5 miles one time. A buddy called me an asked if I would give him a ride back out to his truck as he ran out of fuel on the interstate. I brought him out and we got the truck started, but with no tools to bleed the air of the injectors it would not run well enough, and them we finally killed the battery re-starting it so many times. I grabbed my rope, hooked on and put it on low range, first gear to take off. That poor old 300 six about died before it started rolling. I got it rolling about 30 MPH and next thing I know it is pulling hard again. I had the peddle to the floor to keep it going. Here he was dropping the truck in gear and I was pull starting the engine, plus dragging a trailer loaded with steel. I got him back up to the truck stop so he could top of the fuel and he let it idle for a while. It finally purged the air and ran fine. The pump jockeys figured I had a 460 under the hood, and when I told them it was a

Agreed, but remember the ice for traction, so max speed its low and a 1-1/8" nylon rope is good for over 20,000 lbs. The weak link is the attachment pints and possibly the G70 chain, working load, 6600 lbs., then the chain was doubled back so that increases to 13,200 lbs. Also consider with the rope the chain sees a gradual pull. I looked at one time, but could not find breaking strength of G70 chain. It has to be higher than hell, because my pop worked for the railroad and they would pick up rail cars with 4 lengths of it! Well over the working load! Greg

The solution to this is to use a polyester roundsling. These are the ones that are made by wrapping a single polyester fibre round a former multiple times, tying the ends together and then enclosing the bundle in a sewn cloth wrapper.

Mark Rand RTFM

Hooyah ! Sounds like you've got "heart".

dennis in nca

I often see places where they have a piece of