Whats the diference between shackels that allows such a huge price difference? I don't know if this has been covered before. But why around $40 for viking shackels, $16 at my local ACE harware store, $14 for Warn, $11 at Summit, and $2 at an RV site? Is there really that big a difference?

 

It depends on where they were made, and WLL. Good quality shackles are forged not cast. The higher end shackles will be forged and stronger. Even though the cast shackles have the same WLL they have a lower breaking strength. Forged shackles are the way to go. When you get a cast shackle you never know if there could have been a defect during casting that could cause the shackle to fail prematurely. Stay away from anything made in China. Any shackle that is cast and cheap $$ wise is usually made in china. A lot of the time they will not have any marking to let you know where they were made.

 

So what would be an ideal dimension for the JK

 

3/4" shackles are usually the norm. They have a 7/8" pin. I ordered a 3/4" shackle with the snatch block I got but it turned out to be cast. There is no 'Made In" marking on it so I’m sure it is made in china. I ended up ordering some Van Beest forged shackles. They are high quality like Crosby shackles. The 3/4" shackles are also a little larger than the cast 3/4" shackle I have. I also got two 7/8" shackles.

 

Thanks! I knew there would be a weath of knowledge on this subject out there, and I was sure that another thread was already started on this, but unless I'm using the search funtion wrong...well it kinda sucks.

 

No problem, do a Google search and you can find good quality shackles that you will not have to worry about when you use them. Not sure who makes the Viking shackles but they are probably either Crosby or Van Beest. Just like Viking line is AMSteel Blue synthetic line. AMSteel blue is where I got the shackles I ordered. The 3/4" have a WLL of 4 3/4 Ton but the breaking strength is 62,000 Lbs according to the site. 7/8" WLL is 6.5 Ton and Breaking strength is 85,800Lbs. Don't think you can go wrong with either as long as they fit your application.

 

Don't buy any shackle that doesn't have the WLL clearly stamped on it. 3/4 shackle is ideal for most vehicle recovery rigging and still fits through most loops you may be working with (but not all, depends on the rigging).

These would be my pick if I had to restock my recovery gear today:

http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddet...?prod=ARB-207B

And if you use it for winching, and are going to invest in a good shackle (or two or three) you should also have a comparably-rated pulley and static anchor strap too. (The weakest link will break first, so no sense having a super strong shackle if the rest of the rigging isn't able to keep up.) These would be good choices:

http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddet...p?prod=ARB-209

http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddet...p?prod=ARB-730

 

Where are the ARB shackles manufactured

 

That ARB shackle is the cast shackle that I got when I ordered the ARB snatch block. The snatch block is very high quality but the shackle is cast. There is no "made in" marking on it and it was only 10$ so I'm guessing it is made in china. Maybe David from Northridge would know where they are made. They are advertized to be rated at 10,000lb but the WLL marking on the shackle is 4 ¾ Ton just like all the other ¾” shackles.

 

Honestly I dont know where they are made I assumed Austrailia but I will find out . I have never had one break yet and we sell a ton of them.

David