Fabricated Hirch for Dump Truck

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Just funnin' with you a little

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Maybe the OP did something like this. This is the last hitch I built for myself. For a 1-ton Dodge.

I like the structure pic from the backside - I'll file the piece of angle you included away for future use in my "memory files."
Nice job

 

[Shield Arc]

Just funnin' with you a little

I know! You youngens like to pick on old guys!:laughing:

 

[SLHawkins]

Do you have any reinforcement behind the plate at the hitch? There will be vertical and horizontal stress on the hitch in addition to forward/backward.
If you are depending on just the plate it won't be strong enough. 3/4" or 1" plate would be almost enough but that looks like 1/4". ???

Yes, the plate is reinforced wtih two support bars coming down from the frame and a horizontal bar across the top.

Hawk

 

[SLHawkins]

I agree with Stimw, that you need some strong reinforcement behind that pintle hitch.
That thin plate by itself isn't strong enough, IMO. The plate will flex back and forth with the weight of the heavy trailer/tractor behind it, and could result in failure.

You might want to take it by someone qualified that can physically look at it and determine if it's safe or not.

The welder who fabricated and installed it is certified welder who does this full time--this was not a 'build it yourself job'.

Hawk

 

[chad22]

High school? Did the dump trucks look like this? :laughing::cool2:

View attachment 379470

XD. That's funny.

On a serious note. I'd love to have that dump truck.

Chad

 

[dragoneggs]

Maybe the OP did something like this. This is the last hitch I built for myself. For a 1-ton Dodge.

Very nice... I especially like the gussets fanning out. A hitch with function and style! :thumbsup:

 

[Sodo]

Yes, the plate is reinforced wtih two support bars coming down from the frame and a horizontal bar across the top.

Hawk

If that truck is just driving across the farm to the manure pile I wouldn't give it another thought but if it might ever tow eqpt down the road that's a different deal.

Agreed that it's awful strong filling in between the support bars. But that pintle hitch out in the middle of the plate can "oilcan" the plate and could crack the plate. The highest stress will be right at the two lower bolt holes, and cracks could then radiate out from those lower bolt holes, towards the left and right frame member. Then you weld the cracks, but by then there are other subsurface cracks you can't see and after you weld up the visible ones the the subsurface ones appear soon after. Better to brace it up before the plate is "cycled" (or fatigued).

One way you can decide if you need to go back to the welder is to have an 'observer' watch the plate while you jerk it around a little bit. This is basically parked, just give it a jerk with the heaviest item you can find on the hitch and your observer watches to see if that plate "oilcans", (or if the lower horizontal member seems to 'move'.) I wouldn't know how better to describe it, but if you can "see" any motion you are over the limit by far, you need zero motion. In this case motion means there will be fatigue cracking. And no motion does NOT mean it won't crack, but it's better than "motion". There are simple shadetree methods to measure it if you think it's happening & just can't see it. But if you can "see" motion you know to get it braced.

I drew up some examples of bracing that can be added on the backside of that plate, if you find that the plate does "oilcan". It seems like the the bottom 2 bolts of that pintle hitch ought to bear out (left and right) to the frame but there are lots of ways to increase the strength substantially.




Also note that if you backed into something hard, you could break the hitch welds up at the frame. Recommend to add these angle braces to protect your hitch welds. If you add these angle braces, then the other bracing can be the simple choices, just radial braces to increase the footprint of the Pintle hitch.



My guess is this is important if the plate is less than 1/2" and real important if it's 1/4". Of course i'm just looking at internet pics, not standing there looking at the dumptruck. Maybe there are other dumptrucks you can look at, if they have the same arrangement (tested) then maybe no worries. Or if it's just a farm truck.

 

[Wayne64SS]

if that was done by someone who does it every day and you paid..... i'd get your money back.