Got my new boat trailer today it is a swing tongue. I really do not need it. I put 2 grade 8 bolts in place of the swing bolts and pin. I think this should work went with longer bolts to use the unthreaded part in the holes so it won’t hog out over time. Sound like it should work?
I would recommend checking/replacing those bolts on a regular basis. The picture is from 2019 – I believe it is the original bolt from when trailer was new in 2012. I don’t recall if this was a grade 5 or grade 8. I do not wish to repeat this event.
boat-1.jpg
I don’t see any issues with your solution.
Depending on the design of the hinge, I’ve also seen the use of (4) shorter bolts, so that 2 of them would have to fail, on the same side, before the hinge would swing. If you used 5/8″ bolts, a little trick is to use M16 metric bolts, which are .005″ larger in diameter, and might fit a little tighter.
Otherwise, what you’ve done, using longer bolts so the major diameter is taking the side-load, was a good approach. Did you use a Nylock nut?
HRG
Hi all yes I did use NY lock nuts and used 1 washer each side to fill the gape if you will between the space I believe so you can swing it. I wanted to do 2 bolts each side but could not find that short of bolts that were not totally threaded. As Timmy said ouch sorry for that mess ouch I plan on it being a monthly routine. Thanks every one.
Hi all yes I did use NY lock nuts and used 1 washer each side to fill the gape if you will between the space I believe so you can swing it. I wanted to do 2 bolts each side but could not find that short of bolts that were not totally threaded. As Timmy said ouch sorry for that mess ouch I plan on it being a monthly routine. Thanks every one.
Good call on shimming the gaps. If you want to get really carried away, take some heavy-wall pipe (like water or gas pipe) and make tubular spacers to fill the gaps between the upper & lower hinge points. This way you can tighten the longer bolts without bending anything.
Of course, paint to match,,,,,
HRG
What’s wrong with just keeping the pin in it?
Also, Timmy, “I do not wish to repeat this event.” I feel you on that! My dad’s Spartan trailer snapped in half at the post going 70mph from international Falls to Baudette. I do not wish to repeat that event!
Yeah, I would leave it. You may not need it now but if you do in the future….say at launch or resort….it’s gonna be a real pain to pull apart.
Yeah, I would leave it. You may not need it now but if you do in the future….say at launch or resort….it’s gonna be a real pain to pull apart.
X2
I agree. I’d just leave it. I don’t think a bolt would be significantly stronger than the pin, and it’s nice to have the ability to fold it, even if you don’t see the need for it now.
Keep in mind, bolts are designed to be used in tension whereas hitch-pins are meant to be used in shear. While the grade 8 bolts have a significantly higher tensile strength than the 1XXX series carbon steel that is generally used in hitch-pins, the bolts could potentially see fracturing over time from the constant jostling of a trailer/towing in a direction of shear loading vs. tensile. Use the correct sized hitch pin, and don’t over think things 
X2 ^ I see it all the time in the construction industry people using screws that are not designed for shear conditions. A grade 8 bolt has poor shear quality’s. I would use what cane with the hitch.
X2 ^ I see it all the time in the construction industry people using screws that are not designed for shear conditions. A grade 8 bolt has poor shear quality’s. I would use what cane with the hitch.
I agree with these guys
Yup leave it theft prevention if you ever need it. Don’t over think it.
OK you got me thinking here again. My main goal is I don’t want the holes to get hogged out over time ruining the trailer. So leaving it as is with the pin is better with the Slop?
Also I don’t know the strength of the pin but the 2 bolts on the folding side are grade 1 bolts. I cannot find any say grade 5 that are not threaded all the way meaning I want the unthreaded part in the hole. So I should go back to swing tongue for safety. Worried about someone stealing the pin.
My main goal is I don’t want the holes to get hogged out over time ruining the trailer. So leaving it as is with the pin is better with the Slop?
Honestly, the majority of newer boats come with a swing tongue, so that can’t be a huge concern. I installed one on a previous trailer of mine and ran it for a few trouble-free years before I sold it.
I pull the pin on mine and put it in the truck when I park it at launches. Makes it more inconvenient for someone thinking of stealing the trailer.
Worried about someone stealing the pin.
Buy a spare hitch pin to keep in your truck.
Also I don’t know the strength of the pin but the 2 bolts on the folding side are grade 1 bolts. I cannot find any say grade 5 that are not threaded all the way meaning I want the unthreaded part in the hole. So I should go back to swing tongue for safety. Worried about someone stealing the pin.
Grade 1 bolts? you sure about that? Most common are grade2,grade 5 and grade 8.
Thread length is a standard on all common (non-specialty) bolts. If say for instance you are using a 1/2 inch diameter bolt, it will have 1 1/4 inch of threads no matter what the length of the bolt. (unless bolt is over 6 inches in length)
If you want less threads just purchase a longer bolt and cut off the threads you don’t need.
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Showed this post to my FIL who is a retired mechanic. Like others have said the grade 8 bolt is a poor choice because of shear strength in his opinion. He wasn’t sure from reading this if you used one long bolt instead of 2 bolts on the hinge side but he thinks you’d be weakening the hinge side quite a bit by having one long bolt instead of 2 short ones.
Another thing to consider, is that there are a lot of trailers with big glass boats that weight probably 5 times as much as your Lund that also use swing tongues with a hitch pin. Like others have said, use the ability to pull the pin to your advantage, and leave it in the truck any time you park at a launch or at home. One more line of defense against someone stealing your boat.
One thing that has concerned me reading this post any many other is how often people remove items to prevent theft. Either I have been really lucky or i’m fishing in totally different areas then some of these people. I hope this is just preventive but jeez are there not honest people anymore, maybe we are all just paranoid because of the past couple of years. I’m hoping in the future we can bring back the trust your neighbor and stranger.
One thing that has concerned me reading this post any many other is how often people remove items to prevent theft. Either I have been really lucky or i’m fishing in totally different areas then some of these people. I hope this is just preventive but jeez are there not honest people anymore, maybe we are all just paranoid because of the past couple of years. I’m hoping in the future we can bring back the trust your neighbor and stranger.
I pull the pin just as a preventive measure. Any stories I’ve heard about trailer theft are 3rd hand. You can’t stop someone that really wants to steal something but I think a thief would be more apt to have something to cut a lock with them than a hitch pin.
Something elese to consider
What ever you decide, it’s never a bad idea to pull pin (or unbolt) and grease or WD-40 at least once a year.
You don’t want them rusting in.
I’m not sure where you guys are getting the low shear strength of Grade 8 bolts. They are some of the strongest bolts you can buy, similar to 10.9, and right behind 12.9. There are some specialized fasteners that are considerably stronger but are considerably more expensive and more difficul to find.
I would not hesitate to use Grade 8 and they are likely what came installed on the unit.
And looking at pictures it looks like Grade 8 is what Fulton uses. (6 dashes on the head)
Screenshot_20210417-103604_Chrome.jpg
One thing that has concerned me reading this post any many other is how often people remove items to prevent theft. Either I have been really lucky or i’m fishing in totally different areas then some of these people. I hope this is just preventive but jeez are there not honest people anymore, maybe we are all just paranoid because of the past couple of years. I’m hoping in the future we can bring back the trust your neighbor and stranger.
Agree I never pull my pin. Unless unhitched in a lot. Then I pull it as another theft prevention of boat trailer.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>supercat wrote:</div>
One thing that has concerned me reading this post any many other is how often people remove items to prevent theft. Either I have been really lucky or i’m fishing in totally different areas then some of these people. I hope this is just preventive but jeez are there not honest people anymore, maybe we are all just paranoid because of the past couple of years. I’m hoping in the future we can bring back the trust your neighbor and stranger.Agree I never pull my pin. Unless unhitched in a lot. Then I pull it as another theft prevention of boat trailer.
Why not just lock the trailer to the hitch? Then lock it with it closed when not hooked to the truck.
This thread should be titled “over engineered DIY solutions for stuff that already works as intended.”
This thread should be titled “over engineered DIY solutions for stuff that already works as intended.”
Exactly
The bolts are grade 2 I put everything back just like factory and found another pin at the farm store for a back up plan. Tried to find short bolts grade 5 with shoulder no luck was going to cut longer ones like Dave suggested but no vise a cheap hack saw and as others said already works as intended. Thanks all.
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