Best Practices Archives – Mechanical Elements

National Association of Trailer Manufacturers – Oops?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

NATM Trailer Safety Answers

I really thought I was done with posts about safety chains. We have several of them on the site, but I found a video that begs for comment. I really like the video and subject matter – from the Compliance Director of the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. This is a good organization because they … Read The Article

NATM Answers : Are You Trailer Safety Aware?

March 18, 2023 by Mechanic

NATM Trailer Safety Answers

What do you see wrong with the way the safety chains and other trailer safety equipment are set-up in the image? That’s the question we asked in the previous article. The image is a screenshot of a YouTube video by NATM, the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers.

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What Is The Best Trailer Security?

January 14, 2023January 14, 2023 by Mechanic

Trailer Security

How many trailers are stolen each year? That’s a question worth pondering, because if you put a lot of sweat and love into building a great trailer . . . . if it disappears, it’s heartbreaking. We don’t like to think about such things, but it puts trailer security

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Improving Trailer Safety Chain Connections

December 31, 2022December 22, 2022 by Mechanic

Attach Chains Free Plans

We often joke about safety — Yup, Safety 3rd. While it’s fun to joke, there are a few things we do get quite serious about. How to attach trailer safety chains is one. Today we’re looking at connecting chains on the trailer tongue, so the chain is the right length.

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Adjustable Ball Mount – Practical Considerations

November 29, 2022September 22, 2022 by Mechanic

Adjustable Ball Mount Search

While studying adjustable ball mount styles I noticed nearly all have a stationary rack and a floating attachment. Have you noticed that too? It’s a pretty important detail when we look at which one to choose.

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Trailer Design – Meeting Your Goals

November 29, 2022September 17, 2022 by Mechanic

Trailer Design Sketch

It looks easy. Trailer design is not like building a rocket, but it’s also not as easy as putting a few pieces of metal together. Good trailer design includes meeting goals and ending up with something that will tow well, and perform to your needs.

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Building A Trailer – Critical Things To Get Right

February 11, 2023August 3, 2022 by Mechanic

Success List To Make A Trailer

There are a lot of little details that go into a trailer building project. Some big, some small. Overall, it’s not hard, yet, when we think about the really important things that make a trailer perform well, the list is pretty short. Give just a little extra

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Tips To Set A Trailer Tongue At The Frame Center

July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 by Mechanic

How To Set A Trailer Tongue Central

When building a trailer, there are a bunch of things we want to get right. Here is one. “How To set a trailer tongue properly, and central on the frame“. Intrinsically this is easy to grasp, but maybe not as easy to accomplish. Here are some tricks

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Improve Fuel Economy When Towing

June 11, 2022 by Mechanic

Save Money at the Pump

Gas prices are up. Diesel prices are even higher. Since I don’t see those prices changing soon, maybe I can DIY some things to help. Is there any way to improve fuel economy when I’m pulling my trailer?

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The Concept of “Strong Enough”

February 11, 2023February 12, 2022 by Mechanic

Is It Strong Enough?

I’m not sure how to categorize this Article. It’s an answer, but more than that. We get questions once in a while something like “My trailer is X long and I want to haul a Y. Is 3 inch angle iron strong enough?”

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Are Your Trailer Plans Certified?

April 6, 2022December 22, 2021 by Mechanic

DOT Approved or Certified Plans

This is a great question we get a lot, in many variations. Are your plans DOT approved? Are the plans Stamped? We think it’s great to know the level of plans you get when you buy, so asking about certified plans is a great place to start. However, this question

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When Does My Trailer Need Brakes?

March 18, 2023November 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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Trailer Hitch Class Ratings

October 3, 2022October 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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Trailer Sway – Video Review & Discussion

September 25, 2021 by Mechanic

Trailer Sway Video Review

Understanding Trailer Dynamics like Sway is a really important. If you look for it, there are many articles and some great YouTube videos discussing and demonstrating the many factors and issues.

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

July 1, 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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Bent Tongue — Judging A Weak Trailer

February 11, 2023July 5, 2021 by Mechanic

Bent Trailer Tongue

When buying a trailer, how can we decide if it’s well built, or just cheap? How do you know if it’s strong or weak? While there are always tale-tale signs, we’ll use this example of a trailer with a bent tongue to illustrate.

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Why Special Order Axles?

April 1, 2022May 5, 2021 by Mechanic

What Is The Right Trailer Axle Size?

Some Trailer Plans don’t use a standard axle size. Why not? Good question, along with the also common “Why should I special order the trailer axle?

There are a few common-ish axle sizes

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Good Ways To Shorten Trailer Safety Chain

December 31, 2022April 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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Dangling By A Single Trailer Chain

December 31, 2022March 22, 2021 by Mechanic

Saved by Trailer Chain

If you ever doubt the sanity of safety chains, then see this example of where a single trailer chain literally saved lives. The story is amazing from all angles –

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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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