My East step deck is toast
#1
Senior Board Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: jackassville (winnipeg, mb)
Posts: 3,280
6 years old
5 year warranty Frame is cracked right at the neck. Never overloaded or abused by me. I can't say that about the previous owner. ![]() ![]() ![]()
Last edited by allan5oh; 09-12-2012 at 12:41 PM.
#5
I've seen worse than that fixed over at Mac trailer..............but at what cost I couldn't say
Labor at Mac in Alliance Ohio is $72 an hour or was in May when I had some work done there on my lift axle Labor at Ravens in Dover Ohio is $65 an hour, as of 1 month agon when they replaced the crossmember above my forward axle, after all the hanger bolts sheared off and pulled thru the holes, around 15 hours I would post pics if I could figure out how to get them out of my new phone.
#7
Rookie
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 15
I'm no expert though I have done quite a bit of welding. Doesnt metal crack on the side of the weld? it seems pretty weird that the welds themselves all cracked. I'm thinking there is something quite wrong with their welding process.
#8
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,079
Yes that sucks. I would say those welds are crap also...not going to do you any good though six years after the fact. I could be worse though. You can fix that. Here's my story. It may help.
Approx 5 years ago we had a 1995 Reitnouer step that cracked all the way through both main beams directly forward of the 1st axle. It was cracked through one flange and the web. I thought the trailer was scrap. We took it to a Reitnouer certified repair shop on Appleby Line in Toronto. They charged us a boatload of money to weld it and the repair lasted a week. This time we did it in our shop. Gouge out the cracks with a die grinder to create a good weld joint...this is important. MIG weld (or GMAW same thing) it back up (this is likely to require a pretty good size machine and some preheat). Then for some insurance against a bad design, we bolted some big fissure plates on both sides of the web using stainless bolts. Then welded around the fissure plates. Can post pics if you like. Judging from what you've posted on here before, I know you and your dad can handle this.
#9
Kinda makes me glad my step is weld-free. It obviously can be fixed and those cracks in the middle of the welds... shameful. East should hang its head in shame. Best of luck.
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