Chasis 3/16 out of square...

[Keith B]

Okay... so the responses are.. "Keith, you're fussy, don't sweat it, 3/16" isn't that much, it sucks but it's not that bad, get the damn thing done and enjoy it"... See, this is why I love this forum.... So Doug... are you going to call yours "LiftOff" with all the space-station talk?

[doug hodder]

No Keith...It's called the Rocketear!!!....lift off is planned for just prior to Minden...hope I can get all the heat tiles to stick....Doug

[Keith B]

Rockettear.. yes, that's much better .. best of luck on re-entry ... Looking forward to seeing it.

[Podunkfla]

Keith... I would chain one corner to a tree (the short one, nacherly) and hook the other corner to my PU and give it a tug! But that's just me... I certainly can't recomend my crude methods...

[Keith B]

Brick... you might not "recommend it" but I've actually thought about that and wondered if it would help or just bend the dang thing out of level etc...... if nothing else, my neighbors would love watching that.

[Miriam C.]

Hey guys don't they make a clamp that will move that. Something with a screw drive and corner clamps so it goes square all at once. Gee that sounds so technical. What I mean is like a corner clamp for keeping wood square. But BIGGER.

Maybe you could make one of a triangle and some C clamps.

[Podunkfla]

Brick... you might not "recommend it" but I've actually thought about that and wondered if it would help or just bend the dang thing out of level etc...... if nothing else, my neighbors would love watching that.

Actually... Since you only have to move it 3/32" to get it square; hooking a "come-along" diagonally would prolly tweak it easily... It it just mild steel. Yanking it with a 4 x 4 is probably overkill... Which I have been accused of many times before.

[dahoon]

Keith,

This is for the perfectionist:
Back in the old days I worked in a metal shop, where 3/16" was alot. But, at 35' in the air trying to hang duct work it had to be right on. When it wasn't we would take a come-a-long and stretch it across the widest diagonal tighten it up and heat the corners and smack it with a really big hammer. You would want to weave it so that it wouldn't flex the frame.

This is for the GIT-ER-DONEist:
In trailer building 3/16" isn't a big deal. You can adjust you cabin accordingly and moldings will cover a multitude if sins.
Just be sure when you attach the tongue and axle, that the hubs are exactly the same distance from the hitch.

Then the only ones that will know that the frame isn't square are the ones here on the forum. And I certainly won't say anything, I have enough skeletons in my closet of builds.

Good luck,
Mike

[asianflava]

Wrap a strap with a come-along on the long diagonal. You'll have to use brute force to persuade it.

[Steve_Cox]

Keith,

I'm with the 3/16th don't worry about it crowd. Mine was 1/4" out after I tacked it up. About an 1/8" the other way after the welding was finished.

[Keith B]

Great tips guys... however, all my cross memebers are in an burned as well, the only thing not on is the tonge and axle and those I will measure and clamp a little tighter so I don't have this problem (center of hitch to center of hub diag. as show in the trailer tutorial)...I think racking the frame now may be quite tough tough, I'll try it... But, what do you think of this fix.. it would only require cutting the two end pieces and it'd only shorten the trailer by an 1/8" which I'm PERFECTLY fine with. Over-drawn for effect of course

[s4son]

After all, your not building a Rocketship. Doug Hodder got that covered.

..... some creative use of chain and a chain binder, and a 5 foot cheater pipe some extra gussets etc...might just take care of the issue...but I wouldn't sweat it.

Chain and cheater bars, now you're talking.

...I've found that if you get hung up on every little thing on the way to completion that isn't perfect...it'll never get done..
...Doug

This is exactly the reason I have had a partially finished home built airplane hanging from my garage rafters for 15 years. I am definitly taking a different approach to building my TD. My frame was off so I built the cabin off too. Now it's really off. And I'll warn everybody right now, if you show up at my camp site with a tape measurer, I'll come to your trailer and eat all your groceries!

Scott F.

[halfdome, Danny]

Keith, from this photo it looks like you need a filler strip at the rear. Why don't you just make a rabbet in that piece to take up some slack (fudge factor) for your out of square chassis and forget about it, Danny

[Keith B]

Hey Danny.. I tought about that... a little creative exterior trim molding would hide it no problem...I just hate compounded problems...granted, I'm not building on "top" of the trailer so I don't really have that concern... I'm considering all options and tomorrow at 8AM I will tackle it.. I'd like to get 'er rollin and weighed. I'm putting my axle 44" from the rear - I think that's what I came up with and some help from MadJack - your 10' Danny, aren't you?... is that 'bout where your axle is - know you're tonge weight?

[halfdome, Danny]

Hey Danny.. I tought about that... a little creative exterior trim molding would hide it no problem...I just hate compounded problems...granted, I'm not building on "top" of the trailer so I don't really have that concern... I'm considering all options and tomorrow at 8AM I will tackle it.. I'd like to get 'er rollin and weighed. I'm putting my axle 44" from the rear - I think that's what I came up with and some help from MadJack - your 10' Danny, aren't you?... is that 'bout where your axle is - know you're tongue weight?

Keith, Yes mine is 10' but my tongue weight is way over the top but under the tow vehicles hitch weight requirements. MY TD overhangs the rear of the chassis by 6" giving me an overall 42" from rear to center of the hubs. I would rather see it around 46" with my tongue box. I did remove the battery from the tongue box and mounted two batteries behind the axle to compensate some and for more juice. Seems the shop that welded my chassis took my measurements for the axle not the spindle so it shifted it 4"- 5" back and with a tongue box added more weight than desired. It's still OK for my vehicle and added Super Springs. This is another reason I will be welding my own chassis on my next build. Danny