Trailer bar bolt ?

Soft!!!!! Its harder that the standard pin..Stainless steel may work harden over time and COULD fatigue. It is definately not soft!! Michael

Depends on the grade of stainless steel whether it is soft or not. It WILL work harden and fatigue.... if it lasts long enough. For goodness sake, don't use stainless! Dunno what pin you have Michael, but I would imagine the pin SHOULD be a high tensile grade steel, 4140 grade or similar. It's not how hard or soft it is, it is its shear strength that is important. The '40' on the end of grade '4140' means the steel has 0.4% carbon content, and is heat treatable... minimum carbon content for heat treatment is 0.4%. Obviously there are harder steels, but this is not necessarily better, might just fracture through slight impact, so stick with the ADR recommendations. Not an engineer, but an experience fitter/machinist. 'Whacker

I started work with the same trade, 4140 is probably ok without heat treatment as it has a medium core strength.. I agree, best to use the standard pins available and avoid any grief!! Michael

I will ask at my local bolt shop I would buy a lock but I never remove the tow ball so cannot see the need for one.

Is there a reason to remove a tow ball ?

Yes, without a lock someone may give your expensive tow hitch a new home

Cheers Pop

I think there is a very good reason to remove the tow ball and goose neck on my L/C anyway: I use the rear cargo doors frequently and the towbar really hurts when you hit your shin on it. :-(
Mike

Hi Kev

Thats most interesting, do you know if this means seperating car and van/trailer or removing the actual tow hitch or tongue from the vehicle?

Cheers Pop

If you had a lock on you would still need to find the key.

Losing keys is one reason I don't want a locking one :-)

The genuine holden hitch I got with the car from new has a bolt with a split pin and not a pin with a split pin from new! I reckon it passes ADR's.

Leroy

Close Kev...but not quite.

If the bar can be removed without tools...then if not towing it has to be removed.

If the bar cannot be removed without tools...then you can leave it in place so long as it doesnt obstruct your number plate...hate to lose Flash revenue!!

Just think of sedan with bolted on tongue and a HR with removeable hitch...one you can ther other you cant.


Matt

A friend recently got a nasty surprise after stopping at a mid size town.

Just down the road from where he took off his camper trailer came adrift.
On inspection the bolt was missing.

Police advised him that it is one of the fun things the young no hopers do is to remove the pin , and best way to overcome is to use a lockable pin.

Pedro

Gee!! That would stretch the wiring!!! Michael

Not on my Prado with HR WDH
I use the lockable bolt

Pedro