a good place to get angle steel??

[kw22614]

Hope you find a good local steel supplier. I have one and it came in handy when I had to reinforce my trailer gate. I have a 7000 GVW trailer but it had a lightweight typical landscape trailer gate. It had lightweight box section members. I doubled them with 1/4" x 1.5" flat bars. You'll get more bang for your buck with flat bar since the vertical section is where the strength comes from. If you've already got angle, box or channel to stitch weld to, you don't need to use more angle to prevent buckling.

I say this because I was trying to minimize the weight addition. The gate still ended up so heavy, I added Gorilla Lift Assists. Best investment I ever made.

Ok Kenny, terms I think I can understand. My gate has 3 vertical 1/8" X 1 1/2" angles, (well 4, the center is 2 angles back-to-back), between the two frame verticals. So you're saying to stitch weld falt bar to the flats of those existing 5 uprights, then there's no need to add more verticals? If so, should I use 1/8" or should I use 3/16'' and I guess 3/4" wide to leave enough room for the welds? (That would surely minimize cost as flat is dirt cheap compared to angle). Does this sound right? Thanks, KW

[Brad_Blazer]

Looking at your tailgate I like your original plan to add a couple more pieces of angle spaced out under each wheel. Right now your wheels are pretty much riding on a single piece of angle. Adding 2 more to each side will make it 3 times as strong.

If you want to stiffen an angle using flat bar, you want the metal as far as possible from the center of the "beam" called the neutral axis. You could weld it flat to the bottom of the vertical or on edge to extend the vertical. The failure mode would probably be buckling if overloaded. A second piece of angle welded to convert the angle into a rectangular tube would also work well and it should not buckle. Overlap the angles in the direction that makes the tube taller as loaded.

If you add flat bar to the flat side of the angle you will get very little additional strength.

[kw22614]

Looking at your tailgate I like your original plan to add a couple more pieces of angle spaced out under each wheel. Right now your wheels are pretty much riding on a single piece of angle. Adding 2 more to each side will make it 3 times as strong.

If you want to stiffen an angle using flat bar, you want the metal as far as possible from the center of the "beam" called the neutral axis. You could weld it flat to the bottom of the vertical or on edge to extend the vertical. The failure mode would probably be buckling if overloaded. A second piece of angle welded to convert the angle into a rectangular tube would also work well and it should not buckle. Overlap the angles in the direction that makes the tube taller as loaded.

If you add flat bar to the flat side of the angle you will get very little additional strength.

Ok Brad. Thanks for the clarification. My original idea to add two more vertical angles under each tire's track is feasible and will add the strength I need.
That's easy (and doesn't hurt my head )

[Mark @ Everlast]

Looking at your tailgate I like your original plan to add a couple more pieces of angle spaced out under each wheel. Right now your wheels are pretty much riding on a single piece of angle. Adding 2 more to each side will make it 3 times as strong.

If you want to stiffen an angle using flat bar, you want the metal as far as possible from the center of the "beam" called the neutral axis. You could weld it flat to the bottom of the vertical or on edge to extend the vertical. The failure mode would probably be buckling if overloaded. A second piece of angle welded to convert the angle into a rectangular tube would also work well and it should not buckle. Overlap the angles in the direction that makes the tube taller as loaded.

If you add flat bar to the flat side of the angle you will get very little additional strength.

Yes, Welding it flat would give you less strength not more...The way these trailers are built the flat can be simply welded to the side of the vertical run of the angle...or on the far edge of the flat to make an upside down U on the gate. The vertical edge turns down on the gate for most of these trailers...so this would work. For the frame, the best thing to do is stack the flat bar on top of the vertical edge of the perimeter of the frame and weld it to the vertical edge and to the uprights. I've done a trailer like this and it turned out perfect. It was a double axle, and it came in flopping and flexing. It left stiff and strong.

[kw22614]

Ok, I think (hope) it's starting to sink in now. Before when referring to vertical I thought we were talking about the entire angle in the vert position.
But you're saying the vertical is the half of the angle that's on edge, or perpendicular, to the mesh it's tacked across. So the flat bar should be welded to the perpendicular half, even hanging past a little (further away from the mesh), for the most strength, but stitch welded it so it won't distort the existing angle. Is this right? If so, should the flat bar be welded on the angle side of the vertical or on the other side facing away from the angle?

[Mark @ Everlast]

Yes...I think we are on the same page...I think...maybe...lol

[sdkubota]

I would cut some wooden blocks to go under your ramps at the midway point for support rather then beefing up ramps for that light of trailer.

[greasemonkeyok]

When beefing up a light trailer, don't forget about the wheel bearings. If the wheel bearings (as opposed to the axle) are not rated for the load you are carrying, they will overheat and freeze up at the most inconvenient times. Have seen that happen a lot.

Then you have to decide, do I unhitch the trailer and leave the load beside the road, call a wrecker, etc.

[radioman]

If you really need angle iron -- dont you have a old metal bed frame around? the sides tends to be 5-6 ft long

[kw22614]

Yes...I think we are on the same page...I think...maybe...lol

WOO **&%** HOO! Thanks