Need help with broken trailer tongue

Broken Trailer

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Joined
Jun 16, 2015
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4
The tongue on my trailer has a bend in it and the metal is cracked. Any ideas on the best way I can fix this.






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Simple_Man

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Sep 11, 2013
Messages
267
If it was mine, I would replace the whole section and inspect the rest
 

airshot

Rear Admiral
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Jul 22, 2008
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I would be very tempted to replace the entire tongue of the trailer but only if the rest of the trailer proved to be in much better condition than that tongue. The metal looks rusted and very thin so if the rest of the trailer looks like that then its time for a new trailer.
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
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Jul 8, 2010
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Boy that looks ugly, I think I would be looking for another trailer, has that trailer been in salt water?
 

reelfishin

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Mar 19, 2007
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First off, how did it get bent like that? (It looks to me like it was bent in one direction and then bent back the other way, thus the cracking on two sides and the kinked metal.

If the tubing is sound otherwise, as in not rusted thin from saltwater exposure, I'd go ahead and replace that length of tubing.
Look for scaly loose rust inside the tubing and any rust that perforates the tubes.

While tubing can be cut and spliced, a bend like your showing us there will affect too much of the total length of the tube and any such repair would leave you with a tongue that's too short. Besides, the proper fix is always to replace the entire length of tubing. If it were just one end that was bent, it may have been justification to add a folding tongue coupler.

Its up to you to decide whether the trailer is worth the cost and labor of changing the tongue vs. just finding another trailer.
 

MTboatguy

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Jul 8, 2010
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That had to have been a hell of a shock to bend a square tube like that, if the rest of the trailer is sound, that section could be cut out and put a sleeve over and weld it, how heavy of a boat is this trailer hauling?
 

Grandad

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Jun 7, 2011
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1,504
My tongue was broken (discovered at home after a 400 mile road trip). It seems the original builder scabbed 2 pieces of square tube together by butt welding them, then apparently dressed the weld so well that there was no evidence of a joint and very little strength left. When I sawed the remaining material away, I found 2 scabs of 1/2" flame cut plate only about 5" long inside the tube. The scabs were so roughly cut there was almost no contact with the weld. I cleaned and beveled the cut ends and inserted a close-fitting 4' long piece of heavy weight tube inside and bolted both ends through the tongue. Then I drove the whole rig to my mechanic who welded the bevel which I don't plan to grind off like the first guy did. - Grandad
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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the cracked wall of the tube looks extremely thin. All that is left is the galvanized coating on the outside. my first thought is buy a new trailer.
 

smokeonthewater

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Dec 3, 2009
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9,838
I don't know what you guys are looking at to think there is no metal left????

The exposed edges don't show any major rust. There is some pitting on the outside of the damaged area up top where the metal is badly fatigued from the damage but we have no indication that there would or wouldn't be issues with the rest of the trailer so far.


O/P.. Put up a couple more pics including the area where the tongue attaches to the trailer.... Zoom out a bit so we can see more of the trailer.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
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May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Looks like someone jack-knifed the trailer and bent/cracked the tongue and then it got some surface rust on it.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
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Jun 26, 2011
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14,585
I had a used trailer that I also found a cracked tongue on it, only after I trailered it home after purchase as well! So I bought a replacement new square tubing and cut out the old tongue and replaced the entire tongue. It really wasn't that expensive or hard to do. You can see how I went about that repair in my link below. It is now like new...literally. I certainly would not cut out that rusted old cracked area and try to patch the section at all, but would replace it with new material. Remember the tongue is the only thing between you and the boat... Make it correct or you could loose everything! JMHO!
 

Broken Trailer

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Jun 16, 2015
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The rest of the trailer is in fine condition, only this part needs to be fixed so I definitely wouldn't buy a new trailer. It has an Islands 17 sailboat on it. The tongue can be removed from the rest of the trailer by unscrewing a few bolts, but if possible I'd rather not have to buy a new one if I could fix this.
 

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bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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I wouldn't chance a scab repair. Maybe if it's only going to go a couple blocks thru the neighborhood and stays under 25mph. Square tube does funny things once bent.
 

reelfishin

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Mar 19, 2007
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It definitely looks like jack knife damage to me too.
You could cut the tongue just behind the damaged area and then replace the forward section. It would require fitting an internal or external sleeve over or into the tubing to reinforce the welded joint. You then would also have a break in the galvanized coating to deal with as far as future rust protection goes.

It would probably be just as easy and not much more expensive to just replace the entire tongue.
I just replaced a 3x3" galvanized tongue on a small trailer here in order to increase the length by a few feet, the tubing cost was around $70.
It took me less than a half hour to make the swap and that included drilling a few holes and rerunning the tail light wires through the new tongue. .
 

snowman48047

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 24, 2008
Messages
371
A thought occurred to me.... could he possibly cut the tongue at the bend and add a new piece to fit the outside, add pins like the ones that hold the ball mount to the receiver, and make it an extendable trailer like some are, for use at shallow ramps or for beaches? just a thought....right or wrong?
 

smokeonthewater

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Dec 3, 2009
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Nope.... The tube isn't heavy enough for that

Folks with the fabrication ability to repair the damaged steel part or build one off custom stuff don't ask questions like this...
 

Grandad

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Jun 7, 2011
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Snowman, I think that's a possibility, depending upon exactly where the break is. Smoke, the strength of the tongue after doing this would depend more on the thickness of the sleeve than the thickness of the original, again depending upon the location of the break and length available for the "overlap" when extended. I wouldn't bother though unless there is a problem with the local ramps. Just sleeve it inside or outside, weld it or securely bolt it and call it a day. That's how I repaired mine shown broken above and repaired below. The internal tube I added has about a 3/8" thick wall, is 4' long and bolts (grade 8) at each end as evidenced by the eyebolt for my bow tie-down strap. The outer tube is also again welded as you may see in the picture. - Grandad
 

smokeonthewater

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Dec 3, 2009
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sure but he suggested using a hitch pin and making it telescopic... the material isn't thick enough to pin as it will hammer and oblong the hole and very likely crack...


SURE it could be sleeved and welded but a peice of tubing to replace it would be cheaper than paying a welder to repair it..... If he could weld he wouldn't have asked this question.....

in this case it's cheaper, easier, and better to just replace the damaged steel and drill a few holes... bolt it up n go to the lake.
 
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