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my 2021 has no issues with whatever shackle I try to use. We thinking maybe the receiver for the 450's bigger but maybe like the video above I have the process down.
It still depended on the size of the hooks. Many smaller campers (and possibly trailers) came with smaller hooks that would not work in these hitches. There was no technique to get them on because they did not fit. Which is why this became such a large problem and so many people started putting D rings or hammerlocks on their Ford hitches. In some cases people also changed the hooks on their safety chains..
Always had 3/4" D ring shackles on the last few trucks. When I recently removed them from a 2022 that I traded it took a little muscle even though they were put together with anti seize. The pins working loose were never a problem on these shackles. They remained tight for years.
I don't think I'll need them on the redesigned 2023 hitch but if I do I'll probably go stainless steel. I've only had the truck for a week so I have yet to actually back up to one of the trailers and see what's going to work.
I use 3/4" D-rings also. Between this and the trailer connection problems, Ford sure makes it hard to tow trailers. Odd coming from the "king of trucks".
How frequently will you be towing? I don't tow frequently so I use 3/4" shackles instead of hammerlocks and remove them after each tow. I wasn't looking for a permanent installation so less concerned about the long-term effects of the shackles moving around on the hitch.
I would also prefer USA made but, for this commodity, that is difficult to find locally. This shackle is from Harbor Freight and was made in China. Its load rating is several multiples more than required for my application, so I'm not concerned about any quality issues resulting in a load failure. I expect the chain attached to the trailer was made in China and will be the weak link. The smaller shackle is for the trailer brake breakaway cable as its hook would not fit the 3/4" shackle.
When I first installed mine I thought about zip tying the threaded pins in but never got around to it. 2 + years later they haven’t moved. I guess they’re good. They are painted so I figure the paint probably causes it to stick and not loosen.
If using D ring shackles, it might be a good idea to insert a steel wire through the eyelet of the shackle bolt and tie it off to keep the bolt from rotating out as the chains swing the D ring back and forth in combination with bumps in the road.
In 2023, Ford enlarged the receiver hitch chain holes.
Prior to 2023, some people figured out that there is a technique to inserting the cast chain hooks on 2017 - 2022 models.
One fellow named Javier Acosta posted a video on YouTube about how to do it. Here are some freeze frames from that video:
You really should do it the other way, though - in through the bottom and out through the top. It requires twisting the hook sideways, inserting, then rotating as you push it the rest of the way through. Did this all the time on my FIL's old 2022 F250. Haven't tried it on his new '23.
Hooking as shown in the pictures above COULD allow the chains to come unhooked if the trailer comes forward and the tongue goes under the bumper - those little spring clips don't really do anything under load and will bend right out of the way.
Hooking from beneath means those hooks will stay engaged when there's weight on them, so long as the trailer doesn't go UP above the bumper, which a properly loaded trailer shouldn't do.
How frequently will you be towing? I don't tow frequently so I use 3/4" shackles instead of hammerlocks and remove them after each tow. I wasn't looking for a permanent installation so less concerned about the long-term effects of the shackles moving around on the hitch.
Pretty much the same setup that I've used for several years, minus the small clevis hanging from the larger one. I replaced the safety chain hooks on all of my trailers with larger slip hooks with safety catches to ensure that they'd work with the 3/4" D rings.
Even with the re-designed hitch on the 23 I couldnt get either of my trailers hooks onto it... Luckily I kept the hammerlocks from my 22 and put them on the 23.
I've upsized the chains and safety hooks on my enclosed trailer.
I use shackles on my 2019 F350.
I've got different sized Crosby shackles purchased from a local rigging supply business that deals with the Hanford Area.
You really should do it the other way, though - in through the bottom and out through the top. It requires twisting the hook sideways, inserting, then rotating as you push it the rest of the way through. Did this all the time on my FIL's old 2022 F250. Haven't tried it on his new '23.
Hooking as shown in the pictures above COULD allow the chains to come unhooked if the trailer comes forward and the tongue goes under the bumper - those little spring clips don't really do anything under load and will bend right out of the way.
Hooking from beneath means those hooks will stay engaged when there's weight on them, so long as the trailer doesn't go UP above the bumper, which a properly loaded trailer shouldn't do.
What influenced the above take on the insertional direction of safety chain hooks?
Please link any references from the FMSCA, or NHTSA, that offers guidance on which way to insert the trailer safety chain hooks (open end up or down), and/or any research or studies that validate a best practice.
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