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Adventures | Customer Stories | Mechanics Tips | News | Plans Info | Solutions!

Mechanics Tips

Articles  >  Mechanics Tips

We can all use Tips for Building, Planning and Fabricating with DIY Projects.  Below is a list of articles with insights for success with our plans, details for expediting construction, and general items for success when you do it yourself.  If you have something to contribute, please let us know.  If you want to see tips on a certain topic, let us know that too.  This is the Do-It-Yourself portal, and these tips are for you!  Enjoy!  –  See all the Mechanic’s Posts here.

Trailer Suspension Equalizer Link Action

November 24, 2021November 24, 2021 by Mechanic
Trailer Suspension Equalizer Link

There are many different sizes and shapes of the suspension equalizer link.  What are they for?  Better yet, when should I choose one shape over another?

If you’ve read much on this website, then you know

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Analysis, Design, Stability, Suspension, Triple Leave a comment

When Does My Trailer Need Brakes?

November 13, 2021 by Mechanic
Trailer Axles with Brakes

There are laws that say when a trailer must have brakes.  In most places within the USA, when the trailer total capacity is over 3000 lbs, trailer brakes are required.  That’s all well and good, but we all know that laws are an ignorant way of covering the least

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Safety, Stability, Trailer Leave a comment

Trailer Hitch Class Ratings

October 27, 2021October 22, 2021 by Mechanic
Trailer Hitch and Drawbar Classes

As a convenient way to help with safety, trailer hitches, balls, and receivers have categories or load rating groups called classes.  Each trailer hitch class has ratings for how much it will carry.  A look at the ratings for each component

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Hitch, Safety, Strength, Tips, Tongue Leave a comment

I-Beam Shape Choices: Is it I, S, W, M or H?

May 13, 2022September 7, 2021 by Mechanic
Which I-Beam Shape?

When is an I-Beam not really an “I” Beam?  While it’s common to use the generic term “I-Beam” for any beam with an I shape section, there are actually variations with different letter designations.  And, there are advantages for the various shapes

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Bolts, Force, Gantry Crane, Strength Leave a comment

How Often Should You Tighten Trailer Wheel Bolts?

November 30, 2021August 10, 2021 by Mechanic
Trailer Wheel Bolts

A friend asked me this question, along with the companion “How Tight?”  The last thing we want is to lose a wheel — because it will not only delay our trip, but a wheel coming loose can do serious damage — to us, our stuff, or maybe

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Bolts, Safety, Tips, Tire, Trailer Leave a comment

Who Says Welding Doesn’t Affect Strength?

March 4, 2022June 17, 2021 by Mechanic
Fracture at Edge of the Welds

I love seeing failures.  Not that anyone wants things to fail, of course, we always try to make things that last.  However, when a failure pops up, I love to look it over and understand the “how” and the “why”.  It’s an excellent opportunity for learning, and I love to learn.

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Fixture, Force, Steel, Strength, Welding 2 Comments

Good Ways To Shorten A Chain

June 28, 2021April 20, 2021 by Mechanic
Need To Shorten The Chain

In previous articles we discuss the importance of trailer safety chain length.  If the chains are too long, what can you do?  Yeah, odds are you won’t need them, but what if you do?  Long chains can complicate things quickly, so how can we safely shorten a chain?

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Safety, Strength, Trailer Leave a comment

When To Replace Trailer Tires

June 12, 2021March 16, 2021 by Mechanic
Replace Trailer Tires

Don’t mess around with your safety or unexpected trip interruptions.  The Best Reason to replace old or worn trailer tires is personal sanity, because who wants to deal with it on the side of the road?

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Safety, Tips, Tire 1 Comment

How Much Can I Tow With My Vehicle?

November 30, 2021March 3, 2021 by Mechanic
How Much Can I Tow?

There are 3 main factors with how much you can tow.  While it all seems simple, digging in makes it a little less clear.  Yes, it’s easy to look at the simple rating numbers, 

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Limits, Safety, Stability, Towing, Trailer 2 Comments

Are Aluminum Trailers Good or Bad?

August 30, 2021February 11, 2021 by Mechanic
Aluminum Weld Adjustments

I’ve heard different opinions, so let’s look again at the Engineering and clear up some facts.  Maybe we can also debunk a few misconceptions.

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Categories Mechanics Tips, Plans Info Tags Aluminum, Best Practices, Build, Steel, Strength Leave a comment

How To Measure A Bolt Pattern

August 23, 2021January 18, 2021 by Mechanic
Various Wheel Bolt Patterns

What is the bolt pattern on your trailer wheels?  For the most part it doesn’t matter because you’re not changing wheels that often, yet when it does matter, it really matters.  Here is some good info to measure and calculate

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Bolts, Calculation, Measurements, Tire Leave a comment

Where and How to Attach Safety Chains

March 23, 2022January 6, 2021 by Mechanic
Attach Safety Chain With One Bolt

What are the best ways to attach safety chains on a trailer?  That’s a simple question without a single best answer.  Don’t you hate it when the answer starts with “It depends . . . “?  Unfortunately, it does depend on many other things

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Best Practices, Hitch, Safety, Trailer, Welding 6 Comments

The Trailer Breakaway Kit

June 15, 2021December 18, 2020 by Mechanic
Trailer Wiring For Breakaway Kit

What in the world is a Trailer Breakaway Kit?  If you pull a “larger-ish” trailer, you should definitely know, because it’s a legal requirement in many jurisdictions.

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Axle, Electric, Safety, Wires Leave a comment

Wheels And Tires For Your Trailer

August 23, 2021November 7, 2020 by Mechanic
What Tires For My Trailer?

There are a million tires out there with a ton of classifications and designations.  What tires do I choose for my trailer?  That is not a silly question at all.

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Axle, Best Practices, Safety, Tire, Trailer Leave a comment

Successful Threads With A Die

June 15, 2021October 30, 2020 by Mechanic
Dies

While the Tap & Die go hand in hand as threading tools, they’re very different in the way they work.  There are also different tricks for success.  So, let’s talk success tips for making external threads with a die.

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Bolts, Cutting, DIY, Tools 2 Comments

Engineering: Welding Trailer Spring Brackets

June 15, 2021September 24, 2020 by Mechanic
Welding Trailer Spring Brackets

There is some disagreement in trailer building about how to weld-on trailer spring brackets (also known as spring hangers).   Some of you have sent questions about which techniques are best, especially

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Axle, Force, Safety, Spring, Strength, Welding 7 Comments

Get Thread Tapping Straight

February 7, 2022August 26, 2020 by Mechanic
Thread Tapping Straight

A Tap and Die set is a near must for a DIY fab shop.  While the thread creating functions are pretty easy to visualize, sometimes getting the tread to start straight and run true is a different matter.

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Bolts, DIY, Drilling, Measurements, Tips, Tools 1 Comment

Reasonably Accurate Way To Bend Metal

June 15, 2021August 18, 2020 by Mechanic
Bend A Metal Bracket

There are a bunch of ways to bend metal for a bracket.  Do a search on YouTube and you’ll likely find several techniques.  Well, we don’t want to dis any of those because

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Categories Mechanics Tips, Solutions! Tags Fabrication, Measurements, Press, Steel, Video Leave a comment

Drill Matching Bolt Holes

February 9, 2022August 3, 2020 by Mechanic
Drill Matching Bolt Holes

So many times we need to make matching holes to bolt something on.  You purchased something to mount on your trailer or your workbench or some other project, but now you need the exact

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Categories Mechanics Tips Tags Bolts, Calculation, Drilling, Measurements, Video Leave a comment

Threaded Rod For Custom Bolts

June 16, 2021July 9, 2020 by Mechanic
All Thread or Threaded Rod

You can use threaded rod (often called All-Thread) for a million things.  Make a long bolt, or just the right size fastener.  It’s also good for special brackets if you weld to it.  And, if you’re not careful, you can make it fail in a million ways too.

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Categories Mechanics Tips, Solutions! Tags Best Practices, Bolts, DIY, Measurements, Solutions! Leave a comment
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