Drawbar flexing

[tinnie]

Hi,
can any of you engineering genius VVers suggest ideas of how to strengthen the draw bar ('a' frame) on my Franklin. It is fairly light angle (original I am quite certain) and I have noticed a fair bit of flex in it (more than I am happy with for the treck to the mount). I had thought of making a new drawbar as the existing one is short but I would prefer to try to retain the originality (it has the old "763" build number on it). I had thought of welding a bar through the middle (box tube perhaps) from back near the axle through to the coupling. I would appreciate any other suggestions, as I'm not generally one for playing with steel.

Cheers,
Gristy

[Roehm3108]

What you say makes sense, Would have thought that the gas bottle holder framing would have helped too. But, to be sure, I would talk to a mechanical engineer who know about such stresses.
Stresses are strange things to a layman. Wanted to have my house turned 90 degrees by a crane, until the crane fellow explained the stresses involved. Put me off doing anything like that forever - not impossible, but would have cost a fortune.
Not saying a van is the same, just that it pays sometimes to get the right advice. Some things are just not worth guesstimating.
Cheers
Ray

[tinnie]

Thanks Ray,
Good advice, I am definately not going to take chances. I have seen the damage that can be done by simply jacking up a house to reblock it.
Most likely the fact that the van has been this way for forty five years it could be fine, but I think that the flexing produces a rebound effect with every decent bump it hits, making the van bounce more. Now 45 years ago, travelling at 45-50mph that may have been okay, but I ( unfortunately )tow with a modern car, capable of hauling a van comfortably at double that speed (not that I would!). So in addition to being safer, I think that strengthening the drawbar/chassis will probably make it sit better on the road too. Fortunately I do know of a couple of engineers....
Really trying to weigh up whether to replace the a frame or try to strengthen it in some way & retain the originality.
Cheers,
Gristy

[hwyman]

Hey Gristy i guess you only have a single piece of angle on each
side if that's the case what i would do is run some thicker angle
4or5mm under each side so it becomes a box section instead of angle.
if you buy it a little wider you can run your weld's where it over hangs at the top and bottom (much easier) i would only weld it at about every 200mm with weld's being about 25mm long.


Hwyman.

[tinnie]

Thanks hwyman.
You are right about the angle and your advice would add considerable strength. That is sounding like the solution to me!
Cheers,
Gristy