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Aluminum Delta Link

Wirrex

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Oct 8, 2016
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2,246
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Wisconsin
Is anyone using aluminum Delta links instead of the steel for tether attachment? Are these safe for cross loading like we do? I want something that isn’t going to rust after repeated use.
 
What's the weight on that compared to an 8 mm steel screw link (which is 85 grams)? Also, the screw links are mostly stainless. I trust steel more here because it is more likely to bend before it breaks, has stronger threads, and doesn't fatigue towards failure over time. I've decided that this isn't a place where I should cut weight.
 
What's the weight on that compared to an 8 mm steel screw link (which is 85 grams)? Also, the screw links are mostly stainless. I trust steel more here because it is more likely to bend before it breaks, has stronger threads, and doesn't fatigue towards failure over time. I've decided that this isn't a place where I should cut weight.

i don’t care about the weight I just didn’t want things rusting. If I could get a stainless one I’m all for that too.
 
i don’t care about the weight I just didn’t want things rusting. If I could get a stainless one I’m all for that too.

Yep, get a stainless one. I'd avoid the 10 mm ones though. I bought one by accident and kept it in case I need to lift a house one day (heavy overkill).....actually I should throw it in my truck as an extra shackle in case I have to pull something heavy with a tow strap.
 
I have used both the Kong and Petzl aluminum Delta links. They eventually become very hard to screw and unscrew, so I assume they are bending. I’m either going to go to a steel oval or back to girth hitch figure 8.
 
My petzl oval is stainless steel hasn't rusted in 2 seasons using it.
 
I had that issue with Camp stainless steel oval links, I think 10mm. I used them on a small dynamic rigging load, had them hand tight, but needed a tool to unscrew it. Wasn’t visibly deformed.
A static load from a single body weight should probably be fine to unscrew after, but maybe keep a Leatherman or Gerber tool handy anyways.
 
Aluminum also, distorts, bends like steel.
View attachment 40509

Absolutely it does bend, but all the welders here keep telling me that aluminum is more likely to give way without as much warning while steel more reliably deforms. So, I'm believing them. I suppose the measure would be ductility (?). I guess I didn't express myself well, I know that aluminum does bend.
 
I have used both the Kong and Petzl aluminum Delta links. They eventually become very hard to screw and unscrew, so I assume they are bending. I’m either going to go to a steel oval or back to girth hitch figure 8.
That is the threads getting boogered.....u ever been working on ur car and tightening a bolt into something aluminum and all the sudden u feel a shudder and the bolt spins way to easy and u get a bad feeling in ur stomach... Same thing... aluminum threads easy to strip vs steel or stainless....
 
Absolutely it does bend, but all the welders here keep telling me that aluminum is more likely to give way without as much warning while steel more reliably deforms. So, I'm believing them. I suppose the measure would be ductility (?). I guess I didn't express myself well, I know that aluminum does bend.
Interesting, wonder if they were talking about the welds, or aluminum in general.
 
That is the threads getting boogered.....u ever been working on ur car and tightening a bolt into something aluminum and all the sudden u feel a shudder and the bolt spins way to easy and u get a bad feeling in ur stomach... Same thing... aluminum threads easy to strip vs steel or stainless....

I have had stainless threads royally screw me over on the electrical feed for an entire high school. Also those cheap stainless screw links booger up as well. Some grease might help out for longevity on these screw links.

Why are screwlock caribiners not susceptible to the galling threads?
 
Absolutely it does bend, but all the welders here keep telling me that aluminum is more likely to give way without as much warning while steel more reliably deforms. So, I'm believing them. I suppose the measure would be ductility (?). I guess I didn't express myself well, I know that aluminum does bend.
Aluminum can and does bend... In the correct alloy. During forging a little pinch of magnesium here and dash of copper there u get a finished material that has certain qualities....then add different heat treatment u have lots of different types of aluminum. 6000 series more specifically 6061 is not intended to bend and that is why it will fail without much indication. U can get it into a state where it can be formed without having to worry about cracking as much but it involved heating to a specific temp and it isn't for beginners
 
I have had stainless threads royally screw me over on the electrical feed for an entire high school. Also those cheap stainless screw links booger up as well. Some grease might help out for longevity on these screw links.

Why are screwlock caribiners not susceptible to the galling threads?
Any thread of any material can gall....stainless is notorious for having threads seize.... Anti-seize should be used on stainless anytime u think u might want to unthread later. I have a steel triangle link on my rappel rope and first thing I did was apply anti-seize

Stainless the threads kinda weld themselves together called galling and aluminum the threads pull out
 
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I have used both the Kong and Petzl aluminum Delta links. They eventually become very hard to screw and unscrew, so I assume they are bending. I’m either going to go to a steel oval or back to girth hitch figure 8.

so you said oval. i know a lot of folks use delta links to prevent a scaffold knot from slipping over it, which i gotta say is pretty hard to imaging unless you take a real whipper, then that is probably the least of your worries. seems like an oval link would be fine too..
 
so you said oval. i know a lot of folks use delta links to prevent a scaffold knot from slipping over it, which i gotta say is pretty hard to imaging unless you take a real whipper, then that is probably the least of your worries. seems like an oval link would be fine too..

Sorry, I wasn’t clear on that. I meant if I go to a steel oval, I wouldn’t attach via scaffold knot, but rather by a figure 8 on a bight.
 
Sorry, I wasn’t clear on that. I meant if I go to a steel oval, I wouldn’t attach via scaffold knot, but rather by a figure 8 on a bight.
When loaded the scaffold is trying to pull the oval inside, but at the same time the same amount of force from the load is also pulling the oval in the opposite direction to not get sucked in, and the knot is tightening up all this time.
It might get sucked into the hitch if it got stuck in a branch union while retrieving.
 
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