Welding the spring mounts to frame

[Kody]

Welding the spring mounts to the frame can be a real pain in the neck to get right. I found that the best way to assemble these parts was to weld the shackle mounts and spring mounts onto a piece of steel, 1/4" thick x 2" wide x 4" long. The photo shows the mount for the shackle being welded onto the steel plate. The parts are clamped in the vice (which is also clamped onto a frame made of 3"x2" x1/8" RHS) and doing it this way enables you to lay down a decent weld for holding these parts together. I need to make some more jaws for my vice, I made this vice when I was an apprentice 53 years ago when I was 17 and it's seen lots of hard work.
The plate will warp a little as the ends will bend up from the weld shrinking from the contraction but I clamped one end down on the frame, tacked it in position, then clamped the other end down which straightened it out perfectly for welding. The photo shows only the first weld, the "U" piece was fully welded all round.



The second photo shows the spring and the mounts assembled and sitting on the rear of the trailer frame. The mount on the right was moved off-center so I could obtain clearance for a bolt hole that was already drilled. This assembly method made it so much easier to position the spring and mounts on the frame as they could be clamped down hard in their final location and adjusted precisely with a knockometer to check the position and angle of the shackle plates. The mounting plates were then welded very easily to the frame and resulted in a superior job. Note that the bushes have been taken out for all the welding of the parts and assembly. The welding was performed using a 3.2 Satincraft rod. (10 gauge or 1/8")


Hope this is of interest for those starting out to build their own trailer.

Kody

[Dale M.]

To go a step further weld the spring shackle mounts to a piece of 2x2 (or appropriate) angle iron the full length of spring "setup" and then bolt the angle iron to frame.... This gives you latitude to move axle forward/backwards by just drilling new bolt holes if you find its located wrong as to tongue weight/balance of trailer...

Dale

[eamarquardt]

Another way to the same end. No problems with warping and the frame is reinforced where you are drilling holes.

Cheers,

Gus

[Kody]

I thought long and hard about how to fit the springs onto the frame. In the end I decided to work out the weights and moments as best as I could using the weights of various steel sections and densities of plywood. What I didn't like was the thought of having an angle bolted onto the frame and forming a section where water can lay and also be absorbed by capillary action. Even though the angle can be painted, it is (IMO) not as long lasting as welding directly onto the frame using the plates as I have done. Having lived in the US (LOVED IT!) for almost 7 years, I was shocked at how short a life that a car has when driven on snow and salt covered roads. Keeping the water out and having a solid frame has been my goal and I believe I have obtained this.
We don't have much salt spread on our roads here (only in the high country snow fields) if any at all. We do have lots of mud and water that does penetrate into every nook and cranny of your car. The worst stuff is "Bulldust" that fills the holes on the country dirt roads and collects water to start the rusting of your car. Roo Dog would know all the problems of "Bulldust" I'm sure. It has caused some bad accidents and terrible damage to many vehicles in the Great Outback. All in all, I am absolutely delighted with the way the construction of the trailer has been.


Kody

[eamarquardt]

I thought long and hard about how to fit the springs onto the frame. In the end I decided to work out the weights and moments as best as I could using the weights of various steel sections and densities of plywood. What I didn't like was the thought of having an angle bolted onto the frame and forming a section where water can lay and also be absorbed by capillary action. Even though the angle can be painted, it is (IMO) not as long lasting as welding directly onto the frame using the plates as I have done. Having lived in the US (LOVED IT!) for almost 7 years, I was shocked at how short a life that a car has when driven on snow and salt covered roads. Keeping the water out and having a solid frame has been my goal and I believe I have obtained this.
We don't have much salt spread on our roads here (only in the high country snow fields) if any at all. We do have lots of mud and water that does penetrate into every nook and cranny of your car. The worst stuff is "Bulldust" that fills the holes on the country dirt roads and collects water to start the rusting of your car. Roo Dog would know all the problems of "Bulldust" I'm sure. It has caused some bad accidents and terrible damage to many vehicles in the Great Outback. All in all, I am absolutely delighted with the way the construction of the trailer has been.


Kody

Everything in life is a compromise. I don't think rusting out will be a problem in my lifetime. I one were really concerned one could bed the angle iron in silicone to exclude water from the space between the frame and angle iron. The silicone would allow the separation of the two pieces at a later date. To each his/her own.

Cheers,

Gus

[48Rob]

Gus,

Rust may well not be an issue in your area, but here in the Midwest, the deicing crews can't wait to dump tons of salt and chemicals all over our roads every time there is a chance for two snowflakes to fall...

Cars rust very quickly.
Newer cars are designed better, but the results are still very serious.
Imagine something like a steel trailer frame, with just a basic quickly applied coat of paint; Give it 3-5 years of winter use and it is so rusty it isn't repairable.

Silicone is okay if you use the non acidic type, otherwise it will promote corrosion.
I've switched to polyurethane sealant for filling in areas between steel where salt and water might otherwise get in.
Getting them back apart though, might prove difficult...

One can also buy pre made spring hanger brackets.



Rob