Same here, or an old broken rake tooth.I have an old screw driver in the tool box. Slide it under and turn it. The head is wide enough to hold the U bolt up. And my safety chains have a hook with a point so it doesn't take as much as your blunt hook to get it through.
They will light you up here for sure, especially if your hauling hay.Here it doesn't matter if they would hold 10 pound, but they will write a ticket for not having them connected faster than anything else.
I was towing a rented 40 foot gravel conveyor through downtown Denver on the freeway when the ball came loose. I'd checked that ball forty miles back, but it came off. Had a choice to try to get in front of it and stop it with my bumper or get behind to warn approaching traffic. I opted for getting behind and started weaving back and forth with emergency flashers going. Watch the conveyor go into a guard rail and shorten itself about four feet, and one of the tires launch as the hub broke free from the axle. Never did find it. Nobody hurt, so better that some possible outcomes.Safety chains....? Hahaha
Those are not the right hooks for that trailer most likely. They use those on like #7K stuff.I use safety chains because you legally have to. I put ZERO faith in them controlling a loaded up gooseneck trailer. Those little 1/2" soft as butter bent up U-bolts ain't going to hold up when a 20k+ lbs trailer slaps against them. Been there and seen them snap off like toothpicks.
One truck I have a homebuilt GN hitch with 2 welded on D-rings. Each one is rated for I think 45klbs. I do put faith in that setup.
When a trailer comes off it is following a vehicle going the same speed. The chains are not meant to haul the load. They are meant to control direction as the truck is slowing down. In most cases that doesn't take much effort. In some cases, for instance with a blow out, it can be not enough. But we're talking about averages. In most cases a safety chain is enough to prevent more dire consequences.I said I use them because im required to. I also said I wouldn't put any faith in them actually doing something.
The picture above those bent hooks are probably rated for 3k lbs? The 1/2" u bolt its attached to probably not much more. That pictured chain belongs on a trailer you haul your lawn mower on, not a gooseneck of any kind.
No doubt. I'd rather some one try and the safety chain fail then say screw it and there be no chance for the chains at all.When the coupler comes off and the safety chains are holding the trailer the force on those chains as it slaps back and forth is tremendous.
In fact from personal experience a loaded up 14k gooseneck that comes un-attached can shear off 5/16" G70 safety chain and equally rated hook when trying to get undercontrol from 65mph. It also wipes the truck around like a toy.
The chain and hook pictured isn't rated anything close to 5/16 G70.