Elevator bolts

[Roger Kimble]

The trailers are bolted down with elevator bolts 1/4 in. When I fixed my frame, I found 10 were rusted in half, the rest of them, not in the best of shapehttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1yOPXl8Q0UPX76lFsXMyLWRCCST3nTXQb/view?usp=drivesdk, this is a link for the cross reference chart that Mike Myers made up, be safe!

[mary and bob]

Rusted elevator bolts is common on all the Uhauls. And typically they rust away where they go through the floor, so you can't see that they are rusted away. Most of the floor bolts on our Uhaul broke off when I went to replace them.

[Casita Greg]

Elevator bolts...
AKA, "carriage bolts," available everywhere. Get stainless steel ones for relacements.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

Elevator bolts...
AKA, "carriage bolts," available everywhere. Get stainless steel ones for relacements.

Not the same thing

[Dan Meyer]

The elevator bolt look like the same sort of bolt that is used to fasten the hinges to my garage door.



--Dan Meyer

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Dan Meyer

The elevator bolt look like the same sort of bolt that is used to fasten the hinges to my garage door.



--Dan Meyer

They are the same, also used on truck cargo box roll up doors.I worked on those doors for 20 years.

[Raz]

I've never used elevator bolts but I have used carriage bolts. The square below the head is suppose to stop the bolt from turning. In wood, I've yet to have it work. After a year or so the nut rusts and the bolt spins when you go to remove it. Now you've got a project. If you're lucky vise grips will work otherwise you're drilling out the head. Unless you need the flat surface, I would use a hex bolt. Of course I just assume that sooner or later I'm going to have to take it apart.

[mary and bob]

Raz; Uhaul used elevator bolts so that they would be flush with the floor under the carpet in the walking area. When I worked on rollup truck & trailer doors it was as you describe, most of the time the whole bolt would turn when trying to remove the nut. We sometimes cut the nut with a thin cutoff disc on a air grinder, but most of the time clamped vise grips on the threads and with a sideways motion broke the bolt. They were just 1/4" bolts and broke easy.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

Raz; Uhaul used elevator bolts so that they would be flush with the floor under the carpet in the walking area. When I worked on rollup truck & trailer doors it was as you describe, most of the time the whole bolt would turn when trying to remove the nut. We sometimes cut the nut with a thin cutoff disc on a air grinder, but most of the time clamped vise grips on the threads and with a sideways motion broke the bolt. They were just 1/4" bolts and broke easy.

Seems like this should be more common.


Found these at:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/194450344311

[Mike Meyer]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Seems like this should be more common.
Attachment 144014

Found these at:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/194450344311
Attachment 144016

As I recall several of mine in the center section of my VT had the slots, the hidden ones not so much but again that was 11 years ago. I just went up to 5/16" and shot a squirt of silicone in the hole to protect the threads from rusting.Figure that if the 1/4" lasted 25 years these would last longer. You can also get SS ones with barbs on the underside I believe.

[Choosethisday]

The bolts on our CT 13 were pretty much rusted away so I replaced them. Standard from the factory is 5/16" bolts. It is very easy to drill out to 3/8" and end up with a much stronger connection. We used 3/8" stainless slot bolts, used for mounting signs, which worked quite well. Very similar to carriage bolts but at least in our area easier to find. And use locking nuts and big washers too. About $140 altogether but we will never have to replace them or worry about them failing.

[mary and bob]

[QUOTE=Choosethisday;829694]The bolts on our CT 13 were pretty much rusted away so I replaced them. Standard from the factory is 5/16" bolts.

Our CT, and another that I worked on, had 1/4" elevator bolts. Many other owners have also reported that their CT's had 1/4" bolts. But the trailers were made in more than one location, so that may account for differences in bolt size.

[Choosethisday]

Having been a machinist at one time I know the visual difference between 1/4" and 5/16" is easy to miss. But either way, converting to 3/8" seems wise. I used an impact drill to remove a few bolts at a time, of which many broke because of the corrosion, and opened up the holes with a long 3/8" bit. Because T-Slot Bolts don't have a way, other that the shoulders, to prevent them from rotating while tightening I used a pair of wide mouth vise grips to hold them. If you use stainless bolts use a small dab of of anti seize on the threads to prevent them seizing up.

[mary and bob]

[QUOTE=Choosethisday;829710]Having been a machinist at one time I know the visual difference between 1/4" and 5/16" is easy to miss. But either way, converting to 3/8" seems wise.

Well LOL, I too was a machinist at one time, went through the GE apprentice program, then 25 years as a truck mechanic, so I know the difference between a 1/4" and 5/16" bolt. I don't doubt that your CT had 5/16 bolts originally, but ours, and one other that I worked on had 1/4". I did use a few 3/8 bolts when I replaced the originals. Have happily since sold our Uhaul and all the spare parts, except for a couple door latch strikers that are so well built they'll never break. I'll probably never find a buyer for those.

[Choosethisday]

Sorry if I seemed patronizing, that wasn't my intent. And you are correct, the strikes seem overkill for what they do. Maybe some of the other brands which have flimsy strikes could retrofit what you have.