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Chain wear

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
Premium Member
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There's some smart people on here. Tried a different supplier, stamped on it USA 70. Supposed to be USA made grade 70 chain. That's the specific grade for trucking. Used it maybe 6 trips then after the last one noticed those links badly worn. The supplier said I'm the first person to complain and offered to warranty it. No complaints with the supplier

The only thing I can think of is the chain was softer than what it was attached to?

Is a graded chain supposed to be hardened?
 
Wow that's considerable wear, 2 of those links look to be beyond serviceable limits IMO

I would get your warranty, if no one else has complained it's possible you received chain from a batch improperly heat treated

Grade 70 is heat treated and hardened to some degree
 
Yikes ... Chain twist is about the only thing I can think of that would put that kind of wear in....
I wish I could still say that made in the USA meant quality, not a political statement, just an observation as a consumer that often gets to do some comparing to some of the offshore offerings along side of the other.
One thing that you need to watch for is, "made using global components". I take that to mean that it's assembled there.....
 
Is a graded chain supposed to be hardened?

Grade 70 is hardened, but it's also a better stronger grade of steel.

Lucky you can get warranty. But I'd also be looking to see where those links were and how they were rubbing. That's well beyond what I would consider safely within its rating.

Glad you noticed it though!
 
I dragged a baler wrapper combo out west. It's hard to describe but on each axle I just tossed a chain over the axle (the chain in question on one side, and it's twin on the other). Two more chains hooked to where the baler had chain points (per manufacturer stickers) and one more on the tongue. So whatever a Claus baler wrapper weighs I had 5 chains on it.

I have hauled numerous balers and have never had a chain wear like that

That's what's bugging me, is I like to think I mostly know how to do my job, and I thought I was doing well to upgrade some gear, by cycling in some new stuff
 
That's what's bugging me, is I like to think I mostly know how to do my job, and I thought I was doing well to upgrade some gear, by cycling in some new stuff

You are. You caught it. How many guys out there running, wouldn't? Until it was too late and bad shit happened.

I don't know enough about chain to even have a guess, but it's not unheard of for poor quality stuff to find it's way out the doors of otherwise reputable manufacturers. There's usually a pattern to this, and if that's the case, I bet yours would not be the only batch. There's also a lot of counterfeit stuff too. Chain though? Maybe?
 
When I first saw the pictures, i thought you were going to say that you used an angle grinder on it - and since that was too slow, looking for a faster method to cut through the chain

without looking up the exact specification, this type of steel is meant to be 'tough' more than 'hard'. Maybe if the load was loose and kept shifting back and forth, but for new chains, that's a shock

The load ratings on this type of chain are extremely conservative. In part because, as you said, no one who uses them really knows how much any given load actually weighs. And while you noticed the damage this time, there will be times when you can't see it. And there are also guys who know the chain is bad and use it anyways ...
 
You are. You caught it. How many guys out there running, wouldn't? Until it was too late and bad shit happened.

I don't know enough about chain to even have a guess, but it's not unheard of for poor quality stuff to find its way out the doors of otherwise reputable manufacturers. There's usually a pattern to this, and if that's the case, I bet yours would not be the only batch. There's also a lot of counterfeit stuff too. Chain though? Maybe?
The company in question, makes and tests rigging gear. When I say I trust their choices in sourcing suppliers, it's because they in house abuse stuff and can certify gear for rigging. I've literally talked to the owner and been shown the facility first hand

I'm hoping this was a fluke, both for my sake and any other customers buying the same chain. I deal with two suppliers for rigging gear because they supply better quality than other places and hopefully they can still trust their supply chains
 
I used to work with an engineering firm that was a member of the CSA Standards committee. They figured 30% of the fasteners sold in Canada were fake. I’ve personally seen signed and stamped mill test reports and valve pressure test reports that indicated the suspect valves had passed comprehensive pressure and shutoff tightness tests. I would have believed them, except the fully-compliant valves were missing the seat discs.

One company I worked for lost a couple of hundred thou in court when the high-quality marine-grade 316L stainless steel pipe fittings we sold were actually low-grade 304. But the mill test reports were really spiffy.


I’m not blaming your chain supplier, unless they proof test 100% of the products they bring in its almost 100% certain that they will receive inferior products, either by mistake or by bad intent.
 
Was it one chain that had wear, or all 5?
Glad they warrantied it. I am assuming it's a bad batch from the manufacturer. Hard to imagine though. That means there are probably hundreds of feet of poor-quality chain out there criss crossing the country. Good that you are vigilant.
 
Was it one chain that had wear, or all 5?
Glad they warrantied it. I am assuming it's a bad batch from the manufacturer. Hard to imagine though. That means there are probably hundreds of feet of poor-quality chain out there criss crossing the country. Good that you are vigilant.
Just the one
 
As a millwright I used a lot of chain sling for lifting loads. Each chain had an attached metal tag indicating manufacture and grade. Grade 8 was a minimum requirement. Cant remember exactly but I recall every 5 or 6 links 1 would be stamped M8 or just 8 indicating the grade.
More expensive than truckers chain, but you get what you pay for. The chain in the photos tells me that there's a quality issue. I've only seen a couple of chains ware like that, most would have stretched links.
 
I have drug sced 70 chain down a gravel road for a mile or two too take the rust off without it showing that much wear...Im betting that the boomer hooks prob pinched the links they were hooked into on your chain, also betting there was an equal "wear pattern" on the bailer where that piece of chain was in contact.
 
Since the chain must come out of service - it is, IMO, a no brainer to do destructive testing and verify the chain quality.
I have a half dozen grade 70 chains and traps. They were used for hauling 15t rock drills for many years. Never saw any damage like that. Great that you caught it. :)
 
Was the chain attached to a part that was bouncing during transport? I've seen vehicle tiedowns wear due to movement of the transported vehicle bouncing on its suspension. I can't imagine the bailer has any suspension beyond air in the tires, but that could be enough...
 
Was the chain attached to a part that was bouncing during transport? I've seen vehicle tiedowns wear due to movement of the transported vehicle bouncing on its suspension. I can't imagine the bailer has any suspension beyond air in the tires, but that could be enough...
Yes, the tire on the axle by said chain. But I think I had ratchet binders to mitigate bouncing. Likely even with ratchet binders there's still some flex due to the tires
 
Yes, the tire on the axle by said chain. But I think I had ratchet binders to mitigate bouncing. Likely even with ratchet binders there's still some flex due to the tires

I was imagining a cyclic movement of the chain for thousands of miles. A tire in the formula adds lots more opportunity for movement.

For argument sake, picture an eccentric cam pulling on a chain at low frequency for 2000 miles against another hardened object - maybe a hardened high strength bolt head. It's not hard for me to imagine a result like that.

I like @CWret's idea of testing the chain. The fact that two adjacent links are worn implies that the rest of the chain is similar.
 
For argument sake, picture an eccentric cam pulling on a chain at low frequency for 2000 miles against another hardened object - maybe a hardened high strength bolt head. It's not hard for me to imagine a result like that.
I could see that, actually.

My argument was (aside from paint damage on freight) I don't generally worry about damaging chains. I'll use corners or padding to protect what I'm hauling, I've never used anything to protect my chains.

I guess I could take the chains back to have them tested, I don't know the cost but it might be an interesting comparison between one of my old ones the the two new ones. That's how rigging gear gets certified
 
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