Bentwrench
Member
Dargo - Tri State Bolt , Bargersville, In has them if your up that way. They will also send them if you give them a call.
Where is a good place to get self tapping deck screws for trailer?
- Thread starter Dargo
- Start date
- Views: 80288
OP
Dargo
Super Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,981
- Location
- S. IN
- Tractor
- Jinma, Foton, TYM, Belarus, Yanmar, Branson, Montana, Mahindra and maybe some green and orange too.
I'm getting old and feeble. I got caught up with all my 'chores' and decided to start taking the deck off of the trailer at about 3pm this afternoon. After about 45 minutes I was cooked! It was only 97 degrees but the so called heat index was 112. I supposed that was my "quit index" because I was leaking badly and leaving puddles. Oh, I did get 1 board off though. 
zman007007
Platinum Member
the star headed screws like he is talking about, from the ones I have seen you have to drill a pilot hole.They were not self drilling. I think the hole was about a 3/16". make sure you put clamps on the boards to keep it from walking while drilling pilot holes. zman
kebo
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2006
- Messages
- 2,928
- Location
- Lexington, SC
- Tractor
- 2001 John Deere 790 4x4, bar tires
I'm getting old and feeble. I got caught up with all my 'chores' and decided to start taking the deck off of the trailer at about 3pm this afternoon. After about 45 minutes I was cooked! It was only 97 degrees but the so called heat index was 112. I supposed that was my "quit index" because I was leaking badly and leaving puddles. Oh, I did get 1 board off though.
Wimp!! JK'ing there! :laughing:
I just went through the same procedure with my 16ft trailer that you're going through now. My trailer is 22yrs old and the boards were actually easy to get off. I just grabbed a 3ft pry bar and pried every one of them off of the trailer. The only "prep" work I had to do was to saw off one end of each board with a sawzall because the ends are covered with a 2" "lip" made of flatstock to secure the ends down. After that, I just starting prying from one end to the other end.
Here are the screws that I used at first. They are a self-drilling & self-tapping #12 x 2 3/4" screw, really too small but it was the largest diameter (and longest) they had at Lowes.
My advice - DON'T USE THEM! They worked ok but I don't trust them. They drilled through the angle iron supports (joists) ok, but what I found was that I had to apply some pressure on the drill but when the screw broke through most of the time I was pushing the screw all the way through before I could let off pressure and give the screw a chance to cut the new threads.
So, this is what I have now and I'm going to replace the #12 screws that are in it now.
These are self-tapping 1/4" x 20 x 3" screw with Torx heads, and require a 13/64" pilot hole. So, when I get some time I'm going to back out the #12 screws in it now, drill a pilot hole, and then run these in. Hopefully they will do better and cut threads like they are supposed to. Also, these are 3" long, the others were 2 3/4" and just a bit too short really. I recommend you get at least a 3" screw, assuming you are going to use 2x lumber on the deck. Unfortunately, I don't have any pic's of my trailer with the new deck lumber on it saved on my camera or the PC, and the trailer is at my folks place about 60 miles from me now.
schmism
Super Member
like real "trailer" screws?
ive looked all over and havnt found them local... refuse to pay shipping on something like screws!
like 1/4x2" self tapping...
Really? I've taken to ordering lots of stuff I used to hunt down and pick up...admittedly some places "screw" you on shipping but often I can get something shipped in for less than the cost of time and mileage to go get it myself.
OP
Dargo
Super Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,981
- Location
- S. IN
- Tractor
- Jinma, Foton, TYM, Belarus, Yanmar, Branson, Montana, Mahindra and maybe some green and orange too.
the star headed screws like he is talking about, from the ones I have seen you have to drill a pilot hole.They were not self drilling. I think the hole was about a 3/16". make sure you put clamps on the boards to keep it from walking while drilling pilot holes. zman
That is what I am trying to avoid; drilling dozens of pilot holes. I can put the new boards in the same place as the old boards, but then I have to clamp the boards in place and drill up from the bottom through the existing holes for each screw. I'm just too freaking melted to do that much work right now.
OP
Dargo
Super Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,981
- Location
- S. IN
- Tractor
- Jinma, Foton, TYM, Belarus, Yanmar, Branson, Montana, Mahindra and maybe some green and orange too.
Wimp!! JK'ing there! :laughing:
I just went through the same procedure with my 16ft trailer that you're going through now. My trailer is 22yrs old and the boards were actually easy to get off. I just grabbed a 3ft pry bar and pried every one of them off of the trailer. The only "prep" work I had to do was to saw off one end of each board with a sawzall because the ends are covered with a 2" "lip" made of flatstock to secure the ends down. After that, I just starting prying from one end to the other end.
Here are the screws that I used at first. They are a self-drilling & self-tapping #12 x 2 3/4" screw, really too small but it was the largest diameter (and longest) they had at Lowes.
My advice - DON'T USE THEM! They worked ok but I don't trust them. They drilled through the angle iron supports (joists) ok, but what I found was that I had to apply some pressure on the drill but when the screw broke through most of the time I was pushing the screw all the way through before I could let off pressure and give the screw a chance to cut the new threads.
So, this is what I have now and I'm going to replace the #12 screws that are in it now.
These are self-tapping 1/4" x 20 x 3" screw with Torx heads, and require a 13/64" pilot hole. So, when I get some time I'm going to back out the #12 screws in it now, drill a pilot hole, and then run these in. Hopefully they will do better and cut threads like they are supposed to. Also, these are 3" long, the others were 2 3/4" and just a bit too short really. I recommend you get at least a 3" screw, assuming you are going to use 2x lumber on the deck. Unfortunately, I don't have any pic's of my trailer with the new deck lumber on it saved on my camera or the PC, and the trailer is at my folks place about 60 miles from me now.
I saw those at Lowes and bought 1 box to see how they work in the middle of the boards. I'm going to use stainless bolts on the ends. If those will just keep the boards from flopping, they should be okay...I hope.
radman1
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Messages
- 3,016
- Location
- midwest
- Tractor
- JD 4520, Toolcat 5610, Bobcat S300, Case-IH 125 Pro, Case-IH 245, IH 1086, IH 806
That is what I am trying to avoid; drilling dozens of pilot holes. I can put the new boards in the same place as the old boards, but then I have to clamp the boards in place and drill up from the bottom through the existing holes for each screw. I'm just too freaking melted to do that much work right now.
I have done 3 different trailers. I always had to drill a pilot hole. It really is not that hard to drill. I bought a couple of Vermont American bits from Menards. Not very expensive but seemed to hold their sharpness well. Drilling from the top down lets me place my weight over the drill. Don't have to push too hard and doesn't take long to drill a hole. Just be careful because it will grab hard just as the bit finishes the hole. IMHO, it would be harder to get beneath the floor and drill up the old holes. The channel iron of most decks won't let you drill straight up. It is dirty from below, awkward to push ect.
Most of the time when taking off the old deck, the screws would snap off anyway trying to undrill them and plug the hole. If the deck is rotted, just pull the boards off of the old screws with a crowbar and the screw will pull through the wood. Then take a hammer, tap the screw sideways and it will snap off at the surface.
I like to set my treated deck boards out for a few weeks before using. Place sticker boards between them so they can dry. Place some heavy weights on top or they will warp into a pretzel. The boards will shrink in width and length. After they are dry, I place them tightly side by side on the floor with no spacing. If they wrarp a little, I will clamp them tightly side by side with a long bar clamp, screw in place and remove the clamp for the next board. When you are done, the deck will be very tight and you won't have gaps that allow stuff to fall through. Makes a very nice looking deck.
i'm not sure if you want self drilling, or self tapping. i have never had any luck with the self drilling ones on anything even close to 1/8". i've used these self tapping ones on a few trailers now, and i love them. i've used them on 1/4"+ steel and they work well. you have to drill a 13/64" (i think - working from memory) hole, but they cut their own threads after that. they are very hard and i've never had one strip.
1/4 x 2 1/2" Plain Finish Flat Head TORX Flooring Screw | Fastenal
1/4 x 2 1/2" Plain Finish Flat Head TORX Flooring Screw | Fastenal