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 Mechanics Tips are for you! Enjoy! – See all the Mechanic’s Posts here.
There's a lot that goes into making trailers tow stable. Of course, there are the big obvious things, but there are also a lot of contributors that may or may not matter in your situation. Stack the deck to get them right, and have a safe, stable trailer.
Trailer axle position? This is a good question. Unfortunately, there is some popular, but misleading information around. So, how do you know proper trailer axle position? Here is the whole answer,
Should you twist trailer safety chains to make them shorter? Certainly twisting them reduces the length so they don’t drag the ground. That part is good. However, there are big issues with twisting safety chains?
Do they accomplish the intended purpose? Or are trailer safety chains just a legal pain in the rear? Maybe the better question to ask, since we’re required to use them: “How do we make the chains more effective?“
Often misused and not very well understood – so goes the life of many metalworking files. Yet, they still do things other tools cannot. That makes them a tool worth knowing!
In the debate about Steel or Aluminum for beams of trailer frames and gantry cranes, there is one big piece we hear less about. An important part of the equation, for sure, is the property of Elasticity . . . . What?
Aluminum is such a great material. It is light, strong, and looks sweet to boot. So, why is there a debate about Aluminum Trailer Frames comparing to others like steel? Or comparing for beams like with gantry cranes?
Learning good trailer construction by examining bad is a great way to focus on details. This photo shows 4 points of “less that careful thought” in the way the trailer is built. Can you pick them out?
Is there anything more annoying (painful and frustrating) than busting a knuckle when working on things in the shop? To many of us, blood sacrifices are just part of getting a project done, but it does not have to be that way. This article is NOT about iron gloves or
The trailer hitch and surrounding hardware are OH so important – with safety as the priority. Here are some small examples illustrating one success and one horrific failure.