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Safety chain hooks

17K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  oldschoolbowtie 
#1 ·
Got a surprise this morning. Took my new chevy 2500HD to the storage lot to bring home the weekend warrior. Went to hook up the safety chains to the hitch, and it ain't happening. The way the hitch is designed, there is no way in hell to get the chain hooks on the hitch. Oh you can put them on, but they won't latch. By latch I mean the spring doohickey that closes so the hook won't come loose. Any suggestions?
 
#2 ·
Different hooks? What kinda hooks on your trailer. IIRC, most of mine are 5/16" slip hooks with safety latches, grade 30.
 
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#3 ·
All I know is the hooks came with the trailer. The holes on the hitch won't allow the hook to go all the way through so that the safety latch will engage. Smaller hook won't work nor will a bigger one. Thinking about getting some D rings welded on. What do you guys think?
 
#6 ·
The D rings would be a good alternative..
 
#5 ·
I remember the hooks sucked to get on and off with the hitch on my '97 F150, the slots were kinda narrow and the plate was at an odd angle. But my '04 3500 Flatbed has some nice thick steel donuts welded to the rear, really easy to put them on and take them off.
 
#7 ·
I added two 10k rated shackles to the hitch (Curt) and attach my chains to them. Works great.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I also use D ring shackles or quick links to make mine easier to hook and I leave them on the truck permanently. Just make sure they have a high enough load rating that you'd trust them to keep you from parting ways with your trailer if it came loose.
 
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#10 ·
my reese tow beast hitch on the 04 was easier to attach to, but the hooks on both my trailers, a 14 cargo and 35 ft tt fit through the 15 holes and snap shut fine.
 
#15 ·
These trucks are rated to tow massive amounts of weight, therefore the safety chain attachment points have to be up to the task of supporting that weight if there is a hitch failure. You bought the big bad Duramax and if you're towing a little utility trailer with small hooks either swap the hooks out for bigger ones, put some chain links on the hitch that will allow you to attach the small hooks, or buy a half ton. Don't blame GM for adequately sizing the safety chain hooking points. My 14K pound trailers with 3/8" hooks work great on the factory hitch.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I know Commercial LEO gives tickets for quick links on break away chains.... I would use a properly rated clevis or drill out receiver to accept larger hooks.

Really I think it's pretty shitty of GM to go to a receiver that doesn't accept hooks. Not a problem with older body style trucks.
 
#25 ·
What year trucks are you guys having an issue with getting the hooks to latch?

My 15 accepts every trailer that I have..

Are you guys trying to latch them from the back to the front? If you put the hook in from the back, it will come right out the front holes...
 
#27 · (Edited)
Lets try again with a different format.

Like this

An no, this is not my setup, just a random picture on the internet to show how the hooks go threw and click together.
 

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#28 · (Edited)
This one

To quote my old man, a 30 year GM employee,"GM has to F things up to brag they fixed it"

Dad has a 2017 on order....will have to see what he comes up with.
 
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#29 ·
If you feed the tow hook in this manor, do you still have this issue that you are having?
 

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#30 ·
For everybody that is worried that GM lost their mind and made it impossible to hook your tow chains to your fancy new truck, fret not. Here are pics showing that at least one person had the sense to make sure you can hook chains to your truck that is made for towing.

These are the three most popular tow chain sizes, 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8". I am out of stock on 3/8" tow chains right now, so the last pic is just a 3/8" slip hook. And all of these hooks could EASILY by hooked from the front to the back, or the back to the front.





 
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