Are TTT's Tiggers too? Help Please

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi all,

Here are a couple pics to show the work done today.





I'm leaning towards more bolts like MadJack suggested. Paul said the owner of the company (who recognized the problem and fixed it right away) said that because the spring bracket (connection to the frame) was reinforced with steel we only needed one bolt.

What do all of you think?

Lynn

[critter]

Hey Lynn
Sometimes we tend to make things more complicated than they relly are.Espicially Me!My wife "ol moneybags" says.. dang its just a camper!Some times I forget shes the one with all the brains...then she reminds me

[Phil & Ningning]

It needs a minimum of two bolts on each bracket. I would put three on each if it was mine. Bolts are cheap. The problem is if one works loose and you don't notice it, then you have a very weak point in a very important part of your trailer. It's only a matter of time before that lone bolt breaks over a pothole.

[Miriam C.]

Lynn you have the room. It won't hurt to put two more on each. You even get to drill through one layer of aluminum. Self starting drill bit works best.

[angib]

I'm not convinced that putting more bolts in will make it much stronger (unless you put the other bolts vertically, which would make it a lot stronger, but the floor's in the way). However it certainly isn't going to make it any weaker, so it'll do no harm to add them.

Andrew

[madjack]

Lynn, I can be a suspenders and belt kinda guy at times...like Andrew said, it is not going to necessarily strengthen anything but as Phill sez, what happens if the ONE one bolt breaks or comes undone...add a couple to each...it's cheap insurance.......
madjack

[rbeemer]

Lynn,

Two things

1. You need to re-paint the bolt because it looks like they put in a new one
2. If you put in more bolts you need to aware of where the old one was because it looks like they move your bracket to a new location...could be just the pictures - the before and after. You do not want to drill through your frame too close to the orignal hole.

I am not an engineer but just giving my wooden nickel

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the advice. Paul is currently letting some of the air out of the tires. Going down to 15psi bothers him so we're compromising and going down to 25psi

We're going to go to the store tomorrow and purchase additional bolts, the ones we have at the house aren't quite large enough. I'm thinking earplugs might be in order drilling through steel.


We're at the place now where we are comfortable taking the Inkwell on it's maiden voyage. It's no where near completed but we can sleep on an airmattress for a couple of days.

Tonight we're going to put in the air conditioner.

Thanks again for all your help. You guys are really amazing.

Lynn & Paul

[Ira]

Newbies:

Please don't at all be alarmed by this thread, and don't let it scare you off from building your own TD:

This kind of situation basically NEVER happens here.

The only reason it did is because an "expert" custom-built this frame, as opposed to using a cheap, off the shelf, bolt-together Harbor Freight one.

[apratt]

I have question here, now I am no engineer. But when you put aluminum with steel don't you create problems with that? Electroliogy ( sp.? Don't have a dictionary handy), oh another word corosion ( again sp.)

[steve wolverton]

I have question here, now I am no engineer. But when you put aluminum with steel don't you create problems wit that? Electroliogy ( sp.? Don't have a dictionary handy), oh another word corosion ( again sp.)

Galvanic Reaction?

[Miriam C.]

I have question here, now I am no engineer. But when you put aluminum with steel don't you create problems with that? Electrolyzing ( sp.? Don't have a dictionary handy), oh another word corrosion ( again sp.)

Any chance that will be a serious issue before Lynn is too old to care? (serious question)

[madjack]

I have question here, now I am no engineer. But when you put aluminum with steel don't you create problems with that? Electroliogy ( sp.? Don't have a dictionary handy), oh another word corosion ( again sp.)

...being that the steel is painted (or appears so), it shouldn't be a problem any time soon(hopefully)..............

[mikeschn]

FWIW...

http://www.thefabricator.com/Metallurgy ... cfm?ID=676

Mike...

[Micro469]

..that'll work...bushings would be on the bolt as it goes thru the spring eye....if the mounts are only on with one bolt I would definitely add another...either a #5 or #8 bolt...I would definitely say something to the guy who built the trailer but I would be leery of letting touch anything.....
madjack

Yikes! Looking at those photos made me very anxious. The way those springs attach to the frame of the trailer is scary. I really would look at having a REAL expert rebuild that suspension, and remount it to your frame.

Even if you "fix" the shacle, the mount on the front of the spring will be too high, making the spring higher on one end than the other -- meaning your geometry is still off. I see too much that needs fixing -- just redo it, IMO.

Here is my own thought on how it might be built. First, I would have one piece of angle long enough to go from the front leaf-spring bracket to the rear shackle bracket - notched to clear frame members. Then, mount the shackle properly, and remove a leaf for some softer springing. A shock would help reduce the "bounce" inherent with springs, but would not be absolutely necessary, with the springs mounted correctly.

The reason I'd go with one piece of angle, is so your suspension system is one unit that the trailer frame sits on top of. Right now, the aluminum trailer frame is PART of the suspension system. Those two bolts through that aluminum are a weak point I would be concerned with, and even with more bolts, theire will be constantly changing stress on each bolt hole with each bump and dip.



Once the suspension is built properly off the trailer, then I would mount it to the frame with about four evenly spaced bolts on each side.

Honestly, I would not try to "fix" this set-up, but rather, remove it and have it built right. Your suspension is too important to cut any corners on.

Just my $.02[/img]

That's basically what i did, but I put the angle on the outside. That way I could shift it to place the wheels in the right position.