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Strut for tilt trailer

Fuzzydog

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
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581
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BC Interior
I have a tilt trailer for my Argo but haven't been using the tilt feature as it is quite high and seems very front heavy. It is very hard to tilt it back when empty and I am getting tired of the ramps.
I have been looking for some sort of heavy duty strut/shock like the ones that hold hoods or hatches open, but much heavier duty of course.
Ideally, the strut would force the trailer to tilt when empty, but would compress slowly when I drive the Argo onto it. Anybody diy'd a trailer and set something like this up? Where can you get them?
The Argo is about 900 lbs and I would guess the front of the trailer is another 2 or300 lbs..
 
On my shack attack trailer I added two vertical posts to the tongue, then installed a boat winch on the trailer deck. Rope goes up over the pulley at the top, then back down to the trailer deck. Gives 2:1 reduction.

There's also 1/2 inch holes drilled every inch up the verticals for safety pins. With this setup I can force the trailer to tilt, work under it safely and lower it gently. I went this route because it's by far the most reliable way to tilt a trailer, especially since I live in salty winter hell.

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I used some generic struts on a buddies scissor lift trailer, to do it again I would use a regular gas charged shock.
 
Sounds like I might be overthinking this. I have some regular struts sitting around and will mount them up and see if that works and go from there. I really like the airbag idea ...going to keep that as a 'one of these days' plan
 
Muckin_Slusher said:
On my shack attack trailer I added two vertical posts to the tongue, then installed a boat winch on the trailer deck. Rope goes up over the pulley at the top, then back down to the trailer deck. Gives 2:1 reduction.

There's also 1/2 inch holes drilled every inch up the verticals for safety pins. With this setup I can force the trailer to tilt, work under it safely and lower it gently. I went this route because it's by far the most reliable way to tilt a trailer, especially since I live in salty winter hell.

21.jpg
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Click to expand...
I like that too but iight have a problem with the upright as I have an overhanging camper. I do have a hitch extension though so it might be a non issue.

Thanks for all the ideas. I will make something work and that will get me using the Argo more often. I really like getting out on it but the loading and unloading with the detachable ramps is just getting to be a pita, so I have been avoiding taking it
 
Fuzzydog said:
Sounds like I might be overthinking this. I have some regular struts sitting around and will mount them up and see if that works and go from there. I really like the airbag idea ...going to keep that as a 'one of these days' plan
Click to expand...
Maybe can try one of those air shocks, mounted at an angle, close to horizontal when down and locked but still will ‘lift’ with enough air pressure and bonus they’re shock dampeners, to dampen any sudden movements.

1687806861361.jpeg
 
Muckin_Slusher said:
On my shack attack trailer I added two vertical posts to the tongue, then installed a boat winch on the trailer deck. Rope goes up over the pulley at the top, then back down to the trailer deck. Gives 2:1 reduction.

There's also 1/2 inch holes drilled every inch up the verticals for safety pins. With this setup I can force the trailer to tilt, work under it safely and lower it gently. I went this route because it's by far the most reliable way to tilt a trailer, especially since I live in salty winter hell.

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22.jpg
Click to expand...
you put a lot of faith in that one square tube:laughing:
 
Hydraulic rams from old COE semi. Lift 1000+ pound cabs 90* and back to 45* with ease. Takes 2.
 
Our tilt decks have 2 hydraulic cylinders. 1 is mounted to the deck and a cross member, the other is just secured to the frame. Fluid passing between the hoses gives the resistance.

I just stand on it and it slowly tilts down, drive up and it slowly drops back down.

I'll take some pics on how they do it tonight if I remember. Slick and maintenance free for the most part. Plus you can put a ball valve on it to lock it out anywhere along the travel.
 
Chevy_man said:
Our tilt decks have 2 hydraulic cylinders. 1 is mounted to the deck and a cross member, the other is just secured to the frame. Fluid passing between the hoses gives the resistance.

I just stand on it and it slowly tilts down, drive up and it slowly drops back down.

I'll take some pics on how they do it tonight if I remember. Slick and maintenance free for the most part. Plus you can put a ball valve on it to lock it out anywhere along the travel.
Click to expand...
So the 2nd cylinder doesn't actually push on anything, just provides resistance?
 
yeah we've got one that comes in at work sometimes, it's got a normal hyd cylinder in under there but the blind end port is plugged and the gland end port has a breather on it
I assume they've got a li'l 3/16" hole drilled in the piston or something
 
Gots_a_sol said:
Bought a tilt trailer that wasn't being used as a tilt. Welded on tabs and just use a manual hydro cylinder I had laying around to tilt it up.

20220530_180311-XL.jpg


20220605_125553-L.jpg
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Do you pump the ram every time you use it?

I know these rams will freely extend. 1/2 the time I deploy my engine crane I just push the boom up to skip millions of pumps
 
TrailTamer said:
Do you pump the ram every time you use it?

I know these rams will freely extend. 1/2 the time I deploy my engine crane I just push the boom up to skip millions of pumps
Click to expand...
50/50 on pumping it up or just backing up until gravity takes over. Honestly for the once a month I may tilt it it isn't THAT much work.

The only issue with that way is it will drop back down as soon as you take the load off so need to lock it down first. Scared the shit out me of backing my skid steer off without locking it in and it tipped it back on its ass when I got enough weight off :eek:
 
Gots_a_sol said:
50/50 on pumping it up or just backing up until gravity takes over. Honestly for the once a month I may tilt it it isn't THAT much work.

The only issue with that way is it will drop back down as soon as you take the load off so need to lock it down first. Scared the shit out me of backing my skid steer off without locking it in and it tipped it back on its ass when I got enough weight off :eek:
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Never done an old tilt deck without anything? Drive waiting for tip, pause as it starts, bounce, continue driving.... :flipoff2:


Diamond C tilt deck

IMG_20230626_195403882.jpg


Handle to prevent stupidness. Has 2 latches that grab a piece of channel at the front edge. It's redundant if your equipment is chained down, as that's about the 10th hitch pin that's been tethered there.

Simple rams hooked to each other. It appears I need to check seals and bleed the system currently. :laughing:

IMG_20230626_195321797_HDR.jpg

IMG_20230626_195327666_HDR.jpg
 
Chevy_man said:
Never done an old tilt deck without anything? Drive waiting for tip, pause as it starts, bounce, continue driving.... :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

I had a ditch witch + its tilt trailer for years that was ass heavy, so just back up until it smashed the ground and keep on rolling was the norm. But it stayed tilted due to being ass heavy. This trailer is very front heavy and will fling your ass off the back if you let it :laughing:
 
Chevy_man said:
Never done an old tilt deck without anything? Drive waiting for tip, pause as it starts, bounce, continue driving.... :flipoff2:


Diamond C tilt deck

IMG_20230626_195403882.jpg


Handle to prevent stupidness. Has 2 latches that grab a piece of channel at the front edge. It's redundant if your equipment is chained down, as that's about the 10th hitch pin that's been tethered there.

Simple rams hooked to each other. It appears I need to check seals and bleed the system currently. :laughing:

IMG_20230626_195321797_HDR.jpg

IMG_20230626_195327666_HDR.jpg
Click to expand...
Is there a spring or anything on the frame mounted cylinder? Seems like it might need some help to pull that rod back in. I guess they are also the same size cylinder? Once you have it bled, that sounds really simple and effective.
 
Found a couple of old hydraulic rams in my 'possibilities shack' going to have a go at rigging that up, just one ram for the tilt, and the 2nd as a damper. I think this is going to work!
 
We have the below kit on our tilt deck trailers. With the valve in line you can tilt the bed up, close the valve, and drag a truck on and then drop the bed. Without the valve the front of the bed will tilt once the tires are pass the center of the tilt and you will fight getting the back tires on.

premium-supply.com

Gravity Tilt Deck Kit | Premium Supply

Our Gravity Tilt Deck Kit is designed to make loading and unloading of vehicles to trailers easier. Shop Premium Supply for more hydraulic trailer tilts.
premium-supply.com premium-supply.com
 
ParadisePWoffrd said:
Is there a spring or anything on the frame mounted cylinder? Seems like it might need some help to pull that rod back in. I guess they are also the same size cylinder? Once you have it bled, that sounds really simple and effective.
Click to expand...

Nothing. Just the resistance to fluid flowing in the lines pushes them back and forth. Just have the 2 lines hooked to opposite ends of the cylinders. Deck goes up and pulls out 1, the frame mounted one sucks in. Deck goes down and pushes in, frame mounted one pushes out.

The trick thing is the ball valve to lock it up so it doesn't tip to early. Not an issue with tracked equipment, but it plays hell trying to load a truck without it.
 
Lol, I sure work slow, but I have a plan!
I am doing like gots a sol above . Here is a pic of what I plan. I'll remove the boat winch , weld some tabs at the front of the tongue for that ram, weld some tabs on the tilting part for the other end of the ram.
Run a hose from one port to the other, with a shut off so I can lock it in the up position. Should prob have some sort of mech lock too, for safety.
PXL_20240615_212620645.jpg
 
Fuzzydog said:
Lol, I sure work slow, but I have a plan!
I am doing like gots a sol above . Here is a pic of what I plan. I'll remove the boat winch , weld some tabs at the front of the tongue for that ram, weld some tabs on the tilting part for the other end of the ram.
Run a hose from one port to the other, with a shut off so I can lock it in the up position. Should prob have some sort of mech lock too, for safety.
PXL_20240615_212620645.jpg
Click to expand...
Need a tank.

12v hydraulic pump setups are pretty cheap.
 
Fuzzydog said:
Lol, I sure work slow, but I have a plan!
I am doing like gots a sol above . Here is a pic of what I plan. I'll remove the boat winch , weld some tabs at the front of the tongue for that ram, weld some tabs on the tilting part for the other end of the ram.
Run a hose from one port to the other, with a shut off so I can lock it in the up position. Should prob have some sort of mech lock too, for safety.
PXL_20240615_212620645.jpg
Click to expand...
It won't move if it's full of oil and has a hose from one port to the other.
There's less oil on the rod side of the piston than the non-rod side.

If you want to do that without a tank I think you'd need a double rod cylinder (same volume on both sides of the piston). Even then, I'm not sure what would happen with expansion due to temp changes.

Also, you could get better geometry if you mounted that cylinder beside the tongue (offset to the side) and put the pin as low as possible. That way it'll be more in line with the movement of the flatbed when it's fully retracted. This wouldn't matter so much if you're only using the cylinder to hold the deck in the up position, but don't care about lifting it (with the cylinder) from fully down.
 
I looked at my felling trailer and it just has a cylinder with the with both ports connected together. Works awesome for the stuff I have put on it so far.
 
speed bump said:
I looked at my felling trailer and it just has a cylinder with the with both ports connected together. Works awesome for the stuff I have put on it so far.
Click to expand...
I had to draw it out to think about it.

Is this what you've got?

I think that would work if you didn't use the full stroke of the cylinder (else it would spill out on the ground) or you add a tank vented to atmosphere to take the excess.

Edit: Yeah, you would need the tank for sure, so the non-rod side didn't suck air and make everything springy...

cylinder.png
 
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