Hitch pin hole repair

[Sawyer Rob]

I really like that Repair Tech rod method, I'd almost HAVE to try that!

I have a thick piece of carbon plate that I've had since the 70's, that I've used to do similar things... A piece of the plate can be shaped into what ever you need to get a job done. It works pretty good.

Anyway, I'd make a bushing, drill the elongated hole out and weld the bushing in... Not hard to do at all...

SR

 

[LD1]

There are 3 ways I would consider making that repair.....

1. Find a piece of copper pipe with the correct OD as the hole you need. Works the same way as the repair tech stuff. Weld dont stick to copper. Drive out copper when done. Have done this before.

2. Just weld it completely shut, and re-drill the hole.

3. Find a piece steel of pipe with the correct ID. Fill around with weld. Similar to the copper pipe I mentioned in 1, but when finished leave the steel pipe in there.

Last on my list would be drilling and bushing. I HATE trying to drill an oval hole to true it up again. Especially on a part like that. Something small and removable that you can chuck in a drill press or mill is not as bad.

 

[BWSwede]

All kinds of great ideas. Thank you all for sharing them.

Based on the tools and skills I have I think I am going to try the copper pipe idea first. Other ways may be better, such as filling it completely in, but drilling a 30mm hole through 1" steel (that won't fit in my drill press) does not sound like fun. If the copper pipe idea does not work to my satisfaction I can always cut the tab off and weld on a new one with the hole already drilled, which is the first idea I came up with.

A 30mm pin is 1.181" in diameter. Since a 1" diameter copper pipe is 1.125" in diameter it looks like I'll have to grind out the hole about .056 for the pin to fit.


Thanks again for all the input.

BWSwede

 

[Gordon Gould]

For drilling I would use a hole saw not a drill and I would tack weld on a template/guide with a hole in it positioned where you want it to keep the hole saw running true. Then grind off the template when done.

When you use the copper pipe method I am wondering how you keep from vaporizing the copper?? That sounds like a neat method.

gg

 

[ovrszd]

If you use a bushing make sure you use something harder than mild steel.

That, in my opinion is how we ended up here. The tab on your hitch is just mild steel. That's why the hole elongated so bad.

gg's idea about the template is how I would drill it out. Works very well.

 

[kevin37b]

Or put a sleeve in what you have and the same with the cylinder end ?

 

[Sodo]

This project needs a pic with an "item of scale" nearby. Perhaps a pic with a drillmotor set in position?

Drill press is out of the question. There is almost no drill press in the world that can accommodate that large weldment. If a guy had this drill press in his farm shop he wouldn't be asking the forum.

Holesaw method with a pilot guide tacked on the far side is feasible if a drill motor can fit next to the pipe and still center on the hole. This would be a large holesaw (size of the outer diameter of the bushing). That would be some work too, but a clean repair. Then jam the remaining with a MIG.

Here's what I would do. Cut out the (straight) elongation with an angle grinder. I've shown stright cuts for illustration purposes. Realistically they would be angled cuts ending at the same points inside the hole, so you have a "vee" to fill. Then you grind the cap to fit until you have restored the hole "roundness" to your liking.

After welding the 'cap' back on, you probably should restore the cap to it's original thickness and edge margin, ready for the coming years of wear and tear. I think I'd weld on logs of 1/4" round rod to save time and wire. ER70 wire itself will be harder and tougher than the parent material was, you can probably expect the repair to last a little longer than the original

 

[Shield Arc]

I would take some cardboard, and copy the original pad eye. Use a torch to cut a new one out of the same thickness metal. Use an annular cutter to drill the hole. Carbon arc the old pad eye off, and grind clean. Then weld the new one on.

 

[Sodo]

That's a good way too, straightforward, doable. And when done it can be ground down, flapper-disced and no evidence it was ever repaired. Not for me though, I'd already be done with the method above, without even having to get in my truck. All ground down, flapper-disced and no evidence it was repaired:thumbsup:

If you can get ahold of 1" thick scrap - the holesaw is not expensive. A holesaw will have trouble turning, and remember it has to bring chips up more than 1/2" so you will want to cut from both sides. I'm not so sure a holesaw plunging that deep will be much fun, but it's more feasible to holesaw the eye when it's in a vise. Big holes like that aren't easy, maybe go to a shop and have the hole drilled, and fit the rest yourself.

An angle grinder would cut the whole eye off in 15 minutes, finished in less time than it takes to even find someone who can recall someone who heard someone else talk about a carbon arc once.:laughing:

I'd stay 3/8 - 1/2 below the hole because you want to be able to vee it out and fill with weld. If that thing can survive elongated like that the forces are not so high, it's mostly wear. Might need the 7" size cutoff disc to get that deep.

Would be nice to find a scrap with the hole already there and just cut out the pad shape you need.

 

[Shield Arc]

These are the kind of hole saws I like to use. :thumbsup: