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Sling legs at an angle share the load along their length, so each leg carries more than its vertical share. The horizontal component grows as the angle to horizontal shrinks, multiplying tension by 1/sin θ. Below 30° the forces climb steeply and are prohibited by good practice.
- 2,000 lb, 2 legs, 60°.
- Per leg = 2,000 ÷ (2 × 0.866) = 1,155 lb.
Reference tables
Load factor by sling angle (from horizontal)
| Angle | sin θ | Load factor |
|---|---|---|
| 90° | 1.000 | 1.00 |
| 60° | 0.866 | 1.15 |
| 45° | 0.707 | 1.41 |
| 30° | 0.500 | 2.00 |
A number the tables do not give: dropping the sling angle from 60° to 30° doubles the tension in each leg for the same load.
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FAQ
Angle from horizontal or vertical?
This uses the angle from horizontal, the ASME convention. A 60° sling is steep; a 30° sling is shallow and highly loaded.
Why never below 30°?
The load factor exceeds 2.0 and rises sharply, overloading slings and hardware; ASME B30.9 practice prohibits it.
Do all legs share equally?
Only with symmetric geometry and rigid loads. With three or four legs, assume the load rests on the two most-loaded legs unless it is truly rigid.
Does the hitch matter?
Yes — choker and basket hitches change the effective capacity; apply the sling’s rated reduction on top of the angle factor.
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