Can any eye bolts be used for lifting? No! You'll find light-duty eye bolts at hardware stores, and we stock some as well. BUT, for lifting and rigging, be sure to use forged, properly rated eye bolts and leave the light-duty types to light-duty, low-risk applications only. Any time there's an open eye, like these smaller gauge, zinc-plated eye bolts from Chicago, they're not acceptable for lifting. These should instead be used for general purpose in-line pulls, like a clothesline or tightening

Extra, extra, learn all about it — Eye Bolts and how to use them safely! If you're considering using eye bolts for lifting, angular load is a big concern. If you don't use the right hardware, a 90-degree lift will sacrifice around 75% of your eye bolt's listed Working Load Limit (WLL). However, there are ways to avoid such limitations. If you missed our latest full-length toolbox talk video, visit https://youtu.be/LmUg-zG8vWQ. We'll walk you through the various eye-bolt styles and point out a fe