StuInTokyo
Maximum Pace
- Dec 3, 2010
- 1,662
- 62
Last year I built a trailer, you can see all about it here.....
>> Trailer Build <<
... so it has been in use for a good ten months.
I've been using the heck out of it and have had zero problems, until yesterday....
My fault, of course The part of the hitch that looks like a tie-rod end, well when I ordered one from the Japanese website, I mixed up the kanji for right and left, and I got one that had a left hand thread inside it :madman: I drilled it out a bit and then stuck the right hand threaded bolt I had already made into it, to keep it in place, I drilled a hole through the hole thing and put a bolt in there.
View attachment 686
View attachment 687
View attachment 688
View attachment 689
So by weakening the structure and then putting a hold through it, well it gave up the ghost on me. Luckily, it happened just after I had dropped off 3 large cases of beer at a customer's place, so no harm done but to my ego.
I had the right part on hand, as I had ordered it as soon as I realized my error. I had everything fixed and ready to roll in under an hour, but then today I had another problem.... uch:
The neck part of my trailer, where it connects to the trailer has busted.
When I came back from a delivery (another heavy one) I felt the back of the trailer hitting on just about every curb etc on they way, this was odd as it does not usually hit. When I parked the unit, the back of the trailer was almost touching the ground...Huh??
Turns out that the tongue was only just attached, one was busted right off
View attachment 690
This is the one that is still just barely attached.
View attachment 691
here is the one on the right that is busted right off :twitchy:
I guess this is all part of making something from scratch, testing it to the point of failure over time
Well now what to do, I might just try to reinforce with a gusset what I have there, or I might rethink the whole deal and go for one stronger tube in the center...?
On thing I do not like about the twin tube set up I have now with the tongue design is that I cannot use my pannier on the bike with the trailer, sounds dumb, but there are times when I wish I could. I might also take this opportunity to put a spacer in to raise the whole trailer up another inch, as there are sometimes ground clearance issues.....
I'll get it down to the workshop tonight and start to tackle the problem, might have to make a run to the DIY shop to buy some stronger steel too.....
There always seems to be one more thing to do
Cheers!
>> Trailer Build <<
... so it has been in use for a good ten months.
I've been using the heck out of it and have had zero problems, until yesterday....
My fault, of course The part of the hitch that looks like a tie-rod end, well when I ordered one from the Japanese website, I mixed up the kanji for right and left, and I got one that had a left hand thread inside it :madman: I drilled it out a bit and then stuck the right hand threaded bolt I had already made into it, to keep it in place, I drilled a hole through the hole thing and put a bolt in there.
View attachment 686
View attachment 687
View attachment 688
View attachment 689
So by weakening the structure and then putting a hold through it, well it gave up the ghost on me. Luckily, it happened just after I had dropped off 3 large cases of beer at a customer's place, so no harm done but to my ego.
I had the right part on hand, as I had ordered it as soon as I realized my error. I had everything fixed and ready to roll in under an hour, but then today I had another problem.... uch:
The neck part of my trailer, where it connects to the trailer has busted.
When I came back from a delivery (another heavy one) I felt the back of the trailer hitting on just about every curb etc on they way, this was odd as it does not usually hit. When I parked the unit, the back of the trailer was almost touching the ground...Huh??
Turns out that the tongue was only just attached, one was busted right off
View attachment 690
This is the one that is still just barely attached.
View attachment 691
here is the one on the right that is busted right off :twitchy:
I guess this is all part of making something from scratch, testing it to the point of failure over time
Well now what to do, I might just try to reinforce with a gusset what I have there, or I might rethink the whole deal and go for one stronger tube in the center...?
On thing I do not like about the twin tube set up I have now with the tongue design is that I cannot use my pannier on the bike with the trailer, sounds dumb, but there are times when I wish I could. I might also take this opportunity to put a spacer in to raise the whole trailer up another inch, as there are sometimes ground clearance issues.....
I'll get it down to the workshop tonight and start to tackle the problem, might have to make a run to the DIY shop to buy some stronger steel too.....
There always seems to be one more thing to do
Cheers!