gooseneck plate
07-06-2007, 11:02 PM
#1
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gooseneck plate
a friend of mine has a bolt in gooseneck plate in an old chevy that bolts through the bed, are the chevy frame rails close in width to the dodge's?? i don't care that i got a plate in the bed, i got a rubber bed mat that i will cut a hole in and will cover it, i really want to start pulling gooseneck trailers so i need it, if worse comes to worse, ill weld it to the frame under the bed, hate too cause i want a body lift but i will to pull a trailer. anything to watch for when putting a gooseneck in these trucks above and below the frame??? problems you've ran into?? ive put them in IFS chevys but nothing else.
07-07-2007, 12:47 AM
#2
Registered User
Im about to finish up with my own setup. Its going to go between the bed and chassis and bolt to the outside of the frame. Its going to require some 9/16" spacers to provide room for the 1/2" plate but it should be easy! I will post some pics of the setup tonight....
....As Promised:
....As Promised:
07-07-2007, 04:20 AM
#3
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we have had a gooseneck trailer since 1972 when we first saw them and my brother built it for his ffa project in high school. at that time we pulled it with dads new 1972 int pickup just a half inch plate across the top of the bed floor with a proper spacer between box floor and top of frame. ball was welded to the plate. plate bolts went thru the top of plate then thru spacers then thru the top of the frame with flat iron under the top lip of the frame rail to help dispurse the pulling /pushing on frame. still have the trailer been five pickups since. changed to fold down ball or tried removable ball (which i never used in the down position for me waste of money) . when my crew cab is done i will do what the above post looks like . plate between bed floor and frame and two ball in back of short box. one for trailer house about a foot behind axle and one just two to three inches ahead of the axle. most we pull is 7 ton loads on the trailer plus the wieght of trailer. anymore we keep loads under 6 ton for ease of driving and drivetrain. here is a photo of trailer with a int. m on it . about 15 years ago , dad's 87 gmc 6.2 me leaning on trailer with suspenders and dad and my brother. boy time goes fast.
07-07-2007, 05:20 AM
#5
Registered User
Depending on what year-model the Chevy is.
The standard for outside frame width is 34-1/2".
Dodge and Chevy used to adhere, with Ford being the odd-ball in anything lighter than a ton-truck.
Also, some "duallies" will have wider than standard frames.
ill weld it to the frame under the bed,
Welds under a bed are hard to see, can crack, and loose a plate and trailer.
hate too cause i want a body lift but i will to pull a trailer.
You can't safely use a gooseneck on a sheet-metal factory-type bed, with a body-lift, unless you have engineered a sub-frame of the same height as the body-lift, that really SPREADS the attachment points of the gooseneck-hitch along the length of the truck-frame.
A body-lift does not affect a truck like mine, with a steel flat, as only the cab gets lifted, with the flat staying the same, thus the gooseneck hitch-height remains at frame-height.
Also, check this old plate closely, as most are a joke, being too thin and too narrow, with flimsy un-rated low-cut *****.
A proper plate will be a minimum of 1/2" thick, with a double thickness, about a foot-square, around the ball.
A minimum of 24" wide, with more being better, as the width spreads the force across more of the truck-frame.
Also, at least three-to-a-side 5/8" Grade 8 bolts, with flat-washers top and bottom, through plate and frame, with appropriate spacers between the bed and frame.
A 30,000 pound Hi-Rise ball is best. (Look at the ball in MIKEs picture, above. THAT is what you want.)
I have seen many plates and hitches, utilizing low-cut *****, that the trailer neck has cut a groove in the plate/hitch, where it pivots on the ball.
A hi-rise ball gets the trailer-neck up away from the plate, giving it room to properly articulate.
07-07-2007, 05:28 AM
#6
Registered User
Looks Better Than Anything Store-bought
I am going to almost copy it on a couple of our trucks.
I pull huge heavy trailers; so, I am going to lengthen the side-plates somewhat, to spread the load along more of the truck-frame.
Can you show pictures of all sides and bottom??
I really like that hitch.
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07-07-2007, 09:52 AM
#8
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if i put a body lift on the truck i am putting it under the bed and using 3/4 wall box steel tubing riser's the length and width of the frame where the hitch sets, we have done it on several chevy trucks without problem. ill get everything figured out today, i havent even really looked at it.
07-07-2007, 09:53 AM
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IIRC, the frame rails on my 93 were 34" to the outside, and 2 1/2" in width. I put a flatplate gooseneck in mine, and other then the measuring it was easy (with a sharp bit drill bit)
I suggest lifting the box off completly and mounting to the frame directly. I didnt, and the way the frame runs, unless u create custom spacers, cause the frame isnt completly flat under the bed at the wheel arch, yer askin fer trouble. I mounted mine IN the bed and after hauling a 2 car Kauffman I could feel it wiggle ever so slightly, and the bed had a nice indentation around the front and back of the plate. I however mounted mine 4" forward for better weight distribution though. But still, once u see the frame under where u want it mounted, you'll think twice about not lifting the bed.
I suggest lifting the box off completly and mounting to the frame directly. I didnt, and the way the frame runs, unless u create custom spacers, cause the frame isnt completly flat under the bed at the wheel arch, yer askin fer trouble. I mounted mine IN the bed and after hauling a 2 car Kauffman I could feel it wiggle ever so slightly, and the bed had a nice indentation around the front and back of the plate. I however mounted mine 4" forward for better weight distribution though. But still, once u see the frame under where u want it mounted, you'll think twice about not lifting the bed.
07-07-2007, 11:34 AM
#11
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07-07-2007, 11:41 AM
#12
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Im going to run some 9/16" spacers cut from aluminum round stock to space the body up a bit. Like CC said, the darn frame arches right over the axle so that is why I decided to mount o the sides of the frame. B-K, I though about lengthening the side bars, but the arch negates it unless you make the plates deeper. I also machined some flats so I can take a wrench to the ball. Hey Cowboy, are 2wd and 4wd different because my frame measures 38.125 to the outside over the axle? Hmmmm....Should I mount with grade 8 or 5, gut says 8.
PS: I have some extra punched holes on one side because look twice and WELD once surmounts the old measurment saying!
PS: I have some extra punched holes on one side because look twice and WELD once surmounts the old measurment saying!
