Bow shackle to the windscreen

[RealNick]

Arrrrrg. Awesome way to end a Friday

Driving home on the highway, suddenly in the air at eye level I see one of the little bow shackles you put on the tow hitch to connect a trailer with a chain flying towards the windscreen.

Crack!

Tea saucer size spider web crack in the middle of the windscreen. #$@%×$!!!!!

4 lane road, cars all around, no idea who it came off so couldn't pull up with someone to sort it out, have to wear the repair bill myself.

[Oldbloke]

Bastards

[Tripod]

You didn't tick glass cover on your insurance did you.

[AusTac]

That sucks mate, sounds like your lucky to get away with your head attatched

[Oldbloke]

I assume ur OK?
Happens all the time. And the number of loads I've see on Utes and trucks not secured amazes me.

[darwindingo]

Yep OB see it all the time too... Had a few close shaves on the bike from it too...

Be nice if people would take the D's off when not in use.... Hope the tosser responsible will be inconvenienced when he next needs it, not that that helps you RealNick.



Jeff

[RealNick]

No glass insurance.

All ok, at the end of the day it's only a broken windscreen.

Just scared the s**t out of me lol, and I definitely had other things I could better spend $200 on

[Lorgar]

Be nice if people would take the D's off when not in use

Or just keep the pin captive, it's not rocket science to keep them on securely.

I have two 4.75t rated shackles on the front recovery points, another of the same in the recovery hitch, and a little 8mm one on the hitch receiver for a trailer. The usual ones for on most vehicles set up for recoveries.

All are on 24/7, they just have a thick zip tie through the hole in the pin and around 1 leg of the shackle.

(Got this photo off google, not my truck, ignore the 'r' and 'z')

shackle-captive-pin.jpg (17.5 KiB) Viewed 3276 times

My pins are screwed in finger tight, then a last little squeak with a spanner just for good measure, but I'm sure it would work equally well without the last step of you don't carry tools.

I've never lost one like this on the tarmac or after rattling around for hours off road. Just keep a pack of spare ties onboard to replace one if the shackle is used for a recovery.

It sucks to get a broken window from the little shackle, but the 4.75t rated shackles are about the size of a fist and I guesstimate a bit more than a kilogram in weight. If someone meets on of them head-on at windscreen level coming down the highway at 100km/h it's going to be serious.

If you're going to leave them on, need to make sure they are on!

[Oldbloke]

Tie wire instead of the plastic cable tie. Its a common method of ensuring they are secure.

[Lorgar]

Wire would do, just as good or better.

Just take the extra 5 second step to make them safe is my point. Easily done.

[Die Judicii]

SORRY MATE, THAT WAS MY SHACKLE,,

Ooops,,,,,,, just kidding.
I know how annoying it is though, as I copped a heap of gravel off a gravel truck only a short while ago.
It was even more annoying when the truck just kept on going.

[gVale]

Well he'd be late to the pub if he stopped to clean up his mess