straightening trailer tongue

[tractchores]

Looking for some advice. I have a small utility trailer (8x6 box). It was in an accident and the tongue is bent a bit (< 10 degrees) and where the tongue bolts onto the trailer body is bent as well (the body). I'd like to try to straighten it as its a light duty trailer, so I'm not worried about the integrity of the parts (they are way over sized). This trailer is used mostly to haul trash to the dump and has a max load capacity of 1,000 lbs.

Any ideas? I was thinking of using a hammer and wooden blocks, or maybe putting it on a flat surfact and pushing down with my tractor bucket or BH to see if that's enough force. I also may see if I can just buy a new tongue and straighten only the trailer box, which is just angle iron so should be easy to bend.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Looking for some advice. I have a small utility trailer (8x6 box). It was in an accident and the tongue is bent a bit (< 10 degrees) and where the tongue bolts onto the trailer body is bent as well (the body). I'd like to try to straighten it as its a light duty trailer, so I'm not worried about the integrity of the parts (they are way over sized). This trailer is used mostly to haul trash to the dump and has a max load capacity of 1,000 lbs. Any ideas? I was thinking of using a hammer and wooden blocks, or maybe putting it on a flat surfact and pushing down with my tractor bucket or BH to see if that's enough force. I also may see if I can just buy a new tongue and straighten only the trailer box, which is just angle iron so should be easy to bend.

I would not attempt to straighten anything. Replace the bent pieces.

Chris

 

[zzvyb6]

Try using your 3 point arms and the drawbar to straighten small bends in angle iron and square tubing. It takes good control to do this. Practice first. If the piece can be put between two blocks. drive on it with your tractor or car. As long as its not kinked. For angle iron, I sometimes slice it and weld it back together.

 

[George2615]

Maybe if you could post a picture to see what you have.
I repaired a similar trailer. It had a square tubing tongue with a 1 7/8" hitch bolted and welded on. I had loaned the trailer to someone who jack knifed it backing up and bent the tube. If yours is square tubing I'd get some new tubing and weld on the new piece rather than try to straighten. I bought a smaller square piece to slide inside the original like a sleeve. I cut off the old tongue and drilled a 1/2" hole on each side. Then slid in the smaller square and welded that in place and welded the 1/2" holes shut where it touched the inner sleeve. Then slid the new pre drilled piece of square over the sleeve and welded that and the holes shut. Then bolted and welded on a new 2" hitch to replace the old 1 7/8" hitch.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I've used loader forks to straighten lots of stuff. Good for breaking the bead on a tire as well.

Just make sure (or at least try) that nothing slippery will fly out. Wood blocks are good.

Also, and this is from experience, jig things up in such a way that you can't overbend something. A little is usually necessary, but I have ruined things that suddenly gave way and bent too far the other way!

 

[ray66v]

If your local body shop has a drive on frame rack, they can straighten it all for you.

I used to do stuff like that when I had time, mostly for customer goodwill.

 

[Egon]

Bottle jack and heat would probably work best.

Cutting and replacing the bends may be the easiest and best.

 

[Sysop]

Small trailers are more difficult to back up than longer trailers. Bent trailers of any size don't back up worth a hoot. A small bent trailer will be a pain. It can't be close, it needs to be right. I'm with everyone who says remove the bent sections and replace with straight stuff.

 

[aczlan]

Small trailers are more difficult to back up than longer trailers. Bent trailers of any size don't back up worth a hoot. A small bent trailer will be a pain. It can't be close, it needs to be right. I'm with everyone who says remove the bent sections and replace with straight stuff.

I agree, especially if its a bolt on tongue. You might even put a longer (heavier) piece on to make it easier to back up.

Aaron Z

 

[Al 2]

I don't see any problem to straighten it with a bottle jack (and chain) as Egon suggests. Reinforce it if needed or if it makes you feel better. As ray66 suggests they straighten car and truck frames all the time.
Al

 

[Sysop]

Car and Truck frames have crumple zones which bend and collapse in a fairly predictable and controlled method. Beyond that auto-manufacturers have much more precise processes developed for each 'crumpled' situation than what you'll ever hope to come close to with a bottle jack and chain on something that was never intended to have any bend at all. You might get close, and close may be good enough for you. But honestly with all the effort in making it as straight as you can, then bracing it up to prevent it from happening again; you could just as easily cut out what is bent and install new, heavier if you want to.

 

[tractchores]

Thanks, some good ideas here. I'm going to try to take it apart tomorrow to see what I'm dealing with. It is a square trailer tongue, so the cut and sleave idea may work. I am going to take some measurements and see if I can get a complete tongue for cheap and then bolt that on. The coupler itself broke as well in the impact, so it'd be good to replace that with a new one too (it's welded). I can try to straignten it and if I fail move onto the other fixes. I'm not worried about backing it, it bent vertically, so is still straight in line with the truck and I've actually used it a couple times with the bent tongue.

For kicks I may ask the body shop that's doing the car if they want to take a shot at it. They're doing a huge repair on the tow vehicle, and may be willing to toss it in...

Anyone know a source for trailer tongues? It's a carry-on utility trailer (type they sell at lowes), so should be relatively standard.

 

[Markcuda]

Anyone know a source for trailer tongues?

Find a welding shop, they usually have steel that they will sell you.

 

[aczlan]

Find a welding shop, they usually have steel that they will sell you.

Ayep. If its a 2"x2" 3/16" tube that is under 6' long, it should be available for under $50 (A500 Steel Square Tubing - 2 x 2 x 3/16 - mySteelYard.com has it for $25+ shipping, they also have 2.5x2.5 for $32 A500 Steel Square Tubing - 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 3/16 - mySteelYard.com and 3x3 3/16 for $41 A500 Steel Square Tubing - 3 x 3 x 3/16 - mySteelYard.com).
If its not currently 6' long, I might make it 6' long to make it easier to backup, you might just need to go up one wall thickness to account for the added stress on the tongue

Aaron Z

 

[ultrarunner]

I used a floor jack and heat to bring mine back to spec and then I added a gusset by welding to strengthen.

Tongue always had some flex in it since day one... with the gusset the tongue is now rock solid since the fix in 2005.

Box trailer 4 x 6 used to haul one yard loads of gravel and sack concrete...

 

[ray66v]

For kicks I may ask the body shop that's doing the car if they want to take a shot at it. They're doing a huge repair on the tow vehicle, and may be willing to toss it in...

At the very least, if you get them to look at it, you will get a qualified assessment of the damage.

It is not at unusual for the damage to be more severe then the customer thinks.

Anything can be fixed, the question is always, is it worth it?

 

[rd_macgregor]

In some situations a hydraulic wood splitter can be used as a hydraulic press to straighten bent items (you may not be equipped to try this, and positioning everything just right might be a challenge, though).

 

[tractchores]

Got the tongue off and discovered that it's creased, so will be replacing that. It's amazing how flimsy the mount from the tongue to the trailer is, it's bolted onto a piece of angle iron that is welded to either side. That part is bent, but not creased. Looks like I'll be buying a new tongue and trying to straighten the angle iron. The box itself on the trailer isn't bent at all (it's a thicker gauge) and it looks like the axle etc are straight (admittedly I'm just measuring and eyeballing).

 

[ultrarunner]

Might be a good time to fortify the tongue and attachment points.

I was very surprised when mine bent like a wet noodle... adding a few welded gussets at key places made all the difference...

 

[Markcuda]

This has nothing to do with the tongue straightening but, I looked at lots of trailers (be for I bought) with 3 inch channel for the tongue, only 2 or 3 had 4 inch, I went with 4 inch channel.