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Old 01-22-2018, 04:35 PM   #23
Coley
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Victoria, B.C
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Re: New replica tow hooks!

The prevailing issue for me is 'toughness'....with the strength being a strong second....and noting that steel is definitely a better choice than cast.

The toughness created by forging has to do with the shaping of the inherent grain structure within the steel. This 'shaping' is the forging or 'pounding' process put into a piece of steel through the impact of several 'dies' that bring the steel to its final shape.
Sort of like the way a tree branch develops its natural strength, despite its length, by forming itself over time....and that is why, by simple example... you can hang a swing on a tree branch 8-10 ft out...and you could never do that on a cantilevered 4x4 which would snap off at the mount point vs. 'flexing' like the tree branch.

here is quick informative youtube video of the way forging works on a piece of steel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeSCjRaV9Og

This 'toughness' allows the steel to withstand 'impact' as well as load....unlike casting....and you could easily see 'impact' on a towing operation if you had slack in a tow chain that suddenly pulled tight and 'slammed' (or impacted) the towhook.
That cast one would instantly break off...with all sorts of damage occurring to possible both people and equipment.

As a result of these different processes, you can take a cast item and hit it with a hammer and it will literally explode....a piece of steel, particularly forged steel...will 'hang in there'. Just like if you hit a cast cylinder head or engine block with a 5lb sledge it will snap in half....but if that was a 3" or 4" square 'steel' bar....you would hit it all day and do nothing but wear your sledge hammer (and your arms lol) out.

Anything relating to lifting, towing, etc needs to have this inherent extra element in it....which a casting never has.

All good
Coley
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Last edited by Coley; 01-22-2018 at 04:55 PM.
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