Lifting Points | Swivel Hoist Rings & Forged Eye Bolts

Attaching rigging directly to a heavy load requires a secure, engineered anchor point. A common mistake in the field is using standard hardware-store eye bolts for heavy lifting, which can lead to catastrophic shear failure when side-loaded.

Holloway Houston Inc. (HHI) stocks thousands of certified, heavy-duty Lifting Points. Whether you need a standard shoulder eye bolt for a direct vertical lift or an articulated Double Swivel Ring to safely flip a 50-ton die, we have the hardware in both UNC (Imperial) and Metric threads.

The Lifting Point Ecosystem

1. Swivel Hoist Rings (The Safe Choice)

The modern replacement for eye bolts when angular lifting is required.

The Design: These rings feature a bail that pivots 180° and a base that swivels 360°. This ensures the ring always aligns with the direction of the sling, maintaining its full Working Load Limit (WLL) regardless of the pull angle.

• Actek & Crosby (HR-125 / HR-1000): The industry standards for heavy manufacturing and tooling. Available in standard and "Cold Tuff" variants for harsh environments.
• Codipro (Double/Triple Swivel Rings): Premium European hoist rings offering exceptional rotation under load and specialized models like the Double Swivel Shackle (DSS).

2. Forged Eye Bolts (Machinery & Shoulder)

For static, straight-line lifting.

• Machinery Eye Bolts (Crosby S-279): Designed to be threaded directly into a tapped hole. Note: These are for straight vertical lifts only. Side loading significantly reduces capacity.
• Shoulder Eye Bolts (Crosby G-277): Feature a shoulder that seats flush against the mounting surface, providing more stability. They can be used for angular lifts, but the WLL must be drastically reduced according to the manufacturer's charts (e.g., a 45° pull can reduce capacity by 70%).

3. Weld-On Lifting Points

When tapped holes are not an option.

• Pivot Points (Yoke / Actek): Designed to be welded directly to the structure (e.g., excavator buckets, spreader beams). These typically feature a D-ring that pivots 180° and includes an integrated welding block for easy installation.

4. Specialty Points

• Cromox Stainless Steel: Grade 60 stainless lifting points for clean-room, food processing, or subsea applications.
• Fall Protection Anchors: Specialized tie-off points rated for personal fall arrest systems.

Safety Rules: Eye Bolts vs. Hoist Rings

The #1 rule of lifting points is understanding angular loading.

• Never side-load a standard eye bolt: If you are lifting a load with a multi-leg bridle (meaning the slings are pulling at an angle), a standard eye bolt can bend or snap.
• Use Hoist Rings for Angles: If the lift requires a sling angle, you must use a Swivel Hoist Ring or a correctly derated Shoulder Eye Bolt.
• Torque: Hoist rings must be installed with a torque wrench to the manufacturer's specifications. If they are loose, the bolt can bend; if over-tightened, the threads can strip.
• Flush Seating: The base of any eye bolt or hoist ring must sit completely flush against the load surface.

Technical Specifications

• Thread Types: UNC (Coarse) and Metric options available from 1/4" / M8 up to 2" / M100.
• Safety Factor: Generally 5:1 (Actek/Codipro) or 4:1 (Crosby). Check specific model specifications.
• Material: Forged Carbon, Alloy, or Stainless Steel.
• Standards: Meets or exceeds ASME B30.26 (Rigging Hardware).

Browse our inventory to filter by Thread Type (UNC/Metric), Brand, and Working Load Limit.