Danger warning!!!

[RedAllison]

:shock: :gasp :cuss

Guys I just got in this afternoon from a 500 mile, 75-80mph entirely interstate run from Lake Fork, TX too my home in Jackson, TN. First thing I did when I got back into town is drop my boat off at the storage bay. My storage bay is 12x30 and since I have a 4 wheeler behind the boat I don't back the boat all the way in and I swing the tongue of my trailer around to close the garage door.

So today when I pulled the pin to swing the trailer the tongue fell down about an inch and off-center!

I looked around on the otherside only to realize the damned bolt holding the tongue together on the starboard side was BROKEN OFF right above the nut. I don't know when it broke and it didn't round anything off so I can only assume it broke closer too home than 500 miles away or sometime while in TX all this past week.

So if you have a swing away tongue CHECK THE SOBs every time you are about to pull it on the road. Honestly this is the first time I've had a "swing away tongue" and I've always thought in the back of my mind that that simple bolt and pin just didn't seem substantial enough too me. I think I'm going to call Boatmate Monday to let them know about what happend, but I think I REALLY going to replace the damned bolt AND the removable pin with grade 8 hardware and make it PERMANENT!!!

I SHUTTER to think what could've happened today. Not only would I have lost my beloved red barge but more importantly Andy and Neal were riding the majority of that trip directly behind us. If that tongue would've let go those links are BEHIND the safety cables, the boat and trailer would've simply come completely seperated of the truck...

Pic 1: Notice NO bolt or nut hanging below the tongue joint!!!

Pic 2: All that was holding the right side of the tongue on, the bolt broke about 1.5-2 threads below the non-thread section. I've NEVER tightened or even checked this damned bolt so I know it wasn't over torqued or "stretched". In talking with Boatmate Monday I'll see what they recommend but I'm thinking one grade 8 bolt on each side with a couple of flat washers (that fit into the recess of the joint) and then properly torque it all down, probably even buy extra length bolts so I can put a nylock bolt under a regular bolt for extra assurance.

 

[K.Kiser]

To think of what could've happened makes Me kinda sit back in My seat and rub My forehead, nothing but bad... I would certainly call Boatmate with a very stern concern for why this is, and how to make it not do this again... I know that You can go to a fastener distribitor or a machine shop and get bolts that are harder than Grade 8, but I'm not sure if they're too brittle for that apllication...

 

[boater777777]

You would think that the safety cables would be mounted BEHIND the swing point.

 

[GotMyAlly]

:gasp

 

[John Richied]

Safety cables should be mounted BEHIND the swing point. :gasp

And what grade of bolt is the one that sheared off?

I would think you would want a bolt that has the shank the same length as the trailer so you couldn

 

[GFinch]

Safety cables should be mounted BEHIND the swing point. :gasp

And what grade of bolt is the one that sheared off?

I would think you would want a bolt that has the shank the same length as the trailer so you couldn

 

[John S]

Safety cables should be mounted BEHIND the swing point. :gasp

And what grade of bolt is the one that sheared off?

I would think you would want a bolt that has the shank the same length as the trailer so you couldn

 

[RedAllison]

I checked tonight and the bolt that broke WAS a Grade 8 (6 hash marks on the head).


RA

 

[Hydropromax]

Those swingers look like trouble waiting to happen.

 

[SLOmofo]

Looking at the bolt under the head, there is an awful lot of wear. Thats 1 or 2 years?
Wonder if that bolt came from China.

 

[RedAllison]

Looking at the bolt under the head, there is an awful lot of wear. Thats 1 or 2 years?
Wonder if that bolt came from China.

SLO others have made that statement as well but I think it's just the picture. I'll hafta get some better pics tonight, the bolt isn't worn under the head at all. Just not as dirty or rusty under there. Only thing I can think of is the bolt was overtorqued at the factory and it finally gave way. I've NEVER touched the thing so it wasn't like jackplate or motor bolts that snap from stretch after repeated tightenings. My trailer was built 07/07 and has a few thousand miles on it. It's a torsion axle as well so it's very smooth and not subjected too as much shock as stacked leaf springs. The bolt looks to have actually cracked and has rust inside it that suggests more than one day of being exposed. From all I've been told and even the guy at Fastenal this morning who helped me and looked at the broken bolt, Grade 8s SHOULD just break clean instead of bend, splinter or give a lil before they let go. This one appears to have been cracked in about half-2/3s before it broke tho.

I now have 4 Grade 8 bolts to replace the hinge pin (that broke) as well as the removable pin (stainless which should be considerably weaker). I'm going to grease them up and paint them for as much protection as possible plus I'll have the 2 extras for backup. But you can be assured I'll check the bastards CONSTANTLY while in use.


RA

 

[RedAllison]

I just got a call from Jerry @ Boatmate and he said out of the 4k-5k trailers a year they build, 90+% of which have had swing aways for the last few years, he's only seen 2 other bolts that broke like mine. I'm going to send him the bolt for examination. As I described where my bolt broke he said the other two did the exact same thing, right where the threads began.

But all is well for now. I picked up Grade 8 hardware this morning and will be installing it all tonight.

Sometimes crap happens,

Just lucky and glad nothing catastrophic happened in this case.

RA

 

[96xb2003]

ive got sum experience w/ this problem, grade 8 bolt is not the answer,grade8 = good clamping force, like a good rod bolt, it is not good in sheer applications. got to your farm equiptment dealer and buy hitch pins in the correct diameter and length, no more worries, ive done several this way and no more problems. i did one the holes were slightly elongated in, so ran a 10mm drill bit down the hole and used the appropriate sized hitch pin and no more issues.

 

[whipper]

safety cables should be mounted behind the swing point. :gasp

and what grade of bolt is the one that sheared off?

I would think you would want a bolt that has the shank the same length as the trailer so you couldn

 

[whipper]

ive got sum experience w/ this problem, grade 8 bolt is not the answer,grade8 = good clamping force, like a good rod bolt, it is not good in sheer applications. got to your farm equiptment dealer and buy hitch pins in the correct diameter and length, no more worries, ive done several this way and no more problems. i did one the holes were slightly elongated in, so ran a 10mm drill bit down the hole and used the appropriate sized hitch pin and no more issues.

Sounds better.

 

[IRONBLOCK]

Jim, It sounds like you experienced a fatigue failure or a crack that propagates across the fastener. The rust on the fracture surface tells that it occurred over time.

Unfortunately high strength fasteners are more prone to fatigue because the material is more brittle and the threads are often cut instead of rolled. Low strength connectors have higher ductility making them less sensitive to fatigue. Keeping them properly torqued will help reduce fatigue. Loose connectors are actually more prone to fail.

Manufacturers will often collect "evidence" and conveniently loose it rather than correct a situation. The fact that they admit a failure rate of 1 per 2,000 would be reason to check your connection and replace the fastener every few years. It would be interesting to know of their findings. Mark

 

[suicidealli]

I would think two pins, instead of of a bolt would be better!!!!!!! The bolt diameter looks small from the pics.

 

[RedAllison]

This original post will be 3 years old next March. BUT, the replacement G8 bolt on the exact same side broke AGAIN earlier this year!!! :gasp :cuss I replaced it with another bolt from the batch I got at Fastenal a couple years ago. I constantly check it and so far it's good to go, but honestly 2 breaks in 2 years, I'm DONE with the system. Gonna have it welded and fixed permanently!

Don't know why mine breaks and everyone else seems to have no problems with their swing aways. As for shear strength, it shouldn't matter. The size G8 bolts these are should hold the entire truck, boat, motor, trailer and a D5 Cat if you wanted to dead lift them. There simply can't be enough pressure to routinely break a G8 in that spot or the SS pins wouldn't hold 5 minutes.

I'm done with a moving joint in such a critical stress area, :soap box
RA

 

[Fl Boy in ILL]

I just had mine break on my Trailer made at Full Throttle, it was a grde 5 bolt. Lucky for me Iwas at mt buddies shop in Wedowee, Al. Drove from ILL to ALA, 780 mile put the bot in his shop got up the next morning to hook it up and go to FL when the bottom of the bolt broke off, WOW how lucky was I??

Rick

 

[robert]

Has anyone modified their swing away tongue and if so, what was your modofication?

Thanks,

Robert