Check your pivot hitch!

The Bolt on the pivot hitch sheared, noticed it yesterday before we went out and just had to tracked a new bolt down. Its pretty scary, im not totally sure how long its been like this, just wanted to give you guys a heads up, dont over look it. Pulled about an inch off the bottom of the bolt, including the nut and washer.

its a 7" Long 5/8" diameter coarse thread grade 8 Bolt for the replacement

Here are some pictures.
This is the Pivot Hitch with the new bolt.


Old bolt vs. New bolt (notice how much is missing)


Close up of the sheared end

Thanks for the tip. I'll give mine a look. Glad you found this before you had something horrible happen.

Wow. Never seen that before. I have seen the metal tear and the bolt pulled horizontally through the metal. Always wondered what it would feel like pulling a boat with one of the two bolts missing.

I just repaired a boat and trailer that completely seperated at that pivot point. Unfortunatly the trailer builder attatched the safety chains in front of the swivel instead of behind. A co-worker also repaired the tow vehicle (a suburban) that the owner intercepted his runaway boat with! Check your stuff!

The old one looks stainless and the new one looks like carbon steel. It will rust.

2 comments. 1, good time to step up to a grade 9 bolt, or a high quality pin like is on the other side.

Also, where the bolt broke, was that inside the sleeve, or at the "joint"? If it was at the joint, i would recommend going with a longer bolt, so that the loads on the bolt end up on the shank portion, and not the threads.

Necessary? probably not. But didn't ever thing this would break, and you seemed to have proved that wrong!

Also, how old is your trailer? Who built it? What grade was the original bolt? I would contact your trailer builder, not necessarily to hold them liable, but to let them know about what could have been a fatal failure.

nice catch!! that could have gone really bad!!!!!

It could have ended like this. http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...t=swing+tongue

Hmmm..... I've been thinking about making my trailer a swing away tongue. Your story and that Tige one make me reconsider.

If I do it I think I will put some sort of safety chain between the swing away section and the rest of the trailer. A heavy piece of chain across the joint just barely long enough to allow the tongue to pivot on the pivoting side would probably do the trick.

Originally Posted by dhcomp1

2 comments. 1, good time to step up to a grade 9 bolt, or a high quality pin like is on the other side.

Also, where the bolt broke, was that inside the sleeve, or at the "joint"? If it was at the joint, i would recommend going with a longer bolt, so that the loads on the bolt end up on the shank portion, and not the threads.

Necessary? probably not. But didn't ever thing this would break, and you seemed to have proved that wrong!

Also, how old is your trailer? Who built it? What grade was the original bolt? I would contact your trailer builder, not necessarily to hold them liable, but to let them know about what could have been a fatal failure.

Ill have to find a grade 9 online somewhere, highest i could get in town was the 8 and that was from copper state nut and bolt.

It broke about 1/4" up inside the sleeve. An 8" might work better, will order that if I decide to go with the grade 9. Would also like it to be SS so that it wont rust.

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products...u=20738&ucst=t

How bout that?