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2300 HPS Swing Tongue


Contender27t

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10 hours ago, Contender27t said:

Any other suggestions? 

Yes.  Get a jug of Salt-Away and a cheap garden sprayer that will fit in the back of your tow vehicle.  Take a minute or two just after you launch in salt water, when you park the trailer and spray the heck out of the brakes.  With the boat not in the way, you can reach them very well.  That way, the brakes will not be sitting in the hot sun with salt water drying on them (when much of the corrosion occurs) all day.   

Good luck with the new rig!

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I had a swing tongue put on my Ameri-Trail with a 23 HPS. If you read about swing tongues the manufacturers warn against installing a winch stand forward of the hinge. Unfortunately, Ameri-Trail did mount my winch stand forward of the hinge. This instillation puts a lot of stress on the forward part of the tongue, then couple that with all the stress of bouncing down the road and you have a recipe for breaking the hinge. I modified the stand that supports the bow stop and mounted the winch on the same stand. Works perfect and there is no added stress on the forward part of the tongue. I discarded the pin that came with the hinge (used to lock the hinge) and replaced it with a 5/8" rated bolt with a lock nut. That took all the play out of the hinge or knuckle as they call it. Sorry, I don't have a pic, but if you want to message me with a phone #, I will send a phone pic of the winch stand.

As Redrum suggested use Shark-Hide on every part of your new trailer, even the tire rims. Mine is 6 years old and still looks new. Have to reapply about once a year.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2020 at 5:00 PM, smilemaker said:

I have never understood why you would  create a weak spot. Why not rig the tongue so it would slide in and out like a receiver hitch?

I understand your thought process, but there is other stuff to consider with a sliding type tongue. You have to account for the wiring and brake tubing when the insert slides in and out. I'm not sure what you would do with the wiring and brake line. Then you have to bolt it together in a couple different areas when towing.

The hinge or knuckle is fast, easy and relatively fool proof with the exception of the pin and bolt. I personally have heard or read about several issues with the pin failing. The reason for the failure might be the quality of he pin, but there is also slack in the holes where the pin is inserted. There has to be some slack so you can remove and install the pin, but this slack creates another problem.  When towing there is a some movement because of the slack, then after a while the holes get bigger and the pin becomes scared and fractured. The movement is in all directions, up and down, and forward and back. That's why guys are replacing the pin with a rated bolt and lock nut. When you tighten down the nut, there is no slack or movement in the knuckle. I think it's still quicker and easier than a sliding system. Just saying. 

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14 hours ago, Sunstone said:

I have a friend with a swing tongue and it seems to bend at the hinge and make the trailer ride lower in the front.   

Yep, some of that could be from the instillation, has to be perfectly aligned when installed.  But, more than likely the bend is because of the slack needed to insert the bolt and the pin.  With the pin inserted (ready for towing), grab the coupler and try to move the tongue up or down. You'll see the slack I'm describing. Two 5/8" rated bolts with lock nuts will eliminate the play.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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