Hi.

I have a 95 Hart large 2 horse bumper pull straight load aluminum trailer with a dressing room. I am the original owner and have always been pretty good with maintenance. The trailer gets used about once a month and gets rinsed and dried after each use.  I was preparing to load my mare on Saturday when I noticed that the ramp did not look level. When I lifted it, I was that a weld had broken on the first hinge. By the time I got the ramp up, all but on had popped.

I am looking into getting them re-welded, but wanted to find out if there might be a cause for this or if there is something more I could do to fixed them?  It did seem like the ramp was getting harder to lift. I wonder if the springs should be replaced?  Maybe lifting it with bad springs ruined the welds? 

Thanks.

Lori from Florida.

The hinges have to carry the weight of the ramp regardless of the springs' condition. The hinges may be small in size or had poor welds. A good fabricator should be able to determine and effect a fix, that will eliminate any future problems.

Most tail gates are counter balanced enough, that they can be lifted with one hand. A broken hinge would add to this effort. I would wait until the hinge situation is resolved before you consider any spring changes. The repairs may alleviate the additional resistance.

If they are not now fitted, the fabricator can usually drill and tap holes for the installation of zerk fittings. Grease can then be applied, which will help prevent galling and possible breakage and binding of the hinges.

BOL  Gard

I would bet having grease zerks put in and greasing your hinges once in a while will take care of your problem once your hinges are repaired.

On tight hinges without an external greasing point, you will need a viscous fluid to lubricate the moving parts. Grease will only stay on the surfaces and not lubricate the internal moving parts.

For years I've used synthetic automatic transmission fluid for all of my trailers' hinges and moving parts. It doesn't wash out as easily as petroleum based products; it protects the bare metal from rust and corrosion, and it penetrates well into small tight spaces. Draining the left over in the bottom of the product bottles, from a transmission fluid change, is enough to last for years. Save a syringe or two from your horse's last round of shots. You'll find it is an excellent applicator.

Gard

Thanks I will use this in the future...after I get the darn thing fixed.