ANOTHER broken tongue bolt!

[RedAllison]

Broke ANOTHER :cuss bolt on the swing away tongue on my trailer. Was around this time lastyear when the bolt in the exact same position broke. I checked mine Friday before getting ready for a tourney and sure enough she was broke off clean where the threads stop (which is quite a ways above where the bolt rides under the assembly). These are Grade 8 bolts and nylock nuts. I was reluctant to order the trailer with this feature and now I REALLY wish I woulda NEVER done so. I just don't trust the SOB, even though two Grade 8 bolts should be able to hold up 10 trucks and boats!

The bolt that broke lastyear was thought to have possibly been a bad batch of steel but that was just a guess. So I replaced the bolt and the pin with two G8 bolts from my local Fastenal shop. Since I don't need the swing away I put two bolts in instead of reusing the stainless pin. Now I'm considering having the damned thing WELDED UP for good. Crap always happens to me that doesn't happen to anyone else! :soap box Only thing I can think of is my other buds who have swing aways on their 21s tow with Dodges and Fords so those trucks just CAN'T break the tongue bolts like my ol Avalanche! :razz

Really makes me uneasy about this SOB, :embarassed
RA

 

[msagro]

Only thing I can think of is my other buds who have swing aways on their 21s tow with Dodges and Fords so those trucks just CAN'T break the tongue bolts like my ol Avalanche! :razz

That is exactly the problem. :laughing

Mine did the same thing and one of the welded on rings that the pin goes through so i just welded the SOB

 

[F2008]

RA, the bolts aren't tightened so they clamp anything are they? The nut is just intended to keep the bolt in correct? Can you use bolt(s) with a longer shoulder on it so the shoulder sticks out of the bottom, then put the nut on?

I wonder if they cut the threads or stamp them. Cutting the threads on the bolt might be weakening the bolt where the threads meet the shoulder.

Cause for concern for sure.

 

[GotMyAlly]

I know what it is. That FINE red fishin' machine just can't STAND bein' towed behind a chevy and it's tryin' to get away!

 

[GFinch]

Is the inside of both the trailer and tongue open. If so find a section of square tubing that fits inside and through bolt it in. It will stop the shear, give two more fasteners and you still could go back to a swing away.

 

[GotMyAlly]

You got me paranoid about mine now.....

 

[whipper]

Is the inside of both the trailer and tongue open. If so find a section of square tubing that fits inside and through bolt it in. It will stop the shear, give two more fasteners and you still could go back to a swing away.

Good idea~!

 

[ziemer]

Is the inside of both the trailer and tongue open. If so find a section of square tubing that fits inside and through bolt it in. It will stop the shear, give two more fasteners and you still could go back to a swing away.

I've got the "receiver" style removeable tongue and I've never had a problem. I've been using a pin similar to that used on a receiver hitch, it just drops in from the top.

Is it possible to use a pin rather than a bolt?

 

[RedAllison]

Is it possible to use a pin rather than a bolt?

Yeah you can use a stainless pin but I feared some asshat removing it at the ramp (NEVER know about the meth heads around here) at least with the bolt the lazy asses are less likely to actually break out two wrenches and take it apart. The stainless pin that was in there is considerably weaker than the G8 bolt however and it obviously doesn't allow you to tighten it up, creates even more slack in the system.

I made a video of how much up/down travel the tongue has and sent to Neal, I'll see if he can post it here. At the hitch end it moves about 1/2" up and down.

I'm just watchin it like a hawk now but I know I'll never be happy until that sucker is welded shut or a hitch pin setup like on GFs diagram!
RA

 

[GFinch]

On my Champion trailer it uses 3 hitch pins to hold the tongue on. It also has a bolt that goes through the receiver and tightens against the slip in piece. Oh, one of the hitch pins I drilled out the hole that the clip would go through and pit a lock there instead.

We had a tournament at Clear Lake,Ca. while talking after the first day weigh in a guy walked to his truck and pulled away from his trailer. Some one had unhooked the trailer and stolen the ball and stinger.

Call me paranoid but all my stuff is locked or the threads mashed or a hole drilled and a piece of steel rod put through and bent over. Or. Or.:shock:

 

[GFinch]

Heres the one on the motor home doesn't rattle cuz the end of the U goes through another hole and pushes on the stinger, it's tightened with the big nut on the other side.

 

[K.Kiser]

Have You contached the trailer manufactuer, I think they should step in a situation like this... This is a very serious safety issue that seems to have some engineering flaws... If I were a trailer builder I would jump on a problem like this with both feet...

 

[Fishforcash]

Is that a boamate? Call Jerry and see what he says.

 

[RedAllison]

The first time it broke I called Boatmate and they theorized it could've possibly been a bad batch of bolts. (I to agreed) But the 2nd broken bolt came from Fastenal so that rules out a bad batch. I haven't contacted them about this break yet, probably will send them an email this week just for documentation but short of taking the trailer all the way up there and letting them weld it up, I'm not sure what they can really do. They've built hundreds or more of swing-aways and if they had any outbreak of such problems I'm sure we would hear of it.

I keep checking the new bolt everytime I step out of the truck but based on the way these broke you won't know it until they snap off and the nut is missing.

The more links in a chain the weaker it is, :very sad
RA

 

[XB21er]

Red,

Just some food for thought - the torsion axles absorb more shock but put more strain on the trailer frame (unfortunately all that energy has to go somewhere). Also, with a conventional spring the load is distributed evenly across the axle. Is it possible that joint moving or twisting and it is just too much for any bolt in that swing away joint? Again just pure speculation.

FYI I'm on my second 21 both with swing aways (both single axles). No problems yet(knock wood).

Craig

 

[Texan]

Didn't you notice the first one that broke after you drove all the way back from Fork?

 

[RedAllison]

Red,

Just some food for thought - the torsion axles absorb more shock but put more strain on the trailer frame (unfortunately all that energy has to go somewhere). Also, with a conventional spring the load is distributed evenly across the axle. Is it possible that joint moving or twisting and it is just too much for any bolt in that swing away joint? Again just pure speculation.

FYI I'm on my second 21 both with swing aways (both single axles). No problems yet(knock wood).

Craig

I don't know Craig, Boatmate has built torsion axles and swing away tongues for Strokers and many other boats they supply trailers for and they've not had anything like this.

Yes Bill, the broken bolt I noticed lastyear was after I got back from Fork! Not sure when or how long it had been broken. :cuss But now I check it every damned time I get out of the truck. :don't_care

Sooner or later this beyatch is gettin welded up!!!
RA

 

[catfish123]

Make it sooner Red..........no reason to continue to take a chance with it. I would think Boatmate should be extremely interested in this.

 

[96xb2003]

hey, the best solution is to buy hitch pins from your local farm equiptment dealer. wont be breakin those !!

 

[Cody]

go to tractor supply and get som heavy equiptment pins. they are rated at 20,000lb breaking strength.. if you break that u got a special avalanche and i would never sell it.


or i think you have a bad batch of trailer not bolts