Our WDH (Height adjustable/angle of ball adjustable) over time has worn the holes that the Torsion bars fit into, am now down to 4 chain links on the Torsion bars, but still under tension and doing the job they are meant to. But sometime in the future will have to do something. There is little noticeable wear on the Torsion Bars.
Options are: Buy a new WDH section with round holes at $xxx. or
Have read on a forum that the oval holes can be fill/welded to be round again (by a professional welder, $50?) Just wondering about the legal/insurance angle of the weld alternative.
Anyone been there/done that.
Peter
boab said
05:55 PM Nov 10, 2017
if there is enough meat there have them machined out and press a wear bush in so it can be replaced when ever the wear becomes a problem
PeterD said
12:19 PM Nov 11, 2017
You can have the head built up with weld to look like the the original but the build up additions will have to be super accurate to make sure you get similar tensions on the two bars. I priced new bars to replace a lost one and found that the Pro Series Standard Hitch - 275kg (600lb) Ball Load came in at a similar price. (I was going to get two bars so as to maintain equal tension both sides.) I am now much happier with the standard (round bar) hitch than I was with the classic series hitch. It is quieter in operation and I feel it is less likely to damage during jack knifing when manoeuvring.
-- Edited by PeterD on Saturday 11th of November 2017 12:20:21 PM
macka17 said
12:39 AM Nov 12, 2017
I built 2 of mine up over the yrs.
Used case Hardening rods from work. What we did Bucket teeth Facings with.
Did the job. But drilling out and tap\press in Hardened Inserts
would be MUCH better idea.
That is the one flaw\wear point with them.
I'm surprised they haven't already done it. The heads cost a bomb.
Ron-D said
09:21 AM Nov 12, 2017
Pretty hard job drilling out something that's oval shaped. Welding and filing it out would be maybe the answer.
Delta18 said
10:00 AM Nov 12, 2017
Save yourself the heartache & ditch the antique HR hitch.
Buy an Andersen Hitch & future-proof yourself.
They have virtually no wearing parts, the one that does possibly wear has a lifetime guarantee & will be replaced free if it becomes unusable.
They have excellent WD characteristics and have the bonus of very efficient anti-sway action.
The bonus is, NO noise.
I bought one when we bought this van last year & have never looked back.
Neil
macka17 said
12:02 AM Nov 13, 2017
Jeezus.
I just watched the "setting up" movie.
I'd be 20km's down the road b4 he gets in his cab.
I've used H.R. for decades. Still on first one. 3 vans and lots of miles.
with second head unit.
I still have my early version "Reece". from US.
Hayman bought it from him in the beginning.
Sorry I'd prefer the H.R thank you.
And if they cut out and made an "Oval centre" plug for a wear insert.
I'd say it was a 6 to 10 yr changeover. Depending on Corrugations work.
I've used and seen a few setups from US and Canada. I go there a lot. and have family Friends that travel. Vans and 5thers. With all these systems
and the clamped sliding side bars etc.
I reckon you'd have to go a looong way to find something better than H.R.
Large or small rigs.
The van itself setup, and balance, Physically. Is more important.
The further "rear set" the suspension is. The more stable the rig\van is.
with less sway, and pitch if balanced
(NOT to semi trlr location though.That would bring in the gooseneck links.)
with correct or a bit MORE drawbar weight applied.
The longer the drawbar. (To a sensible point) helps too.
Centre set Suspensions. give chance of MORE rear weight to cause sway,
than a rear set does. Also depending on interior setup.
I've dragged all sorts of trailers and suspension setups over the yrs. with all sorts of weight applied. Balanced. nose\tail heavy.
The long drawbar. rear set suspension. WITH a heavier hitch weight.
I found the most stable to tow and control. I had 370kg on my Roadstar 6.5m
People should read up on trailer Dimensions. Triangulations. setups.
regarding suspensions and location of. with reasons why.
Front. rear. centre, loadings
BY experts. NOT us forum chatters. Read gov't and engineering papers on it.
You'll learn a lot.
Phillipn said
08:26 AM Nov 13, 2017
Delta18 wrote:
Save yourself the heartache & ditch the antique HR hitch.
Buy an Andersen Hitch & future-proof yourself.
They have virtually no wearing parts, the one that does possibly wear has a lifetime guarantee & will be replaced free if it becomes unusable.
They have excellent WD characteristics and have the bonus of very efficient anti-sway action.
The bonus is, NO noise.
I bought one when we bought this van last year & have never looked back.
Neil
I was looking at buying an Anderses WDH until I went to Google images and typed in "Andersen hitch failures". Surprise, surprise it changed my mind on buying one.
Seeing is beleving.
Delta18 said
11:40 AM Nov 13, 2017
Phillipn wrote:
Delta18 wrote:
Save yourself the heartache & ditch the antique HR hitch.
Buy an Andersen Hitch & future-proof yourself.
They have virtually no wearing parts, the one that does possibly wear has a lifetime guarantee & will be replaced free if it becomes unusable.
They have excellent WD characteristics and have the bonus of very efficient anti-sway action.
The bonus is, NO noise.
I bought one when we bought this van last year & have never looked back.
Neil
I was looking at buying an Anderses WDH until I went to Google images and typed in "Andersen hitch failures". Surprise, surprise it changed my mind on buying one.
Seeing is beleving.
Really, so what? How many individual instances of problems did you see, compared to how many units in operation?
What car do you drive? Google problems with it.
What tv do you use? Google it.
Mate, any man made product can have problems we live with the problems.
They are a far superior product to the antiquated HR system which is noisy, rough and, unless you buy expensive add-ons have no sway damping properties.
Neil
macka17 said
02:57 PM Nov 13, 2017
Neil.
NOT knocking what you (Anybody) got.
Basically they ALL work.
Have used H.R. since they came out in this country, on several sized vans.
You DON'T need any "add ons".
Just the tension on chains holds it. AND stabilises any swing.
Which is NORMALLY.
Brought on by bad handling, mixed with bad loading\design of van.
We've overtaken multiple road trains on dirt doing 140ish k. and swerved between UNexpected. DEEP pot holes at road speeds.
Without a blink.
Design of trailer. Loading and balance. IE SET UP PROPERLY....
IS. MORE IMPORTANT than ANY add ons such as WDH. Sway Controls, etc.
Get your rig right. Drive sensibly. That's ALL you normally need.
Things CAN go wrong. BUT less likely if you set up properly.
Experience DOES help a lot. BUT Bad anything else can soon negate that.
To a point.
I've had brown jocks twice I remember in my life. Driving.
Do NOT want to repeat.
One was Jack knifing semi on Black Ice in Canada.
T'other. was losing air lines (NOT lock on in those days) going down a steep.
Winding hill. Mountain, in South Wales.
with a full load of 20 ton flat steel plates on from mill.
Instant decapitation if I didn't bail.
I bailed.
rockylizard said
03:28 PM Nov 13, 2017
macka17 wrote:
Neil.
Basically they ALL work. Have used H.R. since they came out in this country, on several sized vans.
You DON'T need any "add ons". Just the tension on chains holds it. AND stabilises any swing. Which is NORMALLY Brought on by bad handling, mixed with bad loading\design of van.
Gday...
I do realise it is often felt by users of HR WDH systems that it "stabilises swing".
If you mean trailer sway, then a HR WDH does not have any effect, or control on, sway/yaw.
.... and you are quite correct that the major contributors to "swing" (sway) are "bad handling, mixed with bad loading\design of van"
It is a weight distribution hitch - designed to remove weight from the tow ball/rear axle forward to front axle of vehicle and rearward to the van axle/s - and does that very effectively.
Although, it is NOT a substitute for under-rated suspension that is not capable of supporting the vehicle and the additional load of a caravan/trailer.
Cheers - John
macka17 said
04:05 PM Nov 13, 2017
We know what it is\does John. and compensate stresses to suit.
It's others we have to educate.
HR does compensate to a point. when ALL else right.
so we feel like it helping. and everything helps. Doesn't it.
There. Lots of nothing about nothing. Pollies are teaching me hey.
Plus I just overloaded on pills and feeling the "floaties" for a while.
I'd better get off here hey.
b4 saying something me regrets.
Our WDH (Height adjustable/angle of ball adjustable) over time has worn the holes that the Torsion bars fit into, am now down to 4 chain links on the Torsion bars, but still under tension and doing the job they are meant to. But sometime in the future will have to do something. There is little noticeable wear on the Torsion Bars.
Options are: Buy a new WDH section with round holes at $xxx. or
Have read on a forum that the oval holes can be fill/welded to be round again (by a professional welder, $50?) Just wondering about the legal/insurance angle of the weld alternative.
Anyone been there/done that.
Peter
You can have the head built up with weld to look like the the original but the build up additions will have to be super accurate to make sure you get similar tensions on the two bars. I priced new bars to replace a lost one and found that the Pro Series Standard Hitch - 275kg (600lb) Ball Load came in at a similar price. (I was going to get two bars so as to maintain equal tension both sides.) I am now much happier with the standard (round bar) hitch than I was with the classic series hitch. It is quieter in operation and I feel it is less likely to damage during jack knifing when manoeuvring.
-- Edited by PeterD on Saturday 11th of November 2017 12:20:21 PM
Used case Hardening rods from work. What we did Bucket teeth Facings with.
Did the job. But drilling out and tap\press in Hardened Inserts
would be MUCH better idea.
That is the one flaw\wear point with them.
I'm surprised they haven't already done it. The heads cost a bomb.
Pretty hard job drilling out something that's oval shaped. Welding and filing it out would be maybe the answer.
Save yourself the heartache & ditch the antique HR hitch.
Buy an Andersen Hitch & future-proof yourself.
They have virtually no wearing parts, the one that does possibly wear has a lifetime guarantee & will be replaced free if it becomes unusable.
They have excellent WD characteristics and have the bonus of very efficient anti-sway action.
The bonus is, NO noise.
I bought one when we bought this van last year & have never looked back.
Neil
I just watched the "setting up" movie.
I'd be 20km's down the road b4 he gets in his cab.
I've used H.R. for decades. Still on first one. 3 vans and lots of miles.
with second head unit.
I still have my early version "Reece". from US.
Hayman bought it from him in the beginning.
Sorry I'd prefer the H.R thank you.
And if they cut out and made an "Oval centre" plug for a wear insert.
I'd say it was a 6 to 10 yr changeover. Depending on Corrugations work.
I've used and seen a few setups from US and Canada. I go there a lot. and have family Friends that travel. Vans and 5thers. With all these systems
and the clamped sliding side bars etc.
I reckon you'd have to go a looong way to find something better than H.R.
Large or small rigs.
The van itself setup, and balance, Physically. Is more important.
The further "rear set" the suspension is. The more stable the rig\van is.
with less sway, and pitch if balanced
(NOT to semi trlr location though.That would bring in the gooseneck links.)
with correct or a bit MORE drawbar weight applied.
The longer the drawbar. (To a sensible point) helps too.
Centre set Suspensions. give chance of MORE rear weight to cause sway,
than a rear set does. Also depending on interior setup.
I've dragged all sorts of trailers and suspension setups over the yrs. with all sorts of weight applied. Balanced. nose\tail heavy.
The long drawbar. rear set suspension. WITH a heavier hitch weight.
I found the most stable to tow and control. I had 370kg on my Roadstar 6.5m
People should read up on trailer Dimensions. Triangulations. setups.
regarding suspensions and location of. with reasons why.
Front. rear. centre, loadings
BY experts. NOT us forum chatters. Read gov't and engineering papers on it.
You'll learn a lot.
I was looking at buying an Anderses WDH until I went to Google images and typed in "Andersen hitch failures". Surprise, surprise it changed my mind on buying one.
Seeing is beleving.
Really, so what? How many individual instances of problems did you see, compared to how many units in operation?
What car do you drive? Google problems with it.
What tv do you use? Google it.
Mate, any man made product can have problems we live with the problems.
They are a far superior product to the antiquated HR system which is noisy, rough and, unless you buy expensive add-ons have no sway damping properties.
Neil
NOT knocking what you (Anybody) got.
Basically they ALL work.
Have used H.R. since they came out in this country, on several sized vans.
You DON'T need any "add ons".
Just the tension on chains holds it. AND stabilises any swing.
Which is NORMALLY.
Brought on by bad handling, mixed with bad loading\design of van.
We've overtaken multiple road trains on dirt doing 140ish k. and swerved between UNexpected. DEEP pot holes at road speeds.
Without a blink.
Design of trailer. Loading and balance. IE SET UP PROPERLY....
IS. MORE IMPORTANT than ANY add ons such as WDH. Sway Controls, etc.
Get your rig right. Drive sensibly. That's ALL you normally need.
Things CAN go wrong. BUT less likely if you set up properly.
Experience DOES help a lot. BUT Bad anything else can soon negate that.
To a point.
I've had brown jocks twice I remember in my life. Driving.
Do NOT want to repeat.
One was Jack knifing semi on Black Ice in Canada.
T'other. was losing air lines (NOT lock on in those days) going down a steep.
Winding hill. Mountain, in South Wales.
with a full load of 20 ton flat steel plates on from mill.
Instant decapitation if I didn't bail.
I bailed.
Gday...
I do realise it is often felt by users of HR WDH systems that it "stabilises swing".
If you mean trailer sway, then a HR WDH does not have any effect, or control on, sway/yaw.
.... and you are quite correct that the major contributors to "swing" (sway) are "bad handling, mixed with bad loading\design of van"
It is a weight distribution hitch - designed to remove weight from the tow ball/rear axle forward to front axle of vehicle and rearward to the van axle/s - and does that very effectively.
Although, it is NOT a substitute for under-rated suspension that is not capable of supporting the vehicle and the additional load of a caravan/trailer.
Cheers - John
It's others we have to educate.
HR does compensate to a point. when ALL else right.
so we feel like it helping. and everything helps. Doesn't it.
There. Lots of nothing about nothing. Pollies are teaching me hey.
Plus I just overloaded on pills and feeling the "floaties" for a while.
I'd better get off here hey.
b4 saying something me regrets.