Tieing down an M/MD

I asked this question before, but want to double check. I got two heavy duty, forged eyebolts which I threaded into the holes in front bolster. Will this be totally safe, and not stress the bolster, or should each eyebolt go on the frame rail. I'm thinking my present arrangement will be fine, but could use any other advice. Thanks.

Eyebolts are designed to withstand a straight pull, and in your application, the pull will be at an angle, which could cause failure of the eyebolt. A short length of 5/16" or 3/8" chain with a chain hook attached, and bolted to the frame rails is a much better way to do it.

Rusty is on it. A conventional eyebolt could fail as he described. They do make them for the setup you were thinking of -- they will have a flare/flange between the threaded portion and the eye, which needs to be threaded down tightly against the surface. BUT . . . even with those your greatest strength is on a straight pull. You lose strength as the angle of your chain to the centerline of the threaded shaft increases.

Around my neighborhood, the tow hooks off the front of old Chevy pickups are a popular for bolting on as anchor points. You can loop them through the bend in a chain or simply use a sling hoook on the end of your chain to grab onto them.

I have no idea how much hauling experience you have, but as far as your casting or frame rails failing, the key to avoiding that is to make sure your chains are always TIGHT. What overstresses and breaks things is sudden jolts, like having the tractor rock back and forth on any slack in the chains as you speed up and slow down, go from uphill to down . . . With the chains tight, that movement is eliminated. Any sudden change in speed will be absorbed by the whole tie-down system. Straps obviously have some spring in them, but so do chains (you can actually stretch and wear them out).

As long as your straps and chains (including any hooks) on each end of the tractor are TIGHT and rated for at least half the weight of the tractor, you'll be fine. As far as bolts, my preference is for Grade 5s. If you should meet a situation that stresses them severely, to the point that they need to be replaced, they will have given rather than breaking or shearing. A Grade 8 bolt in the same severe application might break or shear rather than give.

Lots of different eye-bolts. If they are the forged kind that have a shoulder and will screw tight against that shoulder, they should take a lot of side load. If not, I would not trust them. Lifted a lot of heavy equipment with considerable side load with that kind.

I see Scotty was posting the same time I was with similar thoughts... I wouldn't side load over about 40-45 degrees.

Would'nt trust the bolster holes at the front because the castings can break. The hole near the middle of where the frame rails bolt to the bolster is probably the srongest. But a lot of 5/8 thread machine eye bolts with shoulder drop to around a 1000 lb. rating at a 45 degree angle compared to 3500 to 4000 straight pull.

Thanks for all replies. All comments valuable for me. I do have eye bolts with flanges and they are presently screwed into the front bolster. Rustyfarmall makes a good point, the strength is reduced with an angular pull. Also, I think these eye bolts are just too far out on the end. I'm thinking that the tie down arrangement should be back farther (on the frame rail). I always use 4 chains with chain binders on every tractor I haul and that the tractor is immoveable on the trailer. Thanks again. Glad I asked.

Yup. I was looking for it the other night and couldn't find it. Finally located the info at the front of the eyebolt section in the McMaster-Carr catalog. Even a good forged shoulder-pattern eyebolt loses 75% of its rated working load at a chain angle of 45*. So one riding on a 1/2" thread rated for 4,000# on a straight pull is only good for 1,000 at a 45* angle. Two of them don't add up to half the weight of an M, never mind an MD, and wouldn't make good anchor points, even if the available holes will take a 5/8" thread.

Rusty, I've never hauled my M anywhere but the person I purchased it from delivered it to the farm. He used exactly what you are mentioning (2) short pieces of chain with a forged chain hook on the end to which he connected to the tie down chains. He used a bolt and washer where the chains were secured to the bolster. He told me he had been in over 20 states with the tractor at shows or tractor rides and never had a towing issue. He also suggested letting about half or more of the tire pressure out when towing to minimize any bouncing. My question is I haul my Super C (which is not near the weight of a M) and I've been tieing it down using a clevis in the drawbar and the front hitch plate. I then run the tie down chain through the clevis and secure with chain rachets all of which is far over rated in strength to the tractor weight. I don't know how the drawbar and front hitch plate would be rated but think it would be fine. I would certainly appreciate your comments on this method of tieing the tractor down. Thanks for sharing from your experiences and knowledge, Hal.

When I hauled my M, I used about 10 cargo straps rated between 5000 and 10000lbs and got them spread out all around the tractor as tight as possible to my trailer and that tractor didn't so much as budge!

(quoted from post at 17:00:37 07/20/10) Rusty, I've never hauled my M anywhere but the person I purchased it from delivered it to the farm. He used exactly what you are mentioning (2) short pieces of chain with a forged chain hook on the end to which he connected to the tie down chains. He used a bolt and washer where the chains were secured to the bolster. He told me he had been in over 20 states with the tractor at shows or tractor rides and never had a towing issue. He also suggested letting about half or more of the tire pressure out when towing to minimize any bouncing. My question is I haul my Super C (which is not near the weight of a M) and I've been tieing it down using a clevis in the drawbar and the front hitch plate. I then run the tie down chain through the clevis and secure with chain rachets all of which is far over rated in strength to the tractor weight. I don't know how the drawbar and front hitch plate would be rated but think it would be fine. I would certainly appreciate your comments on this method of tieing the tractor down. Thanks for sharing from your experiences and knowledge, Hal.

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The chain through a clevis attached to the drawbar at the rear is just fine. At the front however, I really like to use 2 separate chains, as I feel it gives more side-to-side stability. That is the method I use when hauling an M or an H.

Thanks Rusty for your response and yes I think the two chains would probably be best. I guess you think the front hitch plate is strong and secure enough? Thanks again, Hal.

(quoted from post at 04:44:57 07/21/10)

(quoted from post at 17:00:37 07/20/10) Rusty, I've never hauled my M anywhere but the person I purchased it from delivered it to the farm. He used exactly what you are mentioning (2) short pieces of chain with a forged chain hook on the end to which he connected to the tie down chains. He used a bolt and washer where the chains were secured to the bolster. He told me he had been in over 20 states with the tractor at shows or tractor rides and never had a towing issue. He also suggested letting about half or more of the tire pressure out when towing to minimize any bouncing. My question is I haul my Super C (which is not near the weight of a M) and I've been tieing it down using a clevis in the drawbar and the front hitch plate. I then run the tie down chain through the clevis and secure with chain rachets all of which is far over rated in strength to the tractor weight. I don't know how the drawbar and front hitch plate would be rated but think it would be fine. I would certainly appreciate your comments on this method of tieing the tractor down. Thanks for sharing from your experiences and knowledge, Hal.

Click to expand...

The chain through a clevis attached to the drawbar at the rear is just fine. At the front however, I really like to use 2 separate chains, as I feel it gives more side-to-side stability. That is the method I use when hauling an M or an H.

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I like two as well. I put the clevis through the drawbar and put a long chain through there. Then on the front I hook the hooks onto the lower side of the frame rail. This then pulls forward towards the bolster. It works really well pulling out, but wouldn't work if you were pulling in. I have also seen people run clevis' through the holes in the frame rails and chain through them. You could probably get the job done with two chains then.