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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2008
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Anybody ever tackled this? I bought a new-to-me trailer with a ramp a couple months ago. The springs are weak, and my wife struggles to get the ramp lifted. I bought the springs, thought I had it figured out.
I ground off the ends where the pin was welded, figured I'd just drive the pin out, and drive it back in with the new springs and voila. I anticipated the new springs being a pain, but I didn't figure driving out the pin would prove to be such a PITA.
I sprayed penetrating oil in all the holes where it'd make sense to do so. Ground off the welds, and used a punch and a hammer and after some busted knuckles I'm going to buy a bit for my air tool to try and hammer it out tomorrow. Wondering if I bit off too big a chunk?
MAGA
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Why not remove the ramp ? I found early on it will just get in the way, dirt and ice will make the hinges unworkable. It is safer just to have a horse step in and out. My opinion.Good luck
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2017
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Why not remove the ramp ? I found early on it will just get in the way, dirt and ice will make the hinges unworkable. It is safer just to have a horse step in and out. My opinion.Good luck THIS... MUCH easier on all involved
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went" Will Rogers
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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It’s just a long hinge like a door hinge with springs in between the tails. Running along the bottom.
MAGA
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Why not remove the ramp ? I found early on it will just get in the way, dirt and ice will make the hinges unworkable. It is safer just to have a horse step in and out. My opinion.Good luck Good and bad to both. I’ve seen some nasty accidents from horses slipping and putting a leg under the trailer too. Neither here nor there, it’s the trailer I’ve got. I don’t have time or inclination to cut the hinges off, and weld up hinges and fab up doors to convert it. I don’t trailer around much, it just needs to be ready for when I need it. Vet, fire evac, etc.
MAGA
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,270 Likes: 25 |
Is drilling out and re-pinning an option?
Not had a ramped trailer.
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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It’s like a door hinge. With a pin the width of the trailer. Just got back with some bits for my air chisel I’m going to grind and modify and see how that goes. Bitch of it is the pin is really soft. Might just tell the wife to eat some spinach and deal with it lol edit to add: It's my first ramp trailer as well. I could fab up a cable/pully system like on a toy hauler pretty easy. But as this is a horse hauler that's an obvious no-go. Don't really like the fuggin thing anyways, it's heavy as hell, but price was right and my old stock trailer needed new wood and the cancer was bad enough on it I didn't figure it was worth it. It's a nice trailer with a cool tack room and what not, and if I was pulling it with a 1 ton or a diesel 3/4 I wouldn't mind it. Aaaah, the life.
Last edited by BillyGoatGruff; 08/24/20.
MAGA
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Air chisel didn't do squat. Looks like I'll have to cut the hinge off the door, and proceed from there. Then weld the bitch back on after installing new springs.
I'm going to keep this updated in the case that someone using the search feature in the future has the same issue.
MAGA
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Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 416
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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The hinge pin tends to rust to the hinge bracket or the pin wears slots and won’t slide sideways. Sometimes you can weld a bolt on the end of the pin to work it back and forth, then you can try the air hammer. If you have to air hammer it out, it’ll need air hammered back in plus aligned, I’d cut and weld. If the existing springs still work, you can add an auxiliary hand crank for her to use. She can hook it after the animal is loaded so there is no cable to get caught in.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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BGG, I built custom trailers for many years and a ramp removal was one of my least favorite jobs. They are a B I ITCH!
Depending on the configuration of the rear of your trailer, you might be able to close the ramp and place bottle jacks under each end of the ramp and take the pressure off the ramp and secure it to the trailer at the top with c-clamps. Hopefully that will help in driving ot the hinge rod. If that does not help, then unfortunatly you will probably have to cut the hinge from the ramp. I guess I should ask if it is steel or aluminum?
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,270 Likes: 25 |
It’s like a door hinge. With a pin the width of the trailer. Just got back with some bits for my air chisel I’m going to grind and modify and see how that goes. Bitch of it is the pin is really soft. Might just tell the wife to eat some spinach and deal with it lol Sorry. Had a differenter picture in mind. Good luck.
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Nov 2008
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2008
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BGG, I built custom trailers for many years and a ramp removal was one of my least favorite jobs. They are a B I ITCH!
Depending on the configuration of the rear of your trailer, you might be able to close the ramp and place bottle jacks under each end of the ramp and take the pressure off the ramp and secure it to the trailer at the top with c-clamps. Hopefully that will help in driving ot the hinge rod. If that does not help, then unfortunatly you will probably have to cut the hinge from the ramp. I guess I should ask if it is steel or aluminum? Thanks for the tip, I'll try it here when I get time. She's steel.
MAGA
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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Is it possible the springs aren't weak, but the pin is corroded in the hinge? That would cause the difficulty in both the working of the hinge and the removal of the pin . . . I
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Is it possible the springs aren't weak, but the pin is corroded in the hinge? That would cause the difficulty in both the working of the hinge and the removal of the pin . . . I Reasonable suggestion, but after the penetrating oil and lithium grease and being worked up and down enough I'm confident that's not the issue at hand.
MAGA
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