J Plates

J track would be awesome for what I haul.

 

It's just a sign of knowing what you're doing.

 

Throw the chain all the way over, then hook it in the first j hook while it has that minimum weight tension from the chain being off the other side. Then go round the other side, pull chain taught, attach chain to j hook, attach binder and tighten.

 

494"]What I was doing was grabbing the chains off the headache rack and tossing them all on the upper deck to grab and drag down to the lower deck. Thats how I have been doing it with my set up. Just force of habit for me from doing it for so long. Then when I grab a chain its snagged in the j-track slot. Then my wife looks at me and says didnt you learn from the last load? I'm such a creature of habit,.. I dont know what comes over me sometimes.

I do find the chain hooks on mine easier to handle. This trailer had cotter pins holding about 10 j-plates stored on sliders under the trailer. It must have been a really nice trailer at one time. Had LEDs all down the sides and across the back cover plate by the DOT bumper. Half worked,.. half did not. The I beam on the back bumper was bent all to hell from what looked like he hooked a chain to either pull someone out,.. or to have himself pulled out and the chain jerked hard enough to twist the beam and the upper plate on the back of the trailer. The passenger side box and rack that held the ramps was all bashed up and bent.

Back in my hoopty,.. its like being with an old friend.

Hurst[/QUOTE]
Thank you for all of the posts on this and the other J-plate threads. As I am moving toward the purchase of a new drop-deck, this info is really helpful. I have a few related questions:
Reitnouer has 5 tracks for the plates (2 outside, two by the main frame and one down the middle). Does anyone here have that setup, and do you like it?
Does anyone use the ratcheting winch bars? Never used one and although they seem a bit gimmicky, reason tells me that with the low deck and limited swing, they may be helpful.
I'm 60 years young and will be doing a new gig with this equipment , so I want to make it easy if I can.
If you use chain pop-ups, are there any tricks out there for keeping them de-iced?
Pros/cons on Reitnouer in general and their "square spools" in particular?
BTW Hurst, you mention that you're a creature of habit. I view that as a very positive attribute; consistent actions (a methodical approach) can avoid a multitude of mistakes.

 

I have used the Fontaine trailer with the j plates. Can't rember if it had the track down the middle. But use to p/u farm equipment and the j tracks made it easier securing everything .

As far as the chain pop ups and snow or ice , I would at times have to use a large flat head to chip of the ice in order to use theme.
Never used the J track in winter but I would think you might run in to the same kind of trouble with ice or snow build up in the tracks?

 

Anything and everything will ice up in the winter. We all know that. Hammer, screwdriver, 1 lb lp tank with a torch and a couple minutes work solves it.