Yankum Ropes
Heavy Duty Soft Shackle
Choose options
The standard soft shackle wears a tubular polyester sleeve. That is plenty for a clean, rounded recovery point. It is not plenty for a rough weld, a sharp bracket edge, or a hitch receiver that has spent ten years being a hitch receiver.
The Heavy Duty Soft Shackle swaps the polyester for a urethane elastomer dipped sleeve. Same HMPE core, same breaking strength — it just survives being dragged across things that would chew through the standard sleeve. Buy this one when the recovery point you are attaching to is, as the real world usually is, less than ideal.
Pick your size
Same rule as the ropes: size to the vehicle doing the recovery, not the one that is stuck.
| Diameter | Breaking strength | Recovery vehicle weight | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/16" | 37,000 lbs | 1,400 – 4,999 lbs | 5/8" Viper, 3/4" Rubber Boa |
| 7/16" | 45,500 lbs | 5,000 – 10,249 lbs | 7/8" Python, 1" Rattler |
| 1/2" | 62,500 lbs | 10,250 – 14,499 lbs | 1-1/4" Mamba |
| 5/8" | 94,000 lbs | 14,500 – 22,999 lbs | 1-1/2" rope |
| 1" | 201,500 lbs | 23,000 – 67,000 lbs | 2" and 2-1/2" rope |
Those breaking strengths look enormous next to the rope they attach to, and they should. The shackle is never meant to be the weak point in the system.
Cross-referencing against a hard shackle
If you already run Green Pin bow shackles and want the soft equivalent:
| Rope size | Heavy Duty soft shackle | Green Pin bow shackle |
|---|---|---|
| 7/8" | 7/16" | 3/4" pin |
| 1" | 7/16" | 7/8" pin |
| 1-1/4" | 1/2" | 1-1/4" pin |
| 1-1/2" | 5/8" | 1-1/4" pin |
| 2" | 1" | 1-1/2" pin |
| 2-1/2" | 1" | 1-1/2" pin |
Do you actually need the Heavy Duty version
Straight answer: not always. If your recovery points are clean, rounded and purpose-built, the standard soft shackle will serve you for years and costs less.
Go Heavy Duty if you are rigging to rough steel, a worn hitch receiver, a frame rail, or anything with a weld bead or a machined edge on it. Also worth it if the shackle lives in a work truck rather than a weekend rig — the urethane sleeve simply lasts longer under repeated use.
The core is the same. You are buying abrasion resistance, not strength.
Soft or hard shackle
Soft shackles are lighter, faster to rig one-handed, will not damage paint, float, and drop instead of flying if something fails. They are the safer choice around people.
Green Pin hard shackles are alloy steel, extremely durable, and cheaper. They are also heavy and they clank around in the bag.
Most people end up carrying both.
FAQ
How do I use one?
Pass the loop through the recovery point and over the knot. To release, push the knot back through the loop — it comes apart by hand even after a hard pull, which is not true of a seized steel pin.
What is the difference from the Double Loop version?
Length. The Double Loop is roughly twice as long, which lets you reach an awkward recovery point or double it back for roughly twice the working load when winching or joining ropes.
When do I retire it?
Inspect before use. Look for cut or fuzzed fiber, a sleeve worn through, or glazing that suggests heat. Any of those and it is done.
Made from HMPE fiber. 1 year limited warranty, through Yankum.
Not sure which size? Ask us — tell us your vehicle and your rope and we will tell you the shackle.
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