Hints for trailer structural crack repair

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Hello everyone, I would like to ask you advice on the following work. I recently bought a used car trailer (quite old) and I discovered that it has a crack in the structure. The trailer is supposed to carry more than 2200 lb. I would like to fix it, otherwise the crack will enlarge, and I will risk that the structure breaks down. Do you think that welding it can fix the issue or can cause more troubles? In case I go for welding it, what do you advice? Make a thin cut with the angle grinder and then weld? Which type of electrode shall I use rutile or basic ones (I can only use a DC stick welder)? Here some pics of the same crack.Thanks, cheers!

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Reply:This is not a car hauler trailer.Do you mean you tow it behind a car?It looks too light to carry more than a motorcycle. Brakes are unfamiliar. Cable activated?You see a crack, what you don't see is fatigued steel surrounding the crack. It needs to be cut 1/8" away both sides of the crack. I'd extend the cut 1/2" beyond the end of the visible crack. I'd cut away an inch of the plate under the crack. I would use a backer to re weld it. Aluminum would be my choice. Clean off any plating, galvanize, oxidation. I would TIG weld it. You will want to do it yourself using tools & welders you have. I wouldn't, but you might use 3/32 7018.Once the crack is fixed, a new plate on bottom extending an inch past the crack needs to be added. Most beginners find vertical & overhead stick welding to be difficult. Find someone better qualified & spend some time on less dangerous projects. Don't want this coming apart at 65 MPH.An optimist is usually wrong, and when the unexpected happens is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, when wrong, is delighted, and well prepared.
Reply:Where are you located ?? It sure looks like that spring type shock absorber is the suspension. Is this a car tow dolly ? Post a photo of this, please.What does the other side look like ? Any type of trailer that is being used on the road should be repaired by someone that knows what they are doing. What does the inside look like behind the crack ?
Reply:Put Wheel on grinder, slice right thru it up in till it stops.  You can use any of the rods depending on skill and fit but with bit less than 1/8 gap burn it in with a 3/32 7018 if you got it and if you get all/most of the way thru flush it back smooth with grinder.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:[QUOTE=BD1;8887824. What does the other side look like ? Any type of trailer that is being used on the road should be repaired by someone that knows what they are doing.  ?/QUOTE]Most of them ain't even built by people know what they are doing. That crack shouldn't have been there in the first place.  Looks like something a book learned engineer designed.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Thank you for your replies. Yes, it’s trailed behind a car. Brakes are drum brakes activated by inertia. The specs says that it can hold load, also to me it seems a bit light. The other is ok.Behind is the same, there  is the crack.  Thank you for the hints. I think I’ll look for someone experienced able to TIG weld aluminum and steel, otherwise I would in any case look for someone to TIG weld it. In any case the plan is to use the trailer just on a country road to move water ad other stuffs.  Thank you, cheersLast edited by BarryLyndon; 18 Hours Ago at 09:37 AM.
Reply:This is a steel repair I believe?  Willie was saying to use a backer bar. Anyone needing to tig tis I gonna wonder about, not that it wont work but this is a typical steel fix and burning it in with a steel rod if the guy can fundamentally operate a machine for couple inches will work. The rod is better than the base and will move it a it to one side or another and with minor grind can melt most the way thru it.  Cut thru it or gouge grind and clean the face of paint or coating so the weld wets out well.  If it melts mostly thru dont worry about some hump, grind almost flush.  We had an incident with a trailer recent was a wake up call and its obvious now looking back but the basic design is so flawed and overloaded that the reason for some failure kind of got past us till it happened again, theyn we have a big Cptn Obvious moment but for now everyone is pretty content with blaming it on **** factory design and think they know what happen which in the end is fine with me.    Kind of the same as why lightening hit the well, that much is obvious as end result and not what really happened or origination.Last edited by Sberry; 14 Hours Ago at 01:03 PM.www.urkafarms.com
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Originally Posted by Sberry

This is a steel repair I believe?  Willie was saying to use a backer bar. Anyone needing to tig tis I gonna wonder about, not that it wont work but this is a typical steel fix and burning it in with a steel rod if the guy can fundamentally operate a machine for couple inches will work. The rod is better than the base and will move it a it to one side or another and with minor grind can melt most the way thru it.  Cut thru it or gouge grind and clean the face of paint or coating so the weld wets out well.  If it melts mostly thru dont worry about some hump, grind almost flush.  We had an incident with a trailer recent was a wake up call and its obvious now looking back but the basic design is so flawed and overloaded that the reason for some failure kind of got past us till it happened again, theyn we have a big Cptn Obvious moment but for now everyone is pretty content with blaming it on **** factory design and think they know what happen which in the end is fine with me.    Kind of the same as why lightening hit the well, that much is obvious as end result and not what really happened or origination.
Reply:Actually would simply graze it up with a grinder, fill the crack and add another plate extension north of a couple inches long and welder onner with a 6011.  1st, overhead, 2nd up and 3 a girl giving it a try.  No matter what,,, I try,,,,,,,, to fill it out the back and flush even with single pass.

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Last edited by Sberry; 13 Hours Ago at 02:04 PM.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:No, fixing it wont cause trouble. Like willie said, its really a job for someone, would be rather easy job for somone well versed in up and overheadwww.urkafarms.com
Reply:You could cheat a little.  fix the crack some, best u can and lay a 3/4 rod along it and weld on one end some and across the top right across the crack, little on the bottom to the plate.  The repair would be apparent but,, look substantial and service worthy.Last edited by Sberry; 13 Hours Ago at 02:17 PM.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:i would like to see photos of what this whole thing looks like. It sure seems conventual looking to me.
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dont forget about this crack too. Maybe build that corner up with weld to since there both cracking at the corner where the plate meets it