What the.... Bent frame HELP

[tsmartin]

I cant understand it. I have never had so many problems with welding. I posted here a couple of days ago about my tongue being bent. OK now with a tongue no problem. YA until I welded the leaf spring brackets to the frame.... IT BENT. Both sides of the frame have a bow in it. It looks like a big rigs flat bed trailer With the bow built in to it. So now what.... The trailer is 5x10 built out of 2x2x1/8 wall. Heres what I trough... get the floor screwed down, put a 4x4 across the inside, a floor jack on top of the 4x4 to my garage beam, bend in down, put subfloor glue on the walls, screw the crap out of the sides and let it dry. What do you think???? Will it work? From end to end its about a 3/4+ bow. Thanks TIM

[tonyj]

You will find that most all that bow will disappear once you install the floor and attach the walls. Don't sweat it too much at this point--mine did the same thing and now that bow isn't there at all.

[Mini Renegade]

same here, just build and the weight will even it out, thats what mine did and worked out great

[Steve_Cox]

3/4" might not be a big deal with the floor screwed down. I'd check it after that before doing the "preload" deal, but that wasn't a bad idea. All welds have a tendency to draw up a little, I try and not make long passes on thin material, weld a little here, weld a little there, with cool down time in between and maybe a smack with the big shop hammer if it gets too far out of alignment. Let us know how it is with the floor down.

[len19070]

I built this Frame





When I welded the first cross member/out looker, that was only about 12" over the frame it bowed up about an inch on each end. (actually had to do it over) It was all heat.

After that, on the others I clamped another piece of angle across the top to keep it straight. And as Steve said "a little at a time".

Happy Trails

Len

[tsmartin]

Steve,
Got the floor on tonight and what do you know she flattened right out. Thanks a bunch

[Steve_Cox]

Steve,
Got the floor on tonight and what do you know she flattened right out. Thanks a bunch

Great news & the pictures are looking good.

BTW, nice shop