Log loader trailer swivel clevis hitch.

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

Morning guys
Just bought a used Patu 400 trailer . Previous owner used horses to pull trailer around. I don't have horses as per say but have 47 of them all wrapped up into a Branson tractor frame. So my plan from the purchase was to remove the set of wheels , axle and horse draw bar to convert back to clevis hitch . All I'm missing is the clevis. The hole that the round clevis fits through is 1 1/2 " by 5" long. So I know I need to weld flat stock top and bottom on the 1 1/2" round stock to form the clevis.

Couple questions .

What size flat stock??? I have 1/2" material . Will that be heavy enough? trailer is 7-8 ton rating

How do I fab it to attach it to original swivel and not pull out?. Drill a hole and insert a bolt to allow the hitch to rotate. One that I seen they drilled a hole straight into the length of the hitch and threaded a bolt and larger rounded plate . There must have been more to it as I can't see just threads holding the pulling action of the trailer. I will be fabbing it but not welding it so the option of inserting the hitch and welding a stopper is not an option. I have built swivel hitches in the past and just used a bolt as a stop . Maybe I just need a larger bolt / pin this time.

What are your ideas?

chim · Dec 27, 2016

You'll probably get better responses if you ppost a picture or two.

Egon · Dec 27, 2016

There are pictures of a Patu 400 trailer set up for tractor pull on Google.

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

chim said:
You'll probably get better responses if you ppost a picture or two.

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

Egon said:
There are pictures of a Patu 400 trailer set up for tractor pull on Google.

Been looking but can see no details.

chim · Dec 27, 2016

Wow. Never ran into one of those in my travels. Would something like this work?

Trailer Coupler for a Trailer with a Round Tube Straight Tongue | etrailer.com

I order from them and they are good people.

1stDeuce · Dec 27, 2016

Looking at the online pics, which aren't very good, it appears it's intended to use a pintle hitch, with the ring mounted in that round hole that's empty... If that hole is is at a proper height to match your tractor's hitch, you could make a clevis style hitch for it.

I'd suggest using some 1.5" Cold Rolled Round for the through-tongue part. And use 5/8" x 2" Cold Rolled Flat for the upper and lower parts of the clevis. (1/2" A36 plate will probably not break, but the holes will elongate quite rapidly.) If you can't find cold rolled flat in 5/8", then go with hot rolled in 3/4" thickness. (Hot rolled is softer, but the added thickness will slow any wear.

Assuming this is a permanent mod, Just buy a nut (1-5/8"?) and two washers that will slide over the round stock. Put one washer at the front, as a bearing surface between the trailer frame and back of the clevis, and one at the back, then slide the nut on and weld behind it... Done. (I assume there's a grease fitting there somewhere, so if not, I'd drill a hole and tap one in, just to be able to grease it occasionally...)

Here's a nice picture I scribbled for you:

Xfaxman · Dec 27, 2016

My guess is that you need to extend the tongue. It looks like the front of the trailer will hit the tractor tires.

A side view picture would help.

How wide is this?

bcp · Dec 27, 2016

Some pictures of similar Patu trailer tongues.

Bruce

Egon · Dec 27, 2016

Get a piece schd 80 pipe the outside diameter of the hole and long enough so the tractor clears. A large steel washer on each side of the swivel point with a couple of bolts/pins to hold them in place and weld a receiver on the other end. Might try and get a couple of zerks on the washers and swivel to grease. If the pipe doesn't seem strong enough weld a verticle plate on the bottom of the pipe.

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

Xfaxman said:
My guess is that you need to extend the tongue. It looks like the front of the trailer will hit the tractor tires.

A side view picture would help.

How wide is this?

View attachment 492878

About 30 " wide

Plan was to remove some of the deck

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

1stDeuce said:
Looking at the online pics, which aren't very good, it appears it's intended to use a pintle hitch, with the ring mounted in that round hole that's empty... If that hole is is at a proper height to match your tractor's hitch, you could make a clevis style hitch for it.

I'd suggest using some 1.5" Cold Rolled Round for the through-tongue part. And use 5/8" x 2" Cold Rolled Flat for the upper and lower parts of the clevis. (1/2" A36 plate will probably not break, but the holes will elongate quite rapidly.) If you can't find cold rolled flat in 5/8", then go with hot rolled in 3/4" thickness. (Hot rolled is softer, but the added thickness will slow any wear.

Assuming this is a permanent mod, Just buy a nut (1-5/8"?) and two washers that will slide over the round stock. Put one washer at the front, as a bearing surface between the trailer frame and back of the clevis, and one at the back, then slide the nut on and weld behind it... Done. (I assume there's a grease fitting there somewhere, so if not, I'd drill a hole and tap one in, just to be able to grease it occasionally...)

Here's a nice picture I scribbled for you:
View attachment 492874

Dont have a welder that can weld that thickness off steel.

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

1stDeuce · Dec 27, 2016

rasorbackq said:
Dont have a welder that can weld that thickness off steel.

If you're trying to make a HD hitch from LD materials so you can weld them yourself, it's probably not going to hold up long... Build it from materials that will hold up, tack it all together with the welder you have, and give someone with a big welder $20 to weld it solidly. And if you have a welder that can do the 1/2" plate you were talking about, you can weld 5/8"... Just preheat it with a torch to get better penetration... Same for welding on the nut... Even a propane torch will work if you have a bit of patience... You're only looking for 4-500 deg.

I dig the car seat for "driving" the team of horses...

I assume that whole mess is getting chopped off, so the front of the log trailer will be the front of the mast, and you'll have a 3-4' tongue. Should be a nice trailer when you're done!!

aczlan · Dec 27, 2016

If you dont have a welder that can handle heavy steel, I would buy a stud-mounted lunette ring such as the "2-3/8" Swivel Drawbar" or the ""Swivel Tow Rings" from Tow Rings then add a hammerstrap adapter to your tractor.
Otherwise, find someone who can weld heavy enough steel to build your own hitch.

Aaron Z

aczlan · Dec 27, 2016

Another option would be to take a bolt (such as this one ), cut the head off, weld your 3/4" flat stock to it and put a castle nut on it (yes, you may need a bigger welder, a $75 220V AC welder from Craigslist with $10 worth of rods should be plenty to do this).

Aaron Z

rasorbackq · Dec 27, 2016

1stDeuce said:
If you're trying to make a HD hitch from LD materials so you can weld them yourself, it's probably not going to hold up long... Build it from materials that will hold up, tack it all together with the welder you have, and give someone with a big welder $20 to weld it solidly. And if you have a welder that can do the 1/2" plate you were talking about, you can weld 5/8"... Just preheat it with a torch to get better penetration... Same for welding on the nut... Even a propane torch will work if you have a bit of patience... You're only looking for 4-500 deg.

I dig the car seat for "driving" the team of horses... I assume that whole mess is getting chopped off, so the front of the log trailer will be the front of the mast, and you'll have a 3-4' tongue. Should be a nice trailer when you're done!!

Was my plan to fab it tack it and send it off to be welded. Tongue was only going to be 3-4" not feet