Tightening up slop in tube gate hinge???

[Attono]

I installed a 16' gate across my driveway and an automatic gate opener. Works fine, except... As it hangs across the driveway, it is plumb and level. When in the fully open position, because of the slop in the tube gate hinge the end drags the ground. The opener is strong enough to overcome it, but I'd like to change out the hinges or fix them so there is less slop. Since the bottom hinge is welded on, instead of clamped on, I'm thinking of cutting it off and welding on a barrel type hinge. Not sure where exactly to get one that fits correctly OR if the tubing is too thin to weld using a mig.

Anybody been able to easily resolve an issue like this?

 

[Scott65]

I have several of these gates. Some have hinges slightly different than the others. So I don't know exactly the shape of your hinges. But I've fixed some of mine. There was enough open space between the gate and hinge pin that I was able to squeeze the flanges back together to tighten the loop. I did it with the gate still hanging so it would conform back to the shape of the pin. I used a torch but that might not be necessary. I had a custom made c-clamp already made for a special tool for my mechanic shop. It had tabs welded to the pressure points that fit perfectly to crease the hinge back together. But I could envision drilling and using a bolt to do the same.

Hope this made some sense, kinda hard to explain.

 

[TCJatko]

How about some kind of wheel on the sagging end like an all-rubber tire off a bush hog?

 

[forgeblast]

Gate Wheel with Suspension — 210-Lb. Capacity, 8in. Pneumatic Tire, Model# CT-GW01 | Gate Wheels| Northern Tool + Equipment

Northern tool has one with a spring.

 

[s219]

I guess I don't understand how it can be plumb in one direction and sag in the other, unless the axis of the hinges (hinge line) is not really vertical. Is it possible that the hinge line is tilted in one direction?

I have a 16' tube gate and so far it's been OK. For hinges, I have the collars clamped on to the gate, and the pins that lag into my wooden post. When installing the gate, I did have to tweak the pins to get the hinge line just right, so that the gate would clear the ground when across the driveway and when open. For the simple lag pins, it's a matter of turning one of the pins (top or bottom) in or out a turn.

I do know that the tubing on my gate is too thin for bolting stuff through, though a careful/skillful welder could attach stuff with a Mig. Just be careful grinding for surface prep, since the tube is thin (sanding would be best). They must make the tube as thin as possible to save on weight

 

[bcp]

A chain link fence dealer will have clamp-on hinges for all sizes of tubing/pipe. Maybe even your local hardware store would have some.

Put the new one above or below the welded one if you can't cut it off. Clamp on hinges can be rotated a bit to compensate for leaning or drooping.

Bruce

 

[flyerdan]

I'd first check the gate with a level when open to see if the hinge post might be off plumb a little. That, and make sure that the road surface isn't meeting the gate rather than the other way. If the terrain rises just a little it can be a clearance issue.

 

[weldingisfun]

If your gate post is tall enough, put an eye bolt near the top attach a turnbuckle with either chain or steel cable run out past the center point of the gate and attach the cable there. It will hold up the gate. I did that to our front gate and also added a tensioner spring. Works great.

 

[franklin2]

Is the post firm in the ground? When the gate is inline with the fence, the fence and the bracing help hold the weight of the gate. When the gate is at right angles to the fence, there is nothing really holding it except that one single hinge post.

 

[Attono]

I guess a picture is worth a thousand words, so...

Canted


Straight and level when closed


Droops when closed while level closed.


Bottom bolts is pushed out to allow for slack in the hinge.


Better view of bottom bolt pushed out.


You can see that I have the bottom bolt screwed out to get the gate to level when closed. The 2 bolts are perfectly level. The 6x6 post is set 4' deep in concrete. In order to get it so that it doesn't drag the ground when closing, I had to rotate the top mount, but that leaves it canted when closed. I'd prefer it to be straight and level in all directions. Seems the only way to achieve that is with bearing hinges.

 

[Soundguy]

1, not sure what you are defining as slop, is there pin in socket slop, or is the clamp on hinge moving on the tube frame.

Are the pins in the same plane vertically?

Is there slope on the ground its arc swings on?

If nothing else, then a gate wheel should help as long as no binding.

 

[flyerdan]

One thing that you have to have is a truss rod or cable to level the gate; can't believe they let this out the door without one. You can add a diagonal wire or cable without welding by using brace bands and the hardware, a threaded end for the wire and truss rod tightener. Go from the top of the hinge side to the bottom of at least the third bay, if not all the way to the end. Get the hinge side plumb all ways and level the gate with the truss wire, should sort the problem.

 

[TomSeller]

A 16' gate has a tremendous amount of leverage on your post, even it is in concrete. Since your post is at 90 degrees from the fence line, the fence is not "pulling back" on the post. And just wait until someone decides to climb over the gate at the far end away from the hinge to get to your house (solicitor). I would put that gate wheel on no matter what and see if it can bottom out if anyone climbs on the end of the gate. If you have wetter soil like I do, just sitting there day after day will eventually lean that post, unless you put down a LOT of concrete. Nice looking gate and good job on the details.

 

[franklin2]

I am thinking the hinge side of the gate being "plumb" in both directions is more important than being level. I guess it would be the same thing if we can trust the gate being "square" but is it really square? I think that is what the other poster is alluding to, the gate may be sagging out of square.

As an experiment, have you tried loosening the hinge clamps and twisting them on the gate? For instance, take the top hinge and loosen it, and twist it a little bit so it pulls back on the top of the gate. It will throw it off a little bit when it's closed but you no one would notice it but you. And it would pull the gate up when it opened.

 

[s219]

This might be a stupid question, but is the ground flat? Because I still don't see how a gate could "droop" in one direction and not the other. Either the post is not perfectly vertical, or the ground is not flat so that the gate is running into a slight uphill grade when open. Can you run a string level from the bottom end of the gate in the open position on over to where the bottom end of the gate sits when closed, and verify that it's flat ground?

I have nearly the same setup and 16' gate (except I flipped the upper hinge pin so that someone can't simply lift the gate off the pins). Any slop in the hinge clamps and pins is not nearly enough to allow notable drooping or sagging in any one direction versus the other.

 

[TomSeller]

I am thinking the hinge side of the gate being "plumb" in both directions is more important than being level. I guess it would be the same thing if we can trust the gate being "square" but is it really square? I think that is what the other poster is alluding to, the gate may be sagging out of square.

As an experiment, have you tried loosening the hinge clamps and twisting them on the gate? For instance, take the top hinge and loosen it, and twist it a little bit so it pulls back on the top of the gate. It will throw it off a little bit when it's closed but you no one would notice it but you. And it would pull the gate up when it opened.

From this picture your top L bolt is threaded in farther than the bottom one. Likely to take out flex in the gate. That will swing the gate towards the ground as you open it assuming the post is plumb. The highest point of the end of the gate swing is going to be straight out from the post.

 

[franklin2]

From this picture your top L bolt is threaded in farther than the bottom one. Likely to take out flex in the gate. That will swing the gate towards the ground as you open it assuming the post is plumb. The highest point of the end of the gate swing is going to be straight out from the post.

You know you are right. But I thought he offset the hinge pivots because the post was not plumb. If the post really is plumb, and he offset the hinge pins to make it work out when it's closed, you are correct, he will have the exact problem he has now, it will run it into the ground when he opens it. He needs to check that.

Like I mentioned, he needs to make sure the vertical piece of the gate nearest the hinged side is plumb. If it's plumb, but the gate is not "straight" or "level" when he closes it, he will have to get some sort of cable or something and mount that diagonally and pull up on the gate like the other poster mentioned. Sort of like those turnbuckle things on a old wooden screen door.

I think we all agree, the slop in the hinge pins is not his problem.

 

[BHD]

loosen the top hinge on the gate and twist it a little so the gate leans away from the side it opening to, you can lift it a little that way,

(the problem is not hinge slop),

either the post is not plumb, (the line that the hinges are in) more so than the post, or the ground is not level,
look a the front tires on a most cars or trucks when there turned sharp they lean (no longer plumb) that is because the pivot point is not in line with the wheel, (hinge line is not in line with swing of the gate) if one properly helps the tire and car turn, but your gate is not turning,

take a level and see what is off, one may need to reset the post or if the ground id not level one may need to move the hinges up on the post and give more ground clearance,

(I had to re tilt a post on a gate just a few days ago, and I had to re drill and move one gate up do to uneven ground, I had temporally "fixed" it by twisting the hinge a few days before).

 

[BHD]

(I guessing you do not have cattle in this area),

but if you hang a gate in a cattle handling pen put the bottom hinge up like you have it and then point the top hinge bolt so it is pointing down and slide the hinge up on the pin,

that way large animals can not rub or knock the gate off the hinges,

 

[DaveOmak]

From what I can see, 2 choices... Dig out the high spot so the gate doesn't drag.... Or move the upper gate hinge pin... Either move it on the post or move it on the gate... offset it......