Hey all. I know there are people out there that can help me. I got a new trailer hitch for my motorcycle. The model bike they used for their design didn't take the rear fender into consideration of the limited edition model I have. There are two straight alumiinum bars that drop from the rear of the frame to hold the hitch up and they are not primary load bearing.

 

My question is, if I bend the straight bars in two places about 15 degrees do I need to worry about annealing the metal? They are about 19" long and the bends would be about 3" rom wach tip. I am no expert and googling the question comes up with answers far above my level of experience.

 

I am looking for a cheat sheet.

I work with metal alot but I do not technically know the answer. My seat of the pants answer is that is a lot of bend for what I invision is a short radius.

Has it been tempered?

No idea. It is just out of the box

Technically you won't anneal the material if it is not heated. You would strain harden it, but if it is not load bearing does it matter? Not sure what your concern is.

Do you have a picture of it?

Aluminum is weird. 6060 which is 6063 (or at least super similar) actually hardens with time. So its ease of bending changes with how long it sat.

 

Heating aluminum can get tricky, its easy to crack it with heat & bending. I would try bending it cold. What kind of shape is it and what size?

Bulpup- where are you located?

Aluminum isn't the easiest material to try and manipulate.

Heating will most likely weaken it.

How thick is the plate that needs to be bent?

Does the plate have anything that bolts to it? Take the mounting points into consideration when bending anything.

If your close to me I can probably make something for you.

I'm in the southern part of Hell, covered in aluminum chips and shavings...

I've been machining aluminum all day.

I dont know why I didn't attach this at first. Here is the video I sent the manufacturer. Since this video and talking with them I have decided to attach to the other side of the frame and make the bends.

 

 

http://youtu.be/_FCGd93b_QY

Bulpup- where are you located?

Aluminum isn't the easiest material to try and manipulate.

Heating will most likely weaken it.

How thick is the plate that needs to be bent?

Does the plate have anything that bolts to it? Take the mounting points into consideration when bending anything.

If your close to me I can probably make something for you.

I'm in the southern part of Hell, covered in aluminum chips and shavings...

I've been machining aluminum all day.

 

 

That's F'ing AWESOME! I'm all the way up in Morris Plains but I plan on taking the trailer down to Millville every other weekend so I have no excuse. Let me think on that after I get a few more ideas.

After seeing the video, I'd probably fabricate a plate/bar(whatever, the part that attaches to your fram) 3-5 inches long, drill and tap it with 2 holes, then cut the existing bar that runs down to the hitch, drill some through holes and attach it on the outside of the new piece. This will get you one thickness of the hitch to the outside and should miss your fender. That's bracket is probably what .375 thickness?

It looks to me that if you put a bend in those sections, the weight of the trailer may pull it back out and bring it back into contact with the fender.

After seeing the video, I'd probably fabricate a plate/bar(whatever, the part that attaches to your fram) 3-5 inches long, drill and tap it with 2 holes, then cut the existing bar that runs down to the hitch, drill some through holes and attach it on the outside of the new piece. This will get you one thickness of the hitch to the outside and should miss your fender. That's bracket is probably what .375 thickness?

 

its about 7mm - .275 I like the idea of the extender. If I could make it pretty that seems like a winner. Would help in regards to what Shane mentiones, although the trailer is very light.

 

It looks to me that if you put a bend in those sections, the weight of the trailer may pull it back out and bring it back into contact with the fender.

 

Yes, this. Bending it out and then hanging something off of it seems like it would fatigue it. But the internets seem to think that doing the bends hot make this okay.

At 226 you mention grinding the bracket to reliev the pressur from bowing the bracket. That is what i would do..

At 226 you mention grinding the bracket to reliev the pressur from bowing the bracket. That is what i would do..

 

yea. This video was made because I thought that they sent me the wrong model. Even with the grinding though there will still need to be an offeset because of the width of the fender.

Can you move the bracket to the other side of the mount point on the lower part of the hitch?

That may get you another 1/4" or so.

Now that I watched the video a few times it doesn't seem as complicated as I was assuming.

If you could snap a few photos of the mounting points and a side shot, I'll brainstorm on my end.

The idea of another bracket coming down and bolting to the side of this bracket to offset it an additional 1/4" or so sounds doable. That and moving the bracket to the outside of the lower mounting point should get you by.

Can you move the bracket to the other side of the mount point on the lower part of the hitch?

That may get you another 1/4" or so.

Now that I watched the video a few times it doesn't seem as complicated as I was assuming.

If you could snap a few photos of the mounting points and a side shot, I'll brainstorm on my end.

The idea of another bracket coming down and bolting to the side of this bracket to offset it an additional 1/4" or so sounds doable. That and moving the bracket to the outside of the lower mounting point should get you by.

 

I take some pics this weekend. The way I see it, moving the attach to the outside of the lower piece only accomplishes making a greater need for a bigger bend to get out to it and more grinding of my chrome.

you can bend that where the mount is hitting it rather than grind it.. Once you bend it though don't try and bend it back because it will crack. Make sure you get it where you want it.

hmm. You can't really get the problem from the video I am starting to realize. The main thing is that the chrome seatback bracket is forcing a "bow" because it curls under the frame and is putting a stress on the aluminum bracket. That bow effect is curling the bracket into the fender. If it could go straight out from the frame without the curl it would would still touch the fender.

 

The aluminum bar would be a straight shot from the outside mount from the frame to the outside mount on the hitch if the seatbak bracket didn't curl under, but that would be a significant amount of grinding on my back seat frame - and those pieces are $170 apiece.

 

Attaching from the inside frame point to the inside hitch would be straight if I didn't have this model bike fender. The bar would still contact the fender in a way that having a trailer attached would likely ruin the fender. I really am starting to think that Malsua's idea might work best, no bending, minimum grinding. I would bolt from the inside frame points and, through the two piece solution, attach to the outer attach point on the hitch.

Drill throught the bracket and the fender and bolt a 1/4 inch spacer between them and control the contact?

Drill throught the bracket and the fender and bolt a 1/4 inch spacer between them and control the contact?

I would be worried that would cause excessive flexing on the fender and risk cracking the paint.

I would recommend the two piece idea, or a completely one off item. Custom made just for the application.

Have you googled to see if others had the same problem.

No. Or rather yes, and nothing came up.

 

I am doing some serious looking into the 2 piece idea. I am going to get some titanium bolts and some nice looking washers from this place.

 

http://www.probolt-usa.com/

 

 

 

 

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No. Or rather yes, and nothing came up.

 

I am doing some serious looking into the 2 piece idea. I am going to get some titanium bolts and some nice looking washers from this place.

 

http://www.probolt-usa.com/

 

 

 

 

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Let me wipe my drool up......

Ok, I love pro- bolt. My ktms would all get orange anodized bolts....

Now my wheels are turning for my zx6r.

 

I am at a loss as to how to proceed with this. I need to have the bike there for whoever would fabricate this in order to take the measurements because it's pretty tight. I don't have a trailer to take the motorcycle to a facility and riding it there would have to be a very short distance.

 

 

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I wish you were closer, I could probably fix you right up in an hr or so...

If you can, get as many measurements as you can. And I'll see what I can do.

Bolt diameters

Overall length

Offset needed

Material specs.

I can probably do this at almost no cost to you as long as I have the proper scraps on the rack.