Eyebolts & Hoist Rings
Eyebolts and hoist rings are fasteners that give you a lifting point on a load, a die, a motor or a machine. They look simple, but they fail suddenly if they are the wrong type, loaded at an angle, poorly seated or damaged. A lifting eyebolt is not the same as a hardware-store eyebolt, and the difference can save a life.
- Rigging
- Industrial
- Construction
Types of lifting points
| Type | What it is | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder (collared) eyebolt | An eyebolt with a flat shoulder (collar) that seats against the load | Rated for vertical pull. Capacity drops sharply when loaded at an angle. Must be seated flush |
| Plain (non-shoulder) eyebolt | Eyebolt without a collar, often with a nut | For straight, in-line pull only. Not for angular loads |
| Swivel hoist ring | A ring on a swivel bushing, bolted to the load. Turns and pivots | Can be loaded at any angle within the rated range. Must be torqued to specification |
| Lifting points on equipment | Lugs, pad eyes and lifting eyes built into a load | Use only the points the manufacturer says are for lifting |
Don’t use a hardware-store eyebolt for lifting. Ordinary eyebolts and forged “eye” fasteners made for anchoring or hanging are not rated for overhead lifting. Use only eyebolts and hoist rings that are marked with the manufacturer’s name and rated working load limit (WLL).
Angular loading: the big risk
- A shoulder eyebolt loaded in line with its shank is at full rating. As the sling angle moves away from vertical, the eyebolt’s capacity drops far below its rated vertical load, to a fraction of it at 45 degrees, and farther at lower angles. Use the manufacturer’s reduction chart.
- A plain eyebolt should never be loaded at an angle. The bending force can snap the shank.
- With two or more eyebolts, the angle of the sling and the capacity reduction increase. Use a spreader bar or a lifting beam to keep the pull straight up. See Below-the-Hook Devices.
- Swivel hoist rings are designed to handle angled pulls within their rated range, so they are often preferred when angles can’t be avoided. Check the rating for the angle.
- Align the eye with the direction of pull. Use washers or shims only as the maker allows, to line up a shoulder eyebolt, and don’t use extra washers to make up a poor fit.
Installing eyebolts and hoist rings
- Check the rating (WLL), the thread size and the material. Make sure the load’s tapped hole is strong enough for the lift and the right size.
- Check the threads on the bolt and in the hole for damage, dirt, burrs and stripping. Clean them.
- Seat a shoulder eyebolt fully against the surface, with the shoulder flat and no gap. If it won’t seat, don’t use it.
- Use full thread engagement. The bolt should go in deep enough to reach full strength, usually at least one and a half times the bolt diameter in steel, unless the maker says otherwise.
- Torque hoist rings to the specified value with a calibrated wrench, and use the correct bolt length and grade. Under-torqued rings can loosen, and over-torqued bolts can stretch.
- Check the surface under the ring: it must be flat and clean, and bear fully on the load.
- Use the right shackle or hook in the eye, one that fits freely and doesn’t pinch or side-load the eye. See Shackles.
- Do a test lift: raise the load a few inches, stop and check everything, with people clear.
Inspection
- Inspect before each use. Look for bent or stretched shanks, cracks, nicks, gouges, worn or elongated eyes, damaged threads, corrosion, rounded or deformed shoulders, and missing or illegible markings.
- Check the swivel on hoist rings. It should rotate and pivot freely, and bushings should be intact.
- Remove from service any eyebolt or hoist ring that is bent, stretched, cracked, heavily rusted or heat damaged. Don’t straighten, weld, grind, drill or modify it. See Tagging Out Damaged Tools.
- Follow the manufacturer’s rules for periodic inspection by a qualified person and for keeping records. ASME B30.26 covers rigging hardware including eyebolts and hoist rings.
- Don’t leave eyebolts permanently on a load unless they are made for it, and remove them before the load is put back into service if the maker says to.
Do’s and don’ts
- Don’t exceed the WLL, and don’t forget that the rating applies to a straight pull for shoulder eyebolts.
- Don’t use plain eyebolts for angled lifts, or weld or heat them.
- Don’t drag a load with an eyebolt or use it for side pulls unless it is rated.
- Don’t mix hardware from different makers or substitute bolts without approval.
- Don’t use an eyebolt on a load whose threaded hole is cracked or weak, such as cast material with unknown strength.
- Use qualified riggers and follow the lift plan. See Qualified Rigger Requirements and Lift Planning.
- Know the load weight. See Estimating Load Weight.
- Keep people out from under the load.
Eyebolt and hoist ring checklist
- Marked with the maker and WLL; correct type for the pull direction
- Threads clean; shoulder seated flush; full thread engagement
- Hoist ring torqued to spec with the right bolt
- Sling angle checked against the reduction chart
- Inspected, undamaged and unmodified
- Test lift done; people clear of the load
Standards & references
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