A few chassis construction questions.

[cracker39]

I am currenlty writing my chassis instructions for my plans (which I hope to sell via Ebay someday), and have a question pertaining to the safety chains for those of you who have built your own chassis'. Did you weld them to the tongue, bolt them to the tongue, or include the end link in one of your coupler bolts?

I am bolting my coupler to a piece of 2"x2"x3/16 tub welded to my tongue pieces with 1/2" bolts, and am considering using the forward coupler bolt to secure a piece of chain to either side of the coupler. Is there any reason not to do this?

[Steve_Cox]

I am currenlty writing my chassis instructions for my plans (which I hope to sell via Ebay someday), and have a question pertaining to the safety chains for those of you who have built your own chassis'. Did you weld them to the tongue, bolt them to the tongue, or include the end link in one of your coupler bolts?

I am bolting my coupler to a piece of 2"x2"x3/16 tub welded to my tongue pieces with 1/2" bolts, and am considering using the forward coupler bolt to secure a piece of chain to either side of the coupler. Is there any reason not to do this?

Dale,

I'm glad you started this thread. I have a short piece of 2" X1/4" box tubing welded to the bottom of my trailer tongue with the chain that has hooks on both ends just running through it. You know, I just realized that if the trailer became disconnected and started sliding down the road on that 1/4" thick piece of box, it would grind through in no time and the trailer would be loose. I think I need to bolt it to the sides of the tongue, away from possible road contact. Thanks Dale for making me think, not an easy task, I might add.

Steve

[bg]

Welded to the side of the coupler. Though bolting through the coupler will be fine. Use some grade 8 bolts.

[Kevin A]

I am bolting my coupler to a piece of 2"x2"x3/16 tub welded to my tongue pieces with 1/2" bolts, and am considering using the forward coupler bolt to secure a piece of chain to either side of the coupler. Is there any reason not to do this?

Dale,

What you describe here is how I installed my safety chains. I used a grade 8 bolt with flat washers and double nutted to help prevent it from loosening. although welding them should work as well. One other thing to consider is to make the chains long enough to cross under the tongue and support it so it doesn't drag on the road if it does come loose.

[JunkMan]

I usually weld mine on, but if you ever have to change them (I recently had to make them longer because the chain eyes on my new hitch were in a different location then the old hitch, and the chains wouldn't fit any more), it's a lot of work cutting to old ones off and welding on new ones. Most of the factory built trailers that I have (boat trailers, pop-up, etc.) have them bolted using one of the coupler bolts.

[cracker39]

OK, thanks. Now, does a Grade 8 bolt differ from the 1/2" zinc bolts sold at HD? And, if they are different, where does one go to buy them? I picked up the HD bolts, but am not ready to work on the chassis until n next saturday.

(Darned Super Bowl messed up this weekend...my son-in-law is a sports nut...no offense to sports nuts present ).

[doug hodder]

Grade 8's are available at most of the Ace / True Value hardwares...my HD doesn't have them...grade 8= max strength...the zinc stuff like at home depot won't have the sheer strength you're going to want...it's not necessary to use them all over the trailer as you don't need them and the cost is plenty high...I bolted my ball receiver up with them...welded up a coupler under neath the tongue to attach the chains to...Doug

[cracker39]

I sure wish I had asked this question a few days ago...or had known enought to ask. I'll bet the place where I bought my steel had them. He's about 15 miles from here. There is an Ace about 9 miles from me, and a True Value down town. I'll call them tomorrow and ask if they carry them.

[Nitetimes]

You might want to check HD or Lowes for them. Ours both have a limited supply of them in the drawers with the specialty stuff.

[bg]

Got a Tractor Supply nearby? They have them. So does Northern

[cracker39]

I will check with HD and Lowes first. There is a TSC 8 miles from my house. Thanks

[asianflava]

Wasn't there a past discussion that prefered a grade 5 bolt? Only reason I remember this is because I used grade 8. The reasoning was that grade 8 bolts are harder and more prone to breaking in a shear load. Grade 5 bolts would bend before they break.

My coupler is welded onto the tongue at the rearmost edge (3-sides) it is also bolted in 2 places with the rear bolt passing thru the safety chain links.

[Kevin A]

Wasn't there a past discussion that prefered a grade 5 bolt? Only reason I remember this is because I used grade 8. The reasoning was that grade 8 bolts are harder and more prone to breaking in a shear load. Grade 5 bolts would bend before they break.

My coupler is welded onto the tongue at the rearmost edge (3-sides) it is also bolted in 2 places with the rear bolt passing thru the safety chain links.

Yes there was such a thread, while the suggestion that a grade 5 is a better choice over a grade 8 might make sense, I'm not buying the theory. A grade 8 has a higher tensile strength and will take more abuse than a grade 5.

[emiller]

I welded just a chain link on and then put on the the chain that way it can be removed.

[cracker39]

I just reread my Fulton Class 1 hitch instructions. It does say to use a 3/8" grade 5 bolt. Class 1 is 2000 total trailer weight and/or 200 max tongue weight. I will be 20% under both restrictions.

I had purchased two standard 1/2" bolts from HD, since the hole in the coupler needed only to enlarge the hole about 1/16" to accept the 1/2" bolt. I thought the 1/2" bolts would work well enough (3/8" grade 5 being recommended). I really didn't think the standard 1/2" would break with my towing 1500-1600 lbs with 160 tongue weight. So, I did some internet research.

I looked at the information on this site about grade 5 vs grade 8. The chart on this site shows that a grade 5 bolt has a tensile strength of over 22,000 lbs per sq. inch and shear strength of over 18,000 lbs per square inch. I then found a chart with specs on this site that states that a standard bolt is a grade 2, and a 1/2" grade 2 has a tensile strength of over 19,000 lbs per sq. inch and shear strength of nearly 15,000 lbs per square inch. Comparing that to the recommended 3/8" grade 5 which has tensile strength of over 17,000 lbs per sq. inch and shear strength of over just over 14,000 lbs per square inch, my standard 1/2" grade 2 bolt is stronger than the recommended 3/8" grade 5 bolt, reaffirming that I can safely use my 1/2" bolts.

The first site also discusses in detail comparing grade 5 to grade 8 and their argument that a grade 8 is superior makes sense to me.