LoadRite Trailer hardware

[colbysmith]

Just a heads up. After traveling another 1700 miles with C-Traveler in tow, on our interstate highways that seem to be getting worse in the way of washboard bumps, after launching the boat, I found that the main bolt that attaches the two side rails to the center tongue, had lost it's nut and had backed out far enough for the left frame rail to sag down. In this photo, I have already pushed the bolt back in all the way. This bolt had a nylon lock nut on it. I don't want to think vandalism, but it's not to hard to imagine the bouncing up and down of the trailer and resultant stress on the tongue, could loosen the nut while holding the bolt from turning. Checking the other bolts and nuts holding the side frame rails to the bracket that is bolted to the center tongue, all seemed a little loose. For now, I did tighten those other bolts and nuts, and will be buying at least a new nut, if not both the bolt and nut, when we get off the lake before heading home. I will be using red locktite with or without the nylon lock nuts. Another update on my earlier trailer brake issues. The bronze slider pin boots that I fabricated, so far seem to be working better than the factory rubber boots. However, I've now had two brake pads fail. The pad material leaving the backing plate. Cheap pads? Colby

 

[Flashyfish]

For peace of mind, get a new bolt, a little longer and use double nuts tightened against each other. A dab of loctite would be the final chapter.

 

[ssobol]

For peace of mind, get a new bolt, a little longer and use double nuts tightened against each other. A dab of loctite would be the final chapter.

Nyloc nut.

 

[thataway]

Colby:

This bolt had a nylon lock nut on it.

Ssobol:

Nyloc nut.

Colby's initial post seemed to infer some type of Nyloc nut. If used more than once, or heated, then they are not as good as a regular nut, especially on a trailer, subject to lots of miles, as Colby's trailers are. Many Nyloc type nuts have fewer threads in the nut. The Nyloc nut generally has a failure point of the nylon insert around 250 degrees. That seems like it would be hard achieve without heating, but I have seen them fail before. Loctite on trailer nuts essential.

 

[TyBoo]

I agree on the Loctite. The blue stuff is for removable fasteners and the red stuff is for things you have to cuss at and heat up to get loose. However, Loctite has recently came out with a grade that is between those two. It is orange colored and is three times as strong as the blue but can still be removed without heat. It is a gel so there is less waste and mess from drips.

You can get a free bottle of the new orange Loctite from them by going to this site and passing their little quiz. I did it a while back and got the free bottle in the mail a couple weeks later. They say you have to get 80% on the quiz but there is a simple and quick course you can click through to prep for it and it is easy.

I realize this reads like a spam post but you can trust me this time. If it was spam I would have to ban myself from C-Brats! I saw this on a John Deere forum a few months ago and it looks like it is still active. The free bottle of this stuff will probably be enough to hold Colby's nuts in place for years.

 

[colbysmith]

I agree on the Loctite. The blue stuff is for removable fasteners and the red stuff is for things you have to cuss at and heat up to get loose. However, Loctite has recently came out with a grade that is between those two. It is orange colored and is three times as strong as the blue but can still be removed without heat. It is a gel so there is less waste and mess from drips.

You can get a free bottle of the new orange Loctite from them by going to this site and passing their little quiz. I did it a while back and got the free bottle in the mail a couple weeks later. They say you have to get 80% on the quiz but there is a simple and quick course you can click through to prep for it and it is easy.

I realize this reads like a spam post but you can trust me this time. If it was spam I would have to ban myself from C-Brats! I saw this on a John Deere forum a few months ago and it looks like it is still active. The free bottle of this stuff will probably be enough to hold Colby's nuts in place for years.

Thanks Tyboo. So I went to that site, and scrolled through pretty fast. Got 87%. Nothing came up about getting a free bottle of the Orange stuff. Then saw that there was a place to register and login, so went through that and took the course again....passing with the same score. Nothing popped up for my address or anything, so not sure I'll get the free bottle of the orange locktite. No big deal, once I put the bolt back in, and recheck and tighten all the other main frame bolts, I'll use red loctite, as I have plenty of that stuff, and no plans to pull the trailer apart. And if I do, I have a small torch. lol!