Chain Tighteners

Stmar

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B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
906
42
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
I couldn't find a set of commercial tighteners that I liked so I decided to come up with my own design motivated by forum members suggestions. Had rubber bungees but they were not very heavy duty and would not last. Amazon had 8-1/2" trampoline springs, $15 for 15 so cheap experiment, had some spare links laying around that I used to get the right tension. The center ring is from an old bit.
 

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RCW

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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
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Chenango County, NY
Looks good! Certainly can't complain on the price, and got to use some spare stuff laying around!

I keep saying I'm going to put a couple of those together, and haven't yet....:eek:

I ended up buying a BUNCH of rubber tarp straps formulated for cold. Same thing - a bunch were really cheap.

Better use those up first!
 
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100 td

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B21TLB (B21, TL421 & BT751) Toyota SDK4 T116 Bobcat
Aug 29, 2015
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ɹǝpunuʍop
Nice! I can foresee other using that idea, easy/cheap/effective.
 

Stmar

Active member

Equipment
B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
906
42
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
Thanks but I really have to give credit to the gentleman that pointed me in the spring direction, unfortunately I can't find the post so can't get his name. He got me thinking outside the box instead of buying something off the shelf.
 

Stmar

Active member

Equipment
B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
906
42
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
Found him: Dave_eng gave me the idea and I stumbled upon the trampoline springs while surfing Amazon. Lots of good ideas on this forum for just about anything you can imagine.
 

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Stmar

Active member

Equipment
B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
906
42
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
On my setup I needed about 12 inches + from the ring to the chain. The spring could stretch about an inch and a quarter and I used two chain links to get the 12 inches. Broke one of the links and pounded one end onto the other link and used the other end as a hook to afix to the tire chain. The springs come with one end more curved than the other, I took channellocks and bent the less curved end a bit more. So far they have worked good and I really gave them a workout last week.