tony.latham wrote:I think the fix–-after the crack is welded--is to install a piece of pipe as a spacer on the bolts that crank down on the channel (or tubing). The spacer needs to be a good fit inside with no slop.
But others who have had this issue might chime in with how they addressed it.
Tony
Someone please correct me if the design I have has changed...
Tony, I'm sure that that fix (a spacer) would help with new longer bolts, however, the three NT trailers I have assembled have individual bolts, washers and nuts on the top and bottom. They are not cranking down on the C channel.
The flat plate you see in the second photo is not bolted through the C channel to the bottom with three individual bolts. The three bolts you see in the second photo (the curb side of the tongue) are actually six individual bolts, three on top and three on the bottom. That is repeated on the other side of the plate on the road side. So twelve, yes twelve bolts on the flat plate tying the tongue assembly together.
I did something similar to Pat's design change when I added a longer tongue tube that goes from coupler straight back to the frame. That upgrade was to allow carrying 17' canoes which would have been awkward with the short supplied NT tongue.