Trailer Build

[Hack]

Did have that thought but end of long day. No one enjoys a pole vaulting trailer.

I had borrowed my son's enclosed trailer, hooked it all up, stomped on the coupler a couple of times and from a couple of directions, towed it down a rough dirt road 5 miles to my house. All was fine. Took off, drove less than 1/2 mile on pavement, coupler popped off the ball. Big bang, swerving trailer (restrained by chains), and a few WTF's????

These trailers are built as light as possible, and just the impact from the tongue hitting the road caused the thin aluminum to buckle on the V-nose. And there was nothing to speak of inside the trailer at the time. At the very least the skid would prevent damage to the coupler assembly and/or the attachment points for the chains.

On a side note, the previous owner of my son's trailer, must have dropped it a few times, because the skid was bent flat...

 

[jamesurq]

I don't think any of us could have produced enough torque for that fastener from a 6-8" long tool handle. The amount of torque should have been close to the lug nut torque.

Did the spacer have steel inserts for the threads or did the allen bolts thread right into the aluminum?

Right into the aluminum.

 

[jamesurq]

FYI -
Lug Torque: 95 ft-lbs
Black Allen Bolt Torque: 55 ft-lbs

 

[jfz80]

55 ft/lb with a 8" hand allen key would be tough

Just trying to determine if they backed out and then did the damage to threads or a material problem (threads pulling out)

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I see threads down in the adapter in the pics on the last page. Looks like they backed out to me.

 

[Rice]

55 ft/lb with a 8" hand allen key would be tough

Just trying to determine if they backed out and then did the damage to threads or a material problem (threads pulling out)

Agree. 55 ft lbs would have to happen with allen socket and, if you go this route again, blue loctite.

 

[JohnVee]

James gets to buy more tools! Or a piece of pipe for his current allen's.

 

[jamesurq]

James gets to buy more tools! Or a piece of pipe for his current allen's.

I'll be interested to pull the other wheel and see what the allen bolts look like on that side... That's on tonight's agenda I think.

 

[Rice]

I'll be interested to pull the other wheel and see what the allen bolts look like on that side... That's on tonight's agenda I think.

I have the allen sockets, torque wrench, and loctite; but if those threads are fubar it's time to punt.

 

[jamesurq]

I have the allen sockets, torque wrench, and loctite; but if those threads are fubar it's time to punt.

I'll check it out tonight when I get them both off.

 

[Rice]

I'll check it out tonight when I get them both off.

 

[JohnVee]

3' bar. 25lb weight centered on 18" from the end. What's that work out to?

 

[mtweller]

3' bar. 25lb weight centered on 18" from the end. What's that work out to?

Not nearly enough.

 

[RedHeadedStepChild]

37.5 Lb-ft

 

[Rice]

37.5 Lb-ft

I'm gonna say that handle looks like it is at an angle of about 30 degrees from horizontal, and since the torque producing force has to be perpendicular to the moment arm that means the torque would be

25 lbs x 1.5 ft x cos 30 = 32.5 ft lbs.

 

[RedHeadedStepChild]

I'm gonna say that handle looks like it is at an angle of about 30 degrees from horizontal, and since the torque producing force has to be perpendicular to the moment arm that means the torque would be

25 lbs x 1.5 ft x cos 30 = 32.5 ft lbs.

Touche

 

[fourtrax]

Teachers, keeping honest people honest

 

[NCFJ]

Have you checked into just swapping out the hubs to hubs with the proper lug pattern?

 

[jamesurq]

Have you checked into just swapping out the hubs to hubs with the proper lug pattern?

Yep. That wouldn't buy me any width though. I don't necessarily need the 2" that these spacers make, but that's the smallest you can get if you're going from 5 to 6 hubs

 

[Rice]

Teachers, keeping honest nerdy people honest nerdy

Fixed