Anderson Bracket Moved!

[donbob3]

Preparing to travel and noticed  that one of the brackets under trailer  is angled forward about an 1/2 inch.  The bracket is bolted to the frame with an set screw on the top side.  There  is no set screw on the lower side and there is enough play to allow movement.   I would appreciate any suggestions.   Triangle will not stay perfectly straight.  Help???

[Raspy]

This is the issue I brought up in another towing thread here.  It doesn't look like the Anderson brackets are very well suited to an Ollie frame.  They just clamp on and are supposed to stay in place because of a set screw into aluminum.  You may find the hitch is good for anti-away and not for leveling because of the extreme forces required for leveling.

[John E Davies]

Both should be angled forward at the bottom as per the installation instructions. That eliminates the clearance between brackets and frame, in theory. If they were incorrectly installed at 90 degrees they will shift forward under load.

 

http://www.andersenhitches.com/uploads/WD%20Hitch%20installation%20manual%202016%2015-pg.pdf

 

Anderson recommends a spot weld on each bracket for a conventional steel frame. This tells you that they know full well that the design is a little flawed, tho it is typical for all types of WD hitches.

 

You cannot weld the brackets onto your aluminum frame. You can however fabricate a couple of retainers from quality  aluminum bar stock, say 1" wide x 1/4 " or more thick, and weld them to the frame immediately in front of the brackets. ....  http://alcobrametals.com/product/AB.250D ....  that should stop any tendancy for them to move under the extremely high load from the chains. You could alternatively bolt the braces on, but welding would be more satisfactory IMHO.

 

I have only used a WD hitch on a couple of trailers. Although they were steel frames and the hitches of old school design, I welded the chain brackets solidly to the frame on both rigs. It is just good engineering. The forces involved are too intense to trust friction, especially with a soft(er) aluminum frame.

 

I am surprised that more owners are not reporting problems with the brackets coming loose. Maybe you guys should take a close look at them to make sure they are 100% secure.

 

I think the Oliver factory should install a PAIR of aluminum braces on every single frame, at both the front and the back of each Anderson bracket location, during the manufacturing process. It would add a little bit of labor cost, but the material cost is negligible, and no owner would ever have this problem. It is called bullet proofing. It's great PR to be able to brag that you have eliminated a possible future problem.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[Sage-AndersenHitches]

Preparing to travel and noticed  that one of the brackets under trailer  is angled forward about an 1/2 inch.  The bracket is bolted to the frame with an set screw on the top side.  There  is no set screw on the lower side and there is enough play to allow movement.   I would appreciate any suggestions.

 

This is usually an installation error that we have been seeing. When installing the bracket rotate it so the bottom is angled toward the tow vehicle and the top of the bracket toward the rear of the trailer. The two bracket bolts should be touching the top and bottom of the frame. This not only creates a bind on the frame that will prevent movement but also aligns the square tube with the tensioned chains. Tighten the main bracket bolts with the bracket in this position and then tighten the set screw. Drilling a small hole in the frame for the set screw to rest in is also an option if the bracket continues to slide when properly installed.

[dharmardr]

Had one of the brackets slip, after delivery, on the way home.  Noticed a difference in handling about half way back to CT. Set the brackets again, when I got home,  with the bottom of the brackets forward and the top and bottom bolts against the frame ( as stated previously).  No problems since. Love my Anderson hitch.