How would you straighten this?

[56FordGuy]

I picked up this trailer last week. As you can seen, the front rail is bent. I want to fix it, but I'm not sure what the best method would be. I'm concerned that if I heat and pull out on the jack in the wrong spot, I could end up pulling the jack forward, but not the entire bend and putting yet another bend in the rail. On the back side (facing the trailer) of the top part of the bent rail there are two D rings welded. I might be able to pull them back toward the trailer as well as pulling the bottom of the jack out toward the front. I'm thinking I can heat just inside the tongue, where you can see some light rust spots.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[2458n]

Use it the way it is.

 

[56FordGuy]

Use it the way it is.

That's the plan, for a while. I would like to fix it though, because I don't like my equipment looking all beat out of shape. Besides, it's a good opportunity to learn something about straightening metal.

 

[RoMad]

Is the rail bent or the pipe/tube that connects the crank to the Jack? I can't tell very well by your picture.

 

[Shield Arc]

You won't get all of that out with heat, but heat on the backside of the bottom of the C-channel, right at the heel.

 

[Shield Arc]

Pictures always seem to work best.
Heat on the opposite side of this red line. I would use a come-a-long back to the truck to pull the jack forward as you heat the heel of the C-channel.

 

[tmajor]

I would hook a chain on the top of the jack, run it clear to the back of the trailer and anchor it to a telephone pole or something. Then I would put a chain around the very bottom of the jack and pull that forward slowly .. in increments, check to see how things are going. .. or coming.

Leaving the trailer to float .. not anchored to anything.

 

[ridger]

if it were mine i would replace the channel iron

 

[56FordGuy]

Is the rail bent or the pipe/tube that connects the crank to the Jack? I can't tell very well by your picture.

Both are, a bit. The piece I'm interested in straightening is the actual rail that the jack mounts to.

Pictures always seem to work best.
Heat on the opposite side of this red line. I would use a come-a-long back to the truck to pull the jack forward as you heat the heel of the C-channel.

I was hoping you would chime in on this. I need to pick up a heating tip for my torch, all I have right now is a cutting tip. Once I do that, I'll heat where you've outlined and post the results. Even if it doesn't get all of it out, it should be better than it is now.

 

[Shield Arc]

You could also try heating vertical lines on the web of the C-channel, say 1 1/2 to 2-inches apart.
Remember, everything has to be heated on the backside / under the decking!
I'll bet anything you'll have to use force to help.

Also make sure that jack is off the ground while doing this!

 

[56FordGuy]

Yep, will heat on the side beneath the decking. I'll have the jack off the ground, so I'm only moving that and not trying to pull the whole trailer.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

A little different approach here.
Drop the jack and back it up to a curb. Get a rose bud on it and get it hot, and have someone gently back it into the curb. (Move out of the way first.) Or course you could do it cold and take a running start against the curb. Probably the reverse of how it happened any way.:laughing:

 

[LD1]

Or course you could do it cold and take a running start against the curb. Probably the reverse of how it happened any way.:laughing:

Thats exatally what I was thinking.

In all seriousness, I doubt you will do any further damage by trying to pull forward on the bottom of the jack or backing it into something.

It is at least worth a try first before you heat it up. For one, that is going to take a LONG time to get hot, and even then, given the large amount fo area, you will have a hard time getting it ALL hot enough to even be woth it. And them by the time you kill the torch to apply pressure, it ahs cooled down anyway.

Channel is not that strong in the direction of the bend. I'd try it cold first because I bet it'll take less force than you think. Plus you dont have to worry about melting wires, catching decking on fire, or re-painting when done:thumbsup: I'd only use a torch as a last resort.

 

[5030]

You always pull in the opposite direction that the original force was applied to cause the deformation. Always.

It appears that the jackleg was either left down or contacted an obstruction and the leg bent the I channel back. I would hitch the unit to your tow vehicle and put a come-a-long between the hitch on your vehicle (on the centerline) and around the jackleg, as close as possible to the I channel and proceed to tighten the come-a-long prior to heating the channel (to see if it's possible to pull it back without heating at all. It may come back to almost the original position. A bit of localized heat (with tension applied to the come-a-long should make it almost perfect.

I bend metal everyday in my business and I rarely heat it and I've never used a rosebud except to arch steel trailers.

 

[rrrkkk]

I would see my buddy in the body shop that has a frame machine.

 

[2manyrocks]

I suppose having the jack all the way down created the greatest leverage against the channel in the first place. It acted like a giant lever.

Except for that, it's a nice looking trailer.

 

[LD1]

and put a come-a-long between the hitch on your vehicle (on the centerline) and around the jackleg, as close as possible to the I channel and proceed to tighten the come-a-long prior to heating the channel (to see if it's possible to pull it back without heating at all. It may come back to almost the original position.

I was thinking a come-a-long as well, but as close to the channel as possible??

I was thinking at the bottom of the jack. More leverage and twisting force on the channel. I would be afraid that attaching right at the channel would want to pull the whole thing forward rather than twist??? I could be wrong though. But there is difinatally more leverage at the bottom of the jack. And I do think the jack is pleanty strong enough to un-twist the channel.

 

[crash325]

Get the hot dogs out, may as well get some value out the the decking as it burns. :laughing::thumbsup:

 

[BigBoyinMS]

I had the same thing happen to my trailer. I used one of my ratcheting chain binders to pull it back straight.

 

[Duids]

Mr. Ford Guy, I have read all the previous replies and no one has mentioned that you will need to heat ( if you decide to go that route) the channel in 3 places. In the middle where the jack is and where it is welded to each of the side rails. Tough to do with just one rose bud. After having worked in the Mechanical Dept. at the railroad for 30+ years, I have straightened more bent metal than I care to think about.

It has been my experience that if the object is connected at 2 locations such as this it will be bent in 3 places, once at the obvious bend and at each anchor location. Of course there may be more bends, depending on the amount of damage. About the only time you will have 1 single bend is if there is only one or no anchor point.
It would probably be easier and quicker to replace the channel. Don't know your experience using a cutting torch or welding, but there would very little weld that would need to be cut and welded back on the replacement piece.

Just my thoughts
David