2007 Red Trailer 4X8 Utility Trailer

[sgtsandman]

I'm back to work on the trailer. The modified hinge pieces that mounted the ramp section to the frame were removed as well the brackets that hold the middle section support legs when they are not in use. The rear section of the trailer is back on it's stabilizing jacks and wooden blocks to remove the frame sag. So, hopefully I can get the frame and angle marked for hole positions in the next few days. I do need to put a 45 degree cut on the down leg and an angle cut on the side leg to match the angle of the tongue supporting braces first so I can make accurate marks on the angle iron. Then it's lots of drilling.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I'm back to work on the trailer. The modified hinge pieces that the ramp section were removed as well the brackets that hold the middle section support legs when they are not in use. The rear section of the trailer is back on it's stabilizing jacks and wooden blocks to remove the frame sag. So, hopefully I can get the frame and angle marked for hole positions in the next few days. I do need to put a 45 degree cut on the down leg and an angle cut on the side leg to match the angle of the tongue supporting braces first so I can make accurate marks on the angle iron. Then it's lots of drilling.

If you need some welding, I got the wire feed working good and the Choptop getting better fuel economy so we can talk.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you need some welding, I got the wire feed working good and the Choptop getting better fuel economy so we can talk.

There will be for the tray itself. I haven't gotten the steel for that yet. Flat strap that will be the cross bars will need to be welded to the angle iron that will make up the sides of the tray that will get bolted to the angle iron I currently have that is for the frame reinforcement.

 

[sgtsandman]

I was able to get some more work done today. Mostly measurements and markings under the trailer but I did cut the front of the angle so it will fit in the front c channels that brace the trailer tongue.

 

[sgtsandman]

More work got done on the trailer. The rails are installed. I still need to fabricate the c shaped pieces out of 4" X 4" X 3/16" flat bar. They will sandwich the front and rear pieces of angle iron around the 2" X 2" cross bar for the suspension, linking the two together. One with the opening facing aft and the other with the opening forward. Along with some angle and flat bar filling the gaps on the top and bottom, that should provide a strong enough link between the two. That will be almost 5/8" of material all bolted together wrapping around a 2" X 2" X 3/4" square tube.

 

[sgtsandman]

More progress was made on the trailer. I got pretty much everything done to link the front and rear sections of the angle iron on the left side. I still need to make a gap filler for the bottom side but everything has been fabricated for the sides and top. The metal pieces on the side are just filler pieces to make it so I could drill out the filler angle section on the top.

 

[SenorNoob]

Looks complicated...

 

[sgtsandman]

Looks complicated...

It is, but it is the only thing I can think of the wrap around the 2X2 square tube keeping the suspension in place latterally.

Lil_Blue_Ford certainly could have came down and welded the angle to the tube to lock it all in place, but he has his own stuff to take care of. Plus, I can better paint the pieces this way for better protection and have the ability to take it apart without cutting if I need to in the future.

When I fab up the tray itself, I'll be able to bring all the pieces to him instead of him coming to me. That can all get welded together as an assembly and I can bolt it on later. If I do it right, it will also be structural and act as a skid plate at the same time.

 

[scotts90ranger]

You my friend need a little flux core welder and some practice to save yourself some time and bolts . With your attention to detail and persistence I'm sure you would do just fine, it's not rocket surgery...

I'm having a hard time envisioning what that does but it's a lot of pieces and does look fancy!

 

[sgtsandman]

You my friend need a little flux core welder and some practice to save yourself some time and bolts . With your attention to detail and persistence I'm sure you would do just fine, it's not rocket surgery...

I'm having a hard time envisioning what that does but it's a lot of pieces and does look fancy!

The change in style of suspension on the trailer has shifted the support point and caused a sag in the rear half of the frame. To shore up the frame, I'm installing 2" X 3" X 3/16" steel angle across the cross members under the deck of the trailer. The 2" X 2" X 1/4" wall cross member for the suspension is in the way. The above is to wrap around that cross member and tie the front piece to the rear piece. Painting the steel will be near impossible if I were to weld it in place. I would be different if I was replacing the deck.

Also, the steel angle will provide a place to mount/anchor a tray for one of the ramp pieces, which will also further reinforce the frame and act as a skid plate. That part will be welded together before it gets bolted to the steel angle that I'm currently working on. It will kind of look like a sled before it gets lifted up in place to be bolted the the 2' X 3" X 3/16" angle mounted to the bottom the frame.

The whole project is kind of one thing feeding another in a cascade effect. The ramp section was pinned to the underside of the trailer before the suspension upgrade. The frame reinforcement is running along right where the anchors on the frame used to be for pinning it in place. So the frame reinforcement is forcing me to make the tray. I had planned on making the tray anyway so I didn't have to crawl under the trailer to remove or install that section. I just hadn't planned on doing it right now.

The entire trailer is bolt together from the very beginning when I bought it as a kit, which has been real handy in doing the modifications to it over the years. It has also made more work for me as well, compared to if I had welded everything together instead of bolting it together as the kit came.

The funny thing is, almost no one will ever see it since it is under the trailer, up by the deck.