Side Guides

Wandering Sagebrush · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:34 pm Post subject: Side Guides

When Diana and I were towing Constant Craving all over the backroads of eastern Oregon and central Idaho, I had the lag bolts on the right side guides back out and allow the guide to drop down on the trailer. I just bungied them up and got home safely.

Anyone else had this issue?

I haven't made up my mind whether to replace the lag bolts with a slightly larger size, to use a counter set carriage bolt with the head well below the surface of the guide. Anyone have an opinion?

Steve

starcrafttom · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject:

while working on my trailer I had the same problem on one guide. I just redrilled the hole over 1/2 a inch and re-screwed the lags in. the only other option is thru bolts and you would have to counter sink the heads so they would not scratch up your gel coat. All lags are going to fail at some point becasue in salt water they rust and that makes them loose and rots the boards. So unless you get plastic boards and stainless steel lags ypu need to keep a eye on this thing.

MOOSE · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject:

I've had this happen several times on the road. The first time I gooped in a bunch of 5200, but that didn't work. Then I bored out the holes oversize and filled them full of epoxy. After re-drilling pilot holes, I coated the lag screws with more epoxy and and installed them. So far, so good.
Al

Wandering Sagebrush · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:12 pm Post subject: Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback. I think I am going to go with the epoxy fill and redrill technique.

Steve

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:28 pm Post subject:

IMHO, the real solution for the lag bolt problem is to install smooth headed carriage bolts with the locking washer set up (looks like a washer with a square hole and spikes pointing downward) that locks the carriage bolt so it won't turn on the inside of the rail, and then you install a fender washer and nylock nut on the outside. This gives you a through-bolt set up. Then you get to recover the guide ons with new carpet, too.

Since the threads of the carriage bolts will be sticking out a bit, cut them off flush or put plastic or rubber tubing on them to eliminate the "meat Hooks". I like to use clear plastic Tygon tubing on mine, as it leaves some of the extra threads intact for disassembly and re-installation, should it be necessary.

Lag bolts fall out with rot, in either salt or fresh water, period!

Joe. Teeth

helm · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:37 am Post subject:

Pacific trailer sent me load guides exactly as described by Joe. The nuts for the carriage bolts are not nylock. Pacific supplies a flat washer, lock washer and nut, all stainless steel. We used lock tite on everything we put together - blue as I recall as it allows things to be taken apart without heating.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:14 am Post subject: