Towing Above 3,500kg ATM in Australia (If You’re Wanting to Use Hooks): Getting the Chain Connection Right

In Australia, once your trailer steps over 3,500kg ATM, you’re no longer in the “whatever chain came with it will do” zone. The safety chain arrangement becomes a compliance item, and that includes the type of chain used and how it connects to the towing hardware. That’s where short link lifting chain comes in—not as a nice-to-have upgrade, but as a requirement for trailers over 3,500kg ATM in the Australian context.

That requirement creates a very predictable real-world issue: short link lifting chain is built with tight, heavy links, and many certified hooks (especially ones sized and shaped for other common chain styles) can’t physically seat correctly on those short links. You can sometimes clip on, but it won’t sit down properly, and you end up with an awkward connection that looks “almost right” while being mechanically wrong.

The good news is you don’t need to modify the chain to solve this. The fix is simple, tidy, and compliant: install 10mm Omega Links (Product Code: 104110) between the short link lifting chain and the hook. The Omega Link becomes the rated interface point that the hook can seat on correctly, while keeping the required chain in place.

You’ll need 2 × Omega Links—one for each safety chain.

What Changes in Australia Once Your Trailer Is Over 3,500kg ATM

ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) is the maximum weight your trailer is allowed to be when loaded—trailer plus load plus all the extras. In Australia, crossing the 3,500kg ATM mark is significant because it’s tied to heavier-duty compliance expectations, particularly around the coupling and safety chain system.

The main practical takeaway: above this threshold, the safety chain system needs to be set up using hardware that meets the relevant requirements, and short link lifting chain is part of that higher-capacity approach. It’s not used because it “sounds stronger”—it’s used because it’s the specified chain style for that class of trailer, designed to work within a rated system.

But compliance doesn’t stop at the chain itself. The entire connection path matters:

• Chain type and rating
• Connection points
• Hooks and their seating
• How load transfers through the connection

So when people run into a hook that won’t sit properly on the chain, it’s not because the chain choice was wrong. In Australian setups above 3,500kg ATM, the chain choice is required. The issue is the interface between chain and hook.

Short Link Lifting Chain: A Requirement, Not a Preference

Let’s clean up the language here: short link lifting chain isn’t simply “often fitted” on trailers over 3,500kg ATM in Australia—it’s required for that category, and you’ll see it consistently on compliant builds.

Short link lifting chain is easy to recognize:

• Thick, heavy links
• Very short link length
• A compact, tight profile

That compact link shape is great for strength and for use in rated systems, but it also means the chain doesn’t behave like the longer-link “standard trailer safety chain” people might be familiar with on lighter setups. The smaller internal dimensions of each link are exactly why some hooks don’t sit correctly.

So the important mindset shift is this:

You shouldn’t be trying to swap out the chain to suit the hook.
In Australian trailers over 3,500kg ATM, the chain is there because it’s the required spec. You should be adapting the connection interface so the hook seats correctly while keeping the required chain.

The Common Fitment Issue: Certified Hooks Don’t Seat on Short Links

Here’s the problem in one line: the hook physically can’t seat directly onto short link lifting chain.

Even when the hook is rated and certified, it still needs a connection point it can properly engage with. With short link chain, the hook may:

• sit on the edge of the link rather than inside it,
• fail to align correctly,
• not allow the latch to close properly (where applicable),
• load at an odd angle.

And towing isn’t gentle. The connection will see vibration, pitching, braking forces, and constant movement. When a hook is not seated properly, you can end up with:

• uneven loading,
• accelerated wear,
• twisting/side loading,
• a connection that’s technically attached but not behaving like a rated connection.

So the goal isn’t “make it attach.” The goal is make it attach correctly, with a proper rated interface point.

The Compliant Solution: Use a Rated Interface Point (10mm Omega Link)

The clean solution is to install 10mm Omega Links between the short link lifting chain and the hook.

Why it works:

• The Omega Link provides a shape and opening that the hook can seat into properly.
• It becomes the rated interface point in the connection.
• It preserves the required short link lifting chain on the trailer.
• It avoids messy modifications.

No cutting. No welding.
You’re not altering the chain or compromising its compliance. You’re simply adding a connector designed to create a correct connection geometry.

What to Order

Because there are typically two safety chains, you’ll need:

• 10mm Omega Link — Qty: 2
• Product Code: 104110
• One Omega Link per safety chain

Installation Overview: No Cutting, No Welding

The layout becomes:

Short link lifting chain → 10mm Omega Link → Certified hook

Do that for each chain (left and right). Once fitted, you should immediately notice:

• the hook seats properly,
• the connection looks “square” and natural,
• the hook isn’t perched awkwardly on a link,
• the interface point is clearly defined and repeatable.

This is exactly what you want for a high-ATM towing setup: something that connects the same way every time, without wrestling, and without compromising the required chain spec.

Conclusion

For trailers over 3,500kg ATM in Australia, short link lifting chain is a requirement, and that’s the right starting point. The common headache is that certified hooks often can’t seat directly onto those tight short links. The solution isn’t changing the chain—it’s creating a proper rated interface point.

Install 10mm Omega Links (Product Code: 104110) between the short link lifting chain and the hook. Order 2, one per safety chain. You’ll get a clean, compliant connection with no cutting, no welding, and a hook that finally seats the way it’s supposed to.

FAQs

1. Is short link lifting chain optional above 3,500kg ATM in Australia?
   No—it’s a requirement for that trailer category, which is why you see it used consistently on compliant builds.
2. Why doesn’t the hook fit the short link chain?
   Short link chain has tight internal dimensions, so many hooks can’t physically seat properly on the link.
3. What’s the compliant fix?
   Add a 10mm Omega Link between the chain and the hook so the Omega Link becomes the rated interface point.
4. How many Omega Links do I need?
   Two—one per safety chain.
5. What’s the product code?
   104110.