wroughtn_harv
Super Member
Afternoon Dave,
I've noticed two different techniques for securing two by decking to trailers like the one you're describing. One of course is the angle iron at the back as has been described by another poster.
The other and probably the one you're facing is a flat bar, usually three sixteenths or a quarter by one and a half inch at the front. This method allows you to remove the bar by breaking the welds and then lift out the boards.
If it's done like most of them are you'll notice the welds are spotted across the front of the trailer and not welded at the ends. This allows the retainer bar to be removed very easily.
Keep in mind your average weld is strong in one to three directions but weak in at least one line of pull. We call taking advantage of that trait "breaking the back of the weld."
The retainer bar is strong going down and sideways. It's also strong in shear. But it's weak if you pull it up. So chances are you don't need to cut the welds or even grind on them. Use a breaker bar or wrecking bar and force the retainer bar up. When it's as high as you can get it with the bar get out a two pound hammer and bring the bar to vertical. A push back down to horizontal should free it. Of course this won't work if the ends are welded to the sides along with the front.
If you can't easily weld it back in place after you get the new wood in consider using some bolts. I would double nut them and not try to bind down the boards, just retain them. Retaining them allows them to shrink and expand at their own rate which is quite different from the rate of the steel.
I don't like pine two bys for trailer or truck bed flooring. Treated is not any better in my experience. As I understand it the treated is for bugs and exposure to the stuff in the soil. It doesn't do squat for extending the life of wood beyond that.
I might be wrong, have been before, will be again.
Check with your circle of friends and acquaintenances. One of them surely knows a place to get oak timbers from a mill. It is worth the investment.
While you have the trailer neked go over the welds. What you're looking for is cracks. You can see them by the rust line when you brush the area clean. Welds screw up the metallurgy of the steel. It never takes vibration the same again. Your trailer is one vibrating son of a gun whose mother was a pistol. It's much better to find a bad place now than going down the road with a load of your wife's finest in tow and have a failure.
I've noticed two different techniques for securing two by decking to trailers like the one you're describing. One of course is the angle iron at the back as has been described by another poster.
The other and probably the one you're facing is a flat bar, usually three sixteenths or a quarter by one and a half inch at the front. This method allows you to remove the bar by breaking the welds and then lift out the boards.
If it's done like most of them are you'll notice the welds are spotted across the front of the trailer and not welded at the ends. This allows the retainer bar to be removed very easily.
Keep in mind your average weld is strong in one to three directions but weak in at least one line of pull. We call taking advantage of that trait "breaking the back of the weld."
The retainer bar is strong going down and sideways. It's also strong in shear. But it's weak if you pull it up. So chances are you don't need to cut the welds or even grind on them. Use a breaker bar or wrecking bar and force the retainer bar up. When it's as high as you can get it with the bar get out a two pound hammer and bring the bar to vertical. A push back down to horizontal should free it. Of course this won't work if the ends are welded to the sides along with the front.
If you can't easily weld it back in place after you get the new wood in consider using some bolts. I would double nut them and not try to bind down the boards, just retain them. Retaining them allows them to shrink and expand at their own rate which is quite different from the rate of the steel.
I don't like pine two bys for trailer or truck bed flooring. Treated is not any better in my experience. As I understand it the treated is for bugs and exposure to the stuff in the soil. It doesn't do squat for extending the life of wood beyond that.
I might be wrong, have been before, will be again.
Check with your circle of friends and acquaintenances. One of them surely knows a place to get oak timbers from a mill. It is worth the investment.
While you have the trailer neked go over the welds. What you're looking for is cracks. You can see them by the rust line when you brush the area clean. Welds screw up the metallurgy of the steel. It never takes vibration the same again. Your trailer is one vibrating son of a gun whose mother was a pistol. It's much better to find a bad place now than going down the road with a load of your wife's finest in tow and have a failure.
