Need a little help with my PJ Dump Trailer.

[defranks]

My 14' PJ dump trailer quit dumping. It had always worked perfectly, then one day when I tried to lift the empty dump bed it didn't lift. It turns out that the welds on a plate in the scissor mechanism had broken. I'm fixin' to weld that plate back into place, but while I was under the trailer I noticed that there's a missing part. I'll attach a pic or two below that show that there's a receptical welded onto the bottom of the dump bed. It seems apparent that there was a part in the receptacle to act as a guide for the hydraulic cylinder ram. That part has gone missing entirely.

I wonder if anyone here owns a PJ dump trailer and would be willing to take a photo of that part so I can see what I need to replace. (I'm sure the part will be visible with the dump bed in the full-up position. I couldn't raise my bed, so the pics are taken from underneath the trailer.) I've contacted PJ's parts department, but so far I've heard nothing back. I'm thinking I just need to find a nice bronze bushing that will fit over the ram and put it inside a short piece of tubing welded to a piece of square tubing that will fit into that receptacle. But maybe I'm missing the boat entirely. Any help or advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!

The first pic is the receptacle mounted to the dump bed. The ram is below the receptacle.
The second pic is that same receptacle. Obviously it's going to need some work before I can put that new part into it.

 

[Jstpssng]

I would contact PJ customer support. Even though it isn't under warranty they should be able to help you.

 

[defranks]

I woke up at 2:00 am this morning and realized that the square receptacle is for the end of the hydraulic actuating rod, not for a support piece for the rod. I have no idea why it tore up the way it did, but I have an idea for repairing it and making it a bit stronger.
I think I fooled myself because the ram ripped a plate away from the scissor mechanism. There were marks on that plate from the ram, and I assumed that the ram operated against the plate. Nope. The ram came away from where it should have been and pushed against the plate when it should not have. Pic below.
PJ customer support was my first go-to, and they didn't respond at all.

 

[sandman2234]

I would consider riding by a sales lot with PJ trailers on it and finding one just like yours and shooting a few pictures. I would also keep ringing customer support to find out what their issue is with answering a simple email (or however you contacted them). A phone call would be in my choice if emails weren't being answered!
David from jax

 

[nisaacs]

Trailer manufacturers typically close for the holidays, usually two weeks.

 

[two_bit_score]

Obviously it's going to need some work before I can put that new part into it.

Did you ever get this resolved with PJ Trailers?

 

[3Ts]

Just now seeing this. I have a 16' PJ dump but I don't know what part your pictures are showing. Can you back up some so there is more for a frame of reference?

I don't know what you mean by receptical. There is a pocket that is used to hold a brace that keeps the bed from coming down when you're working under it.

 

[defranks]

PJ never responded to me at all, but I was able to repair the trailer. There's not much possibility of backing away for better photos, as this whole business is below the tractor.

The "receptacle" I mentioned is a piece of square tubing into which the end of the hydraulic ram fits. There's a bolt that runs through that receptacle and the end of the ram. Somehow the that bolt had bent severely and ripped one side of the receptacle. Fortunately for me, the hydraulic ram was undamaged.

To fix this problem I used a die grinder and angle grinder to remove the bent portions of the receptacle. Then I welded some 1/4" plate to the outside of the receptacle, essentially reinforcing it. Somehow I managed to line up the holes that I pre-drilled in the reinforcement plates so the bolt passed through okay.

The welding was a real pain! I couldn't fit my head into the available space while wearing a welding hood, so I lined up my torch, closed my eyes, and pulled the trigger. I guess you could say that I stitch-welded the reinforcement plates in-place. The welds aren't pretty, but they have good penetration an I think they'll stand up.

I'll try to take few pics with the dump bed raised to better show what I'm talking about.