Thread: Help me finish my traytop

Originally Posted by Bryan

I'd call that an heroic effort, and one I fully intend not to emulate. I dips me lid.
Rather than custom U-bolts, I'm wondering if you could have used two fish plates and straight bolts?

Edit: Looking again at your last photo, it looks like you might have done just that?

They are U-Bolts. They are not expensive to get from the spring specialists.

Regards
Paul

I know not to weld across a drawbar, but does that apply to chassis rails also? I want to weld some tray mounts, made from 50 x 50 tube, vertically on top of the rails. Is it ok to fully weld them or should I only weld the long axis?

Hi Bryan, I doubt that it would be a problem, but to be on the safe side, I'd weld them along the side of the chassis rails, not across the tops.
Regards
Kryn

Ok thanks Kryn, will do. Work is getting busier so spare time is scarcer but I'm determined to keep chipping away.

BTW I figured out I have to turn off adblock plus for the like/thanks buttons to work. Worth it I feel.

Hard to find shed time lately so design work it is.

Is 75 x 50 x 3 adequate section for a drawbar on a 1600kg trailer?
I think I want it 1800 from body to hitch.
It will pivot near the hangers, inside the chassis rails.
Because the rails are only 930 apart, the angle will be narrow - around 20 deg.
It will be 740 wide at the body edge. The drawbar will have a cross member at this point.
Is this narrow angle a problem? I don't see how I can change the angle but I could reinforce it with additional cross members I guess.

Originally Posted by Bryan

Hard to find shed time lately so design work it is.

Is 75 x 50 x 3 adequate section for a drawbar on a 1600kg trailer?
I think I want it 1800 from body to hitch.
It will pivot near the hangers, inside the chassis rails.
Because the rails are only 930 apart, the angle will be narrow - around 20 deg.
It will be 740 wide at the body edge. The drawbar will have a cross member at this point.
Is this narrow angle a problem? I don't see how I can change the angle but I could reinforce it with additional cross members I guess.

Hi Bryan,
The material for the drawbar should be more than adequate. I would say, that your draw bar design would be adequate also. I have built several trailers that were single pole extendable (6X4 box and boat trailer in one. Extendable to allow the rear door to open with out having to disconnect.) At least you'll be able to jack knife it with out much damage.
Kryn

Bryan

There is an additional benefit to a longer trailer in that they are much easier to reverse. Movements of the steering wheel do not have so great an impact on trailer movement.

Regards
Paul

Thanks Kryn and Paul. Everyone seems to think long drawbars are better, but I sometimes have to back in tight spaces and appreciate a short trailer then. One local character told me - and he used to be a trailer builder - to make the drawbar 1.5 x the body length. So my 8' trailer would have a 12' drawbar and be 20' overall. Yonnee seems to like 5', which sounds reasonable, and I'm allowing extra for a toolbox.

I might pop an extra cross member in for good luck.

The wife and kids went away so I just spent a solid week finishing the trailer. Well, it's finished enough for a test run anyway.

Tows ok I guess - if you don't mind a bit of diff whine. The springs are a bit squishy. If you stand in the middle of the tray and jump up and down it's not too bad, but if you rock sideways it nearly makes you seasick. Looks like I will be fitting some dampers.

Don't know what to think about the brakes. These are the Hilux drums with the handbrake cables hooked up to an override. With a firm pull they do work well as a hand brake, but on the road I'm unconvinced. I tried some firm braking from speed with the lockout both ways and I couldn't really tell the difference. Maybe it will be more noticeable with a load on? What's a good way to test trailer brakes?

Looks good Bryan.
I'm no expert on trailers (like a lot of things), but I would say that a load is probably required to assess performance.

Michael

Further observations from this morning's run: Tare is 420. I'm not unhappy with that. 350 kg of gravel uses about half the spring travel. Helpers are on the shopping list.

I still can't tell the difference with the brakes. I mean there could be a slight difference, but I could be imagining it. I know it's plunging from the clunk when I ease off. I don't want to try a heavier load until the springs are beefed up.

Originally Posted by Bryan

Further observations from this morning's run: Tare is 420. I'm not unhappy with that. 350 kg of gravel uses about half the spring travel. Helpers are on the shopping list.

I still can't tell the difference with the brakes. I mean there could be a slight difference, but I could be imagining it. I know it's plunging from the clunk when I ease off. I don't want to try a heavier load until the springs are beefed up.

Bryan

Override brakes in my experience are an item requiring constant attention for them to work well. If they are set up well, even if the trailer is empty bearing in mind you have half a ton trying it's best to push you down the road, you should be able to feel the brakes come on.

Make sure the spring shaft on the towball moves full travel. Difficult to see of course. One way is to put a heap of grease around the shaft, take it for a brake test and then inspect to see if the grease has been pushed up under braking. I expect there are other ways that others can suggest.

Secondly adjust the override mechanism to that it is tight and immediately the sprung towball moves back it starts to activate the brakes.

Lastly (or maybe first) jack up one side of the trailer, spin the wheel by hand and activate the brake by tugging on the cable or moving the arm. See if it bakes the wheel. Do the same on the other side.

Regards
Paul

Paul would be pretty close to the mark, on testing the brakes. That's why I don't like mechanical over ride brakes, adjustment could run out just on one trip if the road is up'n'down. Bit like using the hand brake to stop the car at traffic lights, won't take long and it's "oh c..p." DAMHIKT from my younger days.
Kryn.

Thanks guys for your comments. I know override brakes are 'sub-optimal'; they are only temporary until I can find the time and money to fit electric brakes and a new axle.

Interesting to learn that mechanical are more problematic than hydraulic. I decided against hydraulic because I was worried about moisture in the fluid, being stored outside and all. I could still go that way if the mechanical setup doesn't work out. Just need to rebuild the wheel cylinders and plumb it up.

One concern I have with the cables is the inevitable ingress of grit in the sheaths, since they have lost their little bellows. I guess that's why they use naked, straight pull cables, but that won't work here. One more example of why to use standard trailer components.