TOPIC: Cutting Trailer Tongue

My Johnson trailer appears to have jack knifed somewhere in its past. The tongue has a bend in it. The steel is way too thick to bend it back without a lot of heat, which I'm afraid will effect the strenght of the steel. I would have to cut back about a foot in order to remove the damaged section. Any thoughts on this and anything I should be aware of before changing the length of the tongue?

[file/] i had the same problem with my tee nee trailer. i cut out about a foot and had a welder repair it. mine was the tilt type trailer so i was able to hide pretty well. there was just no way to make it perfect so i had the welder add the angle iron you can see in the picture. now i need to do a little grinding. i'm hoping after blasting and painting, it will take a practised eye to find it. definately keep in mind the length of your boat and how and where it rides on the rollers, bunks or what have you. good luck! scott

sorry, i browsed, double clicked and i can't seem to add a pic. scott

teenee,just click once on the pic,then hit open,then click image,then submit,john

Flathead wrote:

My Johnson trailer appears to have jack knifed somewhere in its past. The tongue has a bend in it. The steel is way too thick to bend it back without a lot of heat, which I'm afraid will effect the strenght of the steel. I would have to cut back about a foot in order to remove the damaged section. Any thoughts on this and anything I should be aware of before changing the length of the tongue?

First of all Flathead, what you affect by removing a piece of the tongue is ease of backing up (it will change from what you're used to) and potential for tight turns hitting your vehicle. As in most things in life, a longer tongue is always better.

What are the dimensions of the tongue? Most tongues can easily just be replaced, no mess, no fuss. Any steel supply will have lengths of whatever it is, and can cut you a piece exactly the length you need. Set the trailer frame on jack stands, remove the exiting tongue, drill a couple holes to mount the coupler, swap your winch stand and trailer jack, done! I've replaced a number of tongues in this way, usually because they were too short or too rusty.

Frank

I'm with Frank on this Flathead, check into replacing that section of the tongue. I was going to splice in a piece on the Holsclaw under my Cutter, but found it was rusted badly on the inside. A new 3"x3"x6' piece of steel was only about $40 at the local steel supplier, well worth the piece of mind it provided. If you do go with a splice, make sure the person doing the welding knows what they're doing, you don't want that high stress area coming apart. Keep in mind welding also creates a lot of heat on the old metal. Just my two cents......

Good point about making sure who welds knows what they're doing Mark. Done too quick, the heat will always warp metal to some degree. For the relatively inexpensive cost, you're always much better off just to replace a tongue.

Frank

It is an original Johnson trailer under a 1964 Johnson 17 Deluxe. It is also a tilt trailer. I am leaning towards replacing the entire tongue. The trailer is constructed with "I" beams-so this is the only place for rust to hide. Replacing it will give me piece of mind that there is no rust on the trailer.
Tony

It is an original Johnson trailer under a 1964 Johnson 17 Deluxe. It is also a tilt trailer. I am leaning towards replacing the entire tongue. The trailer is constructed with "I" beams-so this is the only place for rust to hide. Replacing it will give me piece of mind that there is no rust on the trailer.
Tony

Good for you Tony. That is what I would do too. You shouldn't have any problem at all picking up a piece of replacement steel for it. They're pretty much 2, 2 1/2 or 3 ins. Make sure it's as good or better than whatever the current gauge is.

Let us know how you make out.

Frank

still can't get a picture to post. it says my image size exceeds the limit. most of my pics are the same size and i've posted several times before. the explanation is only posted for a second or two then it disappears. you'd have to be a speed reader to catch it all.

ok, i think i got it figured out. here's a pic of that tongue splice.

hi teeny,i hate to tell you this but a boat railer ,just down the road from had some one do the same thing to it,and it cracked pretty badly,the crack was just ahead
of the weld,we think the tongue just has to go up and down and sideways,but there is alway a twisting force going down the road also,especially on steep curves.im just wanting to give you a heads up,but it looks like a nice job,john

Good point about the "torque" and stress a trailer tongue is subjected to John. Metal fatigue becomes a factor after time, and the heat from welding mentioned earlier will enhance the process. We just want you to be safe everybody.

I am a decent welder, but for the cost of tongue steel (regular everyday easily available) tubing, new stuff for me! At the most, it shouldn't be over 5 bucks/foot.

Frank

if you can find stock that is just like the tee nee tongue style (with the curved top) for $5 a foot, i'll take 100 feet of it.

If that's the tongue style with the top curved so water collects in it, I'd be more than happy to give you any I could find. What in Heaven's name possessed trailer engineers to design tongues that collect water?!? I can't begin to tell you how many trailers with tongues like that I've seen that have rotted away from the top.

Of course, to be restoration correct, curved top tubing would be required. I'm into restoration, but also like to be pragmatic, so I would go with tubing not curved in like that. It will last much, much longer.

Frank

I'm pretty sure trailers are made from plain carbon steel (low carbon). Heat will not make them any softer than they all ready are. You could straighten with heat and them weld a plate to either side for a little more support to be safe.

Any of the tubing we use at work is non harden-able plain carbon steel. Alloy tubing is harder to find and very expensive.

It's more than likely 1018 steel or maybe even 1030 but more likely the 1018. Carbon content .18%, low carbon and non hardenable. 1018 will be the same strength before and after heating.

What I have done to strighten a triler tongue is the a hydrilc jsck and a hunk of chain wranp the chain around the tongue on each side of the bend and puk the jack in the middle of the bend on the high side and start jacking till it strightens a little past stright. Than let up on the jack and see if it stays stright if not try so more with the jack. Have strighten up 4in square tube that way.
Mike aka pathfinderz1