Ifor problem

[jojam]

Just been changing the bellows on a couple of my trailers.The first one went fine but having a problem with the second one.The vertical bolt on the head moves till it hits the thread on the sliding bit inside.Would it be advisable to grind the head of the bolt off,knock it through the other way and then put in a new bolt?Bit scared if i do and it gets stuck!

[david]

can you tap it with a hammer and unscrew it out. maybe leave the nut on the end as long as you can to minimise damage

 

have you any pics

[treefeller]

hi, are you on about your bolt hitting the hyd damper inside the towing hitch? if so push the damper in until you can get a smaller sized smooth punch in from underneath to line every thing up so to speak .(i know how to do it but is hard to put in to words!)

[Dean Lofthouse]

Yep, it sounds like the damper eye hasn't been lined up.

[jojam]

Yes it's stuck the damper.I can only get the bolt to move up about the width of the nut.Tried slackening the nut till flush with bolt an then hitting with hammer but it i think the thread is catching on the end of the damper.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Can you undo the other end of the damper to release the pressure exherted by the damper

[jojam]

Can you undo the other end of the damper to release the pressure exherted by the damper

 

Didn't know you could.Is it simple enough?

[Dean Lofthouse]

Some you can do it on, some you cant.

 

Problem with removing the rear bolt on the hitch is the ram goes forward so the hole is then misaligned.

 

The bolt will come out ok if you turn it at the same time as you tap it out, turning it stops it catching on the ram eye and sticking.

 

To get it back in you have to use a tapered punch to line the eye of the ram up something near then get a big screwdriver in the opposite side and whilst eyeing through the hole line everything up and slide the bolt through, once halfway through remove the screwdriver.

[jojam]

The bolt is solid dean,it won't turn at all.I think maybe the easiest way would be to grind the head off it and then knock it down the way so theres no thread to catch.But what worries me is why is it so tight.The other trailer was fine,managed to push damper back in line and all that.

[Dean Lofthouse]

The worst that can happen is you knack the eye of the ram, not cheap for another ram I know.

 

Cutting the head off then tapping it through is what I would do