Putting a webbing sling on a steel hook concentrates the load on a narrow bearing surface, and webbing does not like that. It bunches, loads unevenly, and wears at the point of contact. A joker hook solves it: the webbing passes over a wide flat bearing face designed for it, and the hook end connects into the assembly as a normal Grade 10 fitting.
That lets you build a proper assembly with webbing legs — a two or four leg sling with webbing rather than chain, terminating in hooks that connect to the load conventionally. It combines the softness of webbing with the convenience of steel end fittings.
Key Features
- Wide flat bearing surface: Designed for webbing, spreading load across the width of the sling instead of concentrating it as a conventional hook does.
- Grade 10 alloy steel: Matching the Cobra Plus range.
- Six capacities: W.L.L. 1 to 6 tonne, with minimum breaking load four times the W.L.L.
- Finish indicated by W.L.L.: Colour identifies capacity at a glance.
- -20 °C to +200 °C.
- Full traceability marking: Material grade, manufacturer's identification, W.L.L., product ID mark and traceability code.
Technical Specifications
| Code |
W.L.L. (t) |
M.P.L. (t) |
M.B.L. (t) |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
d (mm) |
L (mm) |
M (mm) |
Weight (kg) |
List |
| G100JH1 |
1 |
2.5 |
4 |
28 |
40 |
78 |
11 |
124 |
75.7 |
0.73 |
£14.04 |
| G100JH2 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
35 |
44.5 |
91 |
12.5 |
148 |
90 |
1.27 |
£26.33 |
| G100JH3 |
3 |
7.5 |
12 |
45 |
54 |
113 |
15.5 |
175 |
110 |
2.3 |
£38.62 |
| G100JH4 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
56 |
76.5 |
133 |
21 |
223 |
139 |
4.62 |
£117.41 |
| G100JH5 |
5 |
12.5 |
20 |
56 |
76.5 |
133 |
21 |
223 |
139 |
4.62 |
£117.41 |
| G100JH6 |
6 |
15 |
24 |
56 |
76.5 |
133 |
21 |
223 |
139 |
4.62 |
£117.41 |
The 4, 5 and 6 tonne versions share identical dimensions, weight and price. Same forging, rated differently — so the 6 tonne is the obvious choice at that price point unless a lower rating is required for a specific assembly.
Grade 10 Alloy Steel | MBL 4 x W.L.L. | -20 °C to +200 °C | LOLER Ready
Grade 10 alloy steel, marked with material grade, manufacturer's identification, W.L.L., product ID mark and traceability code, and supplied with a certificate. Finish indicates the Working Load Limit. Under LOLER 1998, lifting accessories require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Used to build webbing sling assemblies with steel end fittings: multi-leg webbing slings, made-up assemblies for specific loads, and any arrangement where webbing legs need to terminate in a conventional hook. It suits work where the load must not be marked but the rigging needs the convenience and speed of steel fittings — machinery installation, fabrication handling and finished goods.
More About This Product
Textile slings are the most-used lifting accessory on most sites and the one most casually treated. They are light, cheap relative to chain, and forgiving of handling — right up until they are not. The failure mode is a cut, and a cut can be introduced in a second and go unnoticed until the sling is under load.
That is why the safety factor is 7:1 rather than the 4:1 used on chain fittings. Steel wears gradually and visibly; textile is either intact or damaged, and the transition can happen in one lift against a sharp corner. The higher factor is not generosity, it is an acknowledgement of how these things actually fail.
Hitch Configurations and What They Do to Capacity
The Working Load Limit marked on a sling is for a straight vertical lift. Every other configuration changes it, and two of them change it in opposite directions.
Choke hitch — passing the sling through its own eye around the load — grips well and stops the load sliding, but it pinches the sling at the choke point and reduces capacity against the vertical rating — the sling’s own label gives the choke figure. It is the most common hitch and the most commonly forgotten derating.
Basket hitch — both eyes on the hook with the sling passing under the load — puts two legs under the load and can carry more than the vertical rating when the legs are truly vertical — the sling label gives the basket figure. As soon as the legs angle inwards that advantage falls away, and at a wide enough angle the basket carries no more than a single vertical leg.
Multi-leg configurations follow the same geometry. The included angle is what matters, not the number of legs, and wide angles are the commonest cause of overload on a sling set that has been correctly specified in every other respect.
The sling label carries the figures for each configuration. It is worth reading before the lift rather than after.
How to Use the Joker Hook
- Match the W.L.L. to the sling: The hook and the webbing must be rated for the same load, and the assembly is limited by the weaker.
- Seat the webbing across the full bearing width: The wide face is the point of the product. Webbing bunched to one side loses that benefit entirely.
- Check the webbing where it passes over the hook: That contact point is where wear concentrates on the sling.
- Do not tip load: As with any hook, load bears in the throat.
- Recertify made-up assemblies: Any assembly built or altered requires proof testing and recertification by a competent person.
- Do not modify: Never weld, heat, machine, drill or repaint.
Warning: The webbing must bear across the full width of the flat face. Bunched or twisted webbing concentrates load and defeats the purpose of the fitting. Never tip load. Made-up assemblies must be recertified before use.
Safety Information
- Never exceed the marked Working Load Limit.
- The hook and sling must be rated for the same load.
- Webbing must bear across the full width of the flat face.
- Load must bear in the throat, never on the tip.
- Inspect the webbing at the bearing point as well as the hook.
- Made-up assemblies require proof testing and recertification.
- Withdraw any hook showing throat opening, wear beyond the manufacturer’s stated limit, distortion or cracks.
- Never weld, heat treat, machine or repaint.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
Inspect the flat bearing face for grooving, sharp edges and wear, since any edge developing there will cut the webbing running over it — the fitting exists to protect the sling and a worn one does the opposite. Measure throat opening against the original dimension and withdraw at the manufacturer’s stated wear limit. Check the body for distortion and cracks and confirm the marking and finish colour remain identifiable. Inspect the webbing sling at its bearing point at the same time, as the two wear together.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why not use an ordinary hook with a webbing sling?
Because a conventional hook has a narrow bearing surface, which concentrates load across a small width of webbing and causes bunching and wear. A joker hook has a wide flat face sized for webbing, spreading the load as the sling is designed to take it.
Q: Why do the 4, 5 and 6 tonne cost the same?
They are the same forging with identical dimensions and weight, rated differently. At £117.41 for all three, the 6 tonne is the obvious choice unless a specific assembly requires a lower marked rating.
Q: Can I build my own webbing assembly?
Components can be assembled, but any made-up lifting assembly requires proof testing and certification by a competent person before use. That is a requirement rather than good practice.
