Chassis Moving Jockey Wheel

[Kevin]

Have managed to strip the nut that the bolt on the jockey wheel bracket goes into. SO, I thought I might take the opportunity to try and locate it more centrally next time. I suppose I can get another bar welded across the a frame to attach another bracket to?
Has anybody done anything like this?
Who did you get to do it?
Any issues with rego, etc?
Thanks
Kevin

 

[bigcol]

I have an Arc welder as well as a Mig machine, so I did it my self
tis not hard if you have the tools

depends on where you want to put it.....
do you have the weight distribution bars....? - if not, you can always grind off the old mount and weld it there

if putting it in a more central location - just remember
1) back door tail gate on tug
2) ease of turning the handle (not too close to any thing else)
3) not in your way when parked up or camped or hooking up........

if you can weld, and know your way around a workshop................
would be just a matter of working out the angles to cut the ends of the piece of tube you want to mount your jocky wheel to, so it fits neat and square (will always stick out like a sore thumb if its not square)
then fully weld it

you DONT need to be a coded welder to do this
but
you DO have to know what you are doing to start

 

[Drover]

Why move it ? Putting it in a central position may look good but usually causes other hassles, I have a drop down jockey wheel which bolts onto the draw bar, heaps easier to use than those clamp on jobs. No digging around looking for it, just pull the lever and it's there. Plus the less welding on the draw bar the better.

 

[Delano]

Why move it ? Putting it in a central position may look good but usually causes other hassles, I have a drop down jockey wheel which bolts onto the draw bar, heaps easier to use than those clamp on jobs. No digging around looking for it, just pull the lever and it's there. Plus the less welding on the draw bar the better.

I have to agree, I had a drop down jockey wheel on my camper trailer it worked really well, no rummaging around in the toolbox trying to find it!!!

 

[achjimmy]

Be waring of the drop down jockey wheels. I have seen a few photos and one in person that have failed and not with nice results.
Simplest action maybe to just heli coil your existing clamp?
If welding as @bigcol suggested you need to know what your doing, and don't leave any wires in the drawbar. Follow guidelines closely cause you can indeed weaken a drawbar.

The best thing about a central jockey wheel is they seem to be stronger against pushing the van sideways as your not exerting force on the opening part of the clamp. On ours going across meant I had to remove Jayco's 25mm cross bar and welding to the other side and I also had to disconnect all the gaggle of wires and pull then from the a frame as well as still offset it to miss the brake lines. So bought a HD clamp and new offset bracket from Preston chassis same as you are starting to see on all the other vans and welded it to the inside.

Edit no I didn't wels across the chassis top I folded them further from the 45deg to nearly 90deg and tacked them to to the other side.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks all for your replies.
Never new there was such a thing as a helicoil but that might at least get me out of trouble in the short term whilst I sort out whether to go to the trouble of centralising the whole thing. If I do I reckon I'll go to that HD double clamp setup.
Think I might have stripped off some of the bolt thread as well as the nut thread so will get a new Al-Ko clamp handle. I think it is 1/2 inch UNC. Does anybody know for sure?

 

[achjimmy]

Thanks all for your replies.
Never new there was such a thing as a helicoil but that might at least get me out of trouble in the short term whilst I sort out whether to go to the trouble of centralising the whole thing. If I do I reckon I'll go to that HD double clamp setup.
Think I might have stripped off some of the bolt thread as well as the nut thread so will get a new Al-Ko clamp handle. I think it is 1/2 inch UNC. Does anybody know for sure?

It's 1/2" whitworth NOT UNC

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for that. Bolt supplier best place to try for the gear to fix up the thread I assume?

 

[Drover]

Be waring of the drop down jockey wheels. I have seen a few photos and one in person that have failed and not with nice results
The best thing about a central jockey wheel is they seem to be stronger against pushing the van sideways as your not exerting force on the opening part of the clamp.
View attachment 31435

Hate to be a pain, but if you don't lock the pins on a drop down or tighten the lock bolt on the clamp version it's not nice.

How does moving the clamp from outside the rail to inside change the stress on the clamp ??? push one way and the post pushes against the clamp no matter where it's positioned, actually any direction will put force to the bottom or top of the clamp!!!!

 

[achjimmy]

Hate to be a pain, but if you don't lock the pins on a drop down or tighten the lock bolt on the clamp version it's not nice.

How does moving the clamp from outside the rail to inside change the stress on the clamp ??? push one way and the post pushes against the clamp no matter where it's positioned, actually any direction will put force to the bottom or top of the clamp!!!!

You are correct if you incorrectly fit a a jockey wheel it can be dangerous but the swing down ones have failed, which is nothing to do with installation. It's the locking pins that have failed through loads and once they start to go they get worse. I think it is worse on the heavier vans obviously.

Re the centre clamp think about it the most load on a jockey wheel clamp is when trying to push sideways, especially a dually. this is also against the opening clam of the clamp which is the narrowest! once you mount the clamp at 90 degrees the highest load is against the strongest part of the clamp.

In my case I used HD clamp which is like two clamps in one. But I also didn't fit it for a traditional jockey wheel, but more a jack.

 

[achjimmy]

Thanks for that. Bolt supplier best place to try for the gear to fix up the thread I assume?

Yeah 1/2" whitty tap won't be hard to get. As I said not UNC its a different pitch when it gets to 1/2". Like you said more likley you have damaged the bolt more than the nut. Good luck.

 

[Drover]

Yep @achjimmy 90deg would be less load.

 

[ShaneT]

I would not use a heli coil on your jockey wheel nut, It will not last long in that type of application. I would just go out and buy a bolt on jockey wheel to tie you over untill you work out what you want. Will cost you the same as a helicoil kit.

 

[Kevin]

Have just got one of the heavy duty double clamps and am going to get it welded on in place of the other clamp. That should do the job long term and even if it got stripped again the bolt can be changed without replacing the whole bracket. Thanks for all your assistance

 

[Drover]

I would have just got a drop down wheel, clamps onto the rail and thats it no more buggering around plus you can put it where you like.......you could have come to my place and I would have cut the old bracket off and welded a new nut on etc.....................would have needed to bring some decent steaks though for the barbie and happy hour and probably stay the night on site.

 

[ShaneT]

I would have just got a drop down wheel, clamps onto the rail and thats it no more buggering around plus you can put it where you like.......you could have come to my place and I would have cut the old bracket off and welded a new nut on etc.....................would have needed to bring some decent steaks though for the barbie and happy hour and probably stay the night on site.

Hmmm makes me want to go out and strip the thread out of mine.

 

[chartrock]

Hmmm makes me want to go out and strip the thread out of mine.

Long way to go for a steak.

 

[ShaneT]

Getting there is half the fun isnt it? I could do with a trip to the opposite corner of the country....damm work.