Custom hitches

[crewgirl]

I completely agree. Do you have pictures of your hitch Scott?

I over build everything if it has any relation to safety. I just built a rear pipe bumper for my gf's Duramax, I used (4) grade '8' 1/2" bolts and (1) grade '8' 7/16" bolt on each side of the frame.

A few of my friends have done their own goosenecks, some I like some I don't.

Anna, go buy some 6"x6" angle iron that is ATLEAST .250" thick and weld them to your C-channel like an upside down L so it runs flush with the outside of the frame, then put 3-4 grade 8 bolts in each side. And if you want some cheap safety chain hooks get some big U-bolts and use those.

I'm not sure what all the fuss was about exactly, but the pictures I posted were taken in the middle of the install. Here's the one that seemed to give everyone a grand mal seizure.

After that was tack welded in place, some really thick plate was cut to fit and added to the sides.

The hitch still isn't "done" but before I haul anything else the u-shaped bolts with springs on them will be added for safety chains. We keep forgetting to get a big enough drill bit.

 

[Gibson]

No way in hell I will use safety chains. If it comes unhitched at hiway speeds I don't want to be attached to that trailer by some chains and flipped over with it. I just saw a fith wheel rv break the hitch (b&w goosneck adaptors) going 70 and the truck was able to get away from the trailer before it flipped over truck only got minor cab and bed damage and survived.

 

[Gump]

FYI, I always use 4lo loading and unloading a trailer, I have seen two take off down a hill when the rear tires get lightened, one was a semi with a 970 cat loader.

 

[L6powered]

No way in hell I will use safety chains. If it comes unhitched at hiway speeds I don't want to be attached to that trailer by some chains and flipped over with it. I just saw a fith wheel rv break the hitch (b&w goosneck adaptors) going 70 and the truck was able to get away from the trailer before it flipped over truck only got minor cab and bed damage and survived.

I had seafty chains save a gooseneck dump trailer once. The trailer came unhooked at highway speeds when I went over a crappy expansion joint on a bridge. The chains weren't very long so the trailer hit my toolbox till I was able to stop safely with the help of the brake controller. With out chains I would have lost my tailgate and god knows what type of havoc that trailer would have caused loaded once it hit the ground. Safety chains are there for a reason best is to keep them short to help the trailer from getting out of shape.

 

[Lucky Jeff]

I'm not sure what all the fuss was about exactly, but the pictures I posted were taken in the middle of the install. Here's the one that seemed to give everyone a grand mal seizure.

There is a reason for that... ALL manufacturers tell you not to weld to the flange. They don't just say that because they think it sounds good.

 

[Rollin Coal]

There is a reason for that... ALL manufacturers tell you not to weld to the flange. They don't just say that because they think it sounds good.

they say that because they dont want to be responsible for some back yard redneck's sorry excuse for a 75amp stick welder and him not knowing how to use it.

 

[Lucky Jeff]

they say that because they dont want to be responsible for some back yard redneck's sorry excuse for a 75amp stick welder and him not knowing how to use it.

Let me guess.. You like welding the 5th gear nut on too? :hehe:

There IS a reason, and it's not because they are worried about some dumbass redneck, or some POS shop.

 

[Rollin Coal]

no, i dont weld 5th gear nuts, or cam or crank gears.

if there IS a reason, what is it? or do you just know that there is one because they say not to do it?

 

[Snake]

No way in hell I will use safety chains. If it comes unhitched at hiway speeds I don't want to be attached to that trailer by some chains and flipped over with it. I just saw a fith wheel rv break the hitch (b&w goosneck adaptors) going 70 and the truck was able to get away from the trailer before it flipped over truck only got minor cab and bed damage and survived.

So what about the poor sap minding his own business coming the other direction who suddenly finds himself with a 15k lb trailer coming at him across the highway?

Those chains are there for more than one reason.

Just food for thought....

 

[Lucky Jeff]

no, i dont weld 5th gear nuts, or cam or crank gears.

if there IS a reason, what is it? or do you just know that there is one because they say not to do it?

We don't have test trucks at Kenworth R&D for no reason. Believe it or not, we actually TEST these things!

 

[Rollin Coal]

well, please, feel free to go into detail

ive only welded on about 500 tow plates, d ring tabs and hitches on dump trucks.

and everything that left the shop was inspected by the owner, who was DOT certified.

 

[Lucky Jeff]

well, please, feel free to go into detail

ive only welded on about 500 tow plates, d ring tabs and hitches on dump trucks.

and everything that left the shop was inspected by the owner, who was DOT certified.

Some people are fine with doing half ass work. You are obviously one of them, and don't care at all to change. That's fine, none of your work will be driving around me. So it doesn't bother me.

I'd love to see what kind of testing you've done. Because I have seen the testing we do to our semi's. I can not tell you what kind of testing Ford or Dodge has done, I haven't worked there. But I would assume that their testing, like our own, is pretty extensive. But I suppose joe blow from the local shop knows better.

I'll be sure to let our engineers that they need to go to your school of witchcraft to learn the ways of that dude down the alley in the shop. Their schooling obviously wasn't enough

 

[Rollin Coal]

Some people are fine with doing half ass work. You are obviously one of them, and don't care at all to change. That's fine, none of your work will be driving around me. So it doesn't bother me.

I'd love to see what kind of testing you've done. Because I have seen the testing we do to our semi's. I can not tell you what kind of testing Ford or Dodge has done, I haven't worked there. But I would assume that their testing, like our own, is pretty extensive. But I suppose joe blow from the local shop knows better.

I'll be sure to let our engineers that they need to go to your school of witchcraft to learn the ways of that dude down the alley in the shop. Their schooling obviously wasn't enough

who the hell are you to call my work half ass? you've never seen my work.

for the THIRD time now. how about some proof to back up you claims. hell we'll worry about proof later, how about just a reason. :kick::kick::kick:

 

[Lucky Jeff]

who the hell are you to call my work half ass? you've never seen my work.

for the THIRD time now. how about some proof to back up you claims. hell we'll worry about proof later, how about just a reason. :kick::kick::kick:

You are obviously too stupid to figure it out. WE DO TESTING, which means, it causes failures, cracks. Because that is what our testing has shown. Are you really that slow?

You can ***** about this all you want. Many people had a problem with that picture for a (justified) reason, simple as that.

 

[Rollin Coal]

You are obviously too stupid to figure it out. WE DO TESTING, which means, it causes failures, cracks. Because that is what our testing has shown. Are you really that slow?

You can ***** about this all you want. Many people had a problem with that picture for a (justified) reason, simple as that.

thats nice that your so special. did you test anything ive welded. NO. Maybe you should DESIGN a weld on part and test that, instead of testing a bolt on part that is welded on. Maybe you should redesign frames too, steering and suspension components are welded on.

by the way, after a quick look at a few 5th wheel hitch companies, they say no welding required, and theres no NEED to weld it on, but if you prefer welding to make sure its done by a certified welder.

 

[Lucky Jeff]

thats nice that your so special. did you test anything ive welded. NO. Maybe you should DESIGN a weld on part and test that, instead of testing a bolt on part that is welded on. Maybe you should redesign frames too, steering and suspension components are welded on.

by the way, after a quick look at a few 5th wheel hitch companies, they say no welding required, and theres no NEED to weld it on, but if you prefer welding to make sure its done by a certified welder.

This is all flying way over your head. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't have expected more out of you.

 

[Rollin Coal]

believe me, none of it is going over my head, i find you justification, or lack there of quite hysterical.

 

[zstroken]

I think the point with welding on things is, unless you know exactly the metalurgy behind the metal your welding, you can do more harm than good. The weld may not fail, but it may be the area around the weld. I don't think he is dissing your ability to lay a good weld, more along how you change the metalurgy of the area that has been welded on.

Sure you can say I have done this 1000 times and never had an issue, but we have to prepare for that one issue. So many times at work I have folks come ask me what about this? I say if it was at my house, your darn right I would do it, but when my job is on the line and I have to worry about the other person, I tell them no way will I allow you to do that here!

 

[Muddin_dude06]

I have to agree with Z, I think it is not so much the actual weld that will suffer or be the weak spot but the medal around it that is not the same as whats being welded to it. That being said I know a lot of people with a total of 12"-16" of weld holding on their gooseneck hitch and have not had a problem and even mine is welded on (b/c I bought it that way) but if given the option to bolt or weld, I will bolt it without a doubt. When I put a gooseneck hitch in I typically use a 1/2" thick flange on the side of the frame and use 3-4 5/8" grade 8 bolts.

Snake a L6powered are both completely right, safety chains are there for a reason and need to be used. My gooseneck hitch does not have any and I will be adding some as soon as my engine is back together.

FWIW my gooseneck hitch is a piece of 7"x2"x5/16" C-channel with another piece of 4"x2"x1/4" C-channel underneith it turned upwards, when I add my two 15k safety D-rings they with each be welded to 6"x6"x3/8" pieces of plate which will then be welded to the top 7"wide C-channel 5" down each side. And I will be changing my hitch to being bolted on with four 5/8" bolts on each side of the frame.

 

[displacedtexan]

No way in hell I will use safety chains. If it comes unhitched at hiway speeds I don't want to be attached to that trailer by some chains and flipped over with it. I just saw a fith wheel rv break the hitch (b&w goosneck adaptors) going 70 and the truck was able to get away from the trailer before it flipped over truck only got minor cab and bed damage and survived.

If you don't want it attached don't tow. It's not everyone else's responsibility. They didn't hook to the trailer.