EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

[ricohman]

I have a new EZ Loader dual axle trailer with a surge brake coupler. this type of coupler sits nearly on top of the tounge and is fastened by two bolts on the front and one 4 3/4 bolt on the rear.
The bolts have worked loose twice now and I would like to replace the front two bolts with one 4 3/4 bolt.
Is EZ Loader using the two bolts at the front of the coupler as redundancy in case one bolts breaks?

 

[dingbat]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

No, they are not redundant. The two front bolts are taking the load. The bolt in the back is for the torque.

Replace the nuts on all three bolts with nyloc nuts and the problem will be resolved

 

[ricohman]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

No, they are not redundant. The two front bolts are taking the load. The bolt in the back is for the torque.

Replace the nuts on all three bolts with nyloc nuts and the problem will be resolved

I mean why use two bolts instead of one? In case one shears off?
There are nyloc nuts but the way the bolt heads sit on the inside of the rounded shoulder of the tubing means they will wear away more material and loosen. I've tightened them twice now and I was going to use one bolt through the front to stop this from happening again.

 

[dingbat]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

I mean why use two bolts instead of one? In case one shears off?
There are nyloc nuts but the way the bolt heads sit on the inside of the rounded shoulder of the tubing means they will wear away more material and loosen. I've tightened them twice now and I was going to use one bolt through the front to stop this from happening again.

As I said before, the two bolts up front at not redundant. The coupler is a cantilevered load. The front two bolts support the weight of the load. Think teeter totter balance point. The back bolt, with help from the lower front lower, keeps the coupler from rotating along the axis of the top front bolt. If using only one front bolt, if anything was to shear it would be the one in the back.

Something isn’t right here. There should be no movement of the coupler at all.

What do you mean "inside the tube? The coupler gets thru bolted, meaning that the bolt goes in one side of the coupler and out the other. There should be a ~3.5" lg. spacer that fits inside the tube that the bolt passes thru to support the walls of the tubing when you torque down on the bolts.

 

[ricohman]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

What I mean is....did ez loader use two fronts bolts instead of one as safety redundancy is case one bolt (of the front two) shears?
Here is a pic. No spacers. I have replaced the front two 1 1/2 bolts with one 4 3/4. I've also added washers and lock washers on the rear bolt as well. The round shoulders on the inside of the tube make it impossible for the bolts head or a nut to seat square.

 

[ricohman]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

These are the front two bolts that were replaced with one long bolt.

 

[CatTwentyTwo]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

What I mean is....did ez loader use two fronts bolts instead of one as safety redundancy is case one bolt (of the front two) shears?
Here is a pic. No spacers. I have replaced the front two 1 1/2 bolts with one 4 3/4.

The only thing I can think of is ez loader ran out of the longer bolts. Make a couple of spacers out of 1/2 inch galvanized pipe to fit inside the tube like dingbat suggested and torque the bolts down and you will be good to go.

 

[ricohman]

Re: EZ Loader surge brake coupler bolts loose

That is what I will do. Should be easy enough.