1-4 Missouri Valley Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

In a two-leg sling setup, the weight of the load is shared between the two legs, and the tension in each leg depends on how wide apart the legs are. The relationship 2 T cos θ = W (where θ is the angle each leg makes with the vertical) shows that as the angle from vertical grows, the tension in each leg must grow to keep lifting the load.

Because you want to keep each leg within its safe rated capacity, there is a commonly recommended minimum angle from the vertical. That minimum is 30 degrees, which corresponds to 60 degrees between the two legs. So the smallest recommended sling angle is 30 degrees.