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Trailer ramp repair.

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Ramp strength question

Hi. New to the group. I have a question about the strength of the ramps. I have a stepdeck and recently had a beavertail added to it. I need to construct ramps akin to the ones Jeff is repairing. My question is this: What is the weight of the dozer you're loading onto it? I have a 16 ton tracked machine and don't want to build the ramps too light. Your channel looks like standard 4 inch channel. Is that correct? The ramps look to be what, 4 feet long? Thanks.
 

Countryboy

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
3,276
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Load Out Tech. / Heavy Equipment Operator / Locomo
Welcome to HEF Dirtmaster! :drinkup
 

nedly05

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
1,801
Location
Adk. Mtns, NY
I have a 16 ton tracked machine and don't want to build the ramps too light. Your channel looks like standard 4 inch channel. Is that correct? The ramps look to be what, 4 feet long? Thanks.

I would build the ramps for 16 ton a lot beefier than those ramps, we have the same type ramps that JeffD has, and our 3 ton machine has them tweeked a bit. Look at a rogers or eager beaver trailers ramps and go off from them, they are very well built trailers. Good Luck!
 

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Ramp strength question

Good input. A friend of mine has access to some computer simulation software that we may resort to. Runs on a Windows machine and Winders is prone to crashing, so I'll make it a bit beefier than Winders says to! :Banghead
I can always add supports underneath it as necessary.
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
Hi. New to the group. I have a question about the strength of the ramps. I have a stepdeck and recently had a beavertail added to it. I need to construct ramps akin to the ones Jeff is repairing. My question is this: What is the weight of the dozer you're loading onto it? I have a 16 ton tracked machine and don't want to build the ramps too light. Your channel looks like standard 4 inch channel. Is that correct? The ramps look to be what, 4 feet long? Thanks.
Welcome to HEF Dirtmaster! :drinkup
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I've had alot going on lately and haven't checked in for awhile.

I just measured my ramps, they're 3" channel, 3ft long, 18" wide. I use it for a 350 JD dozer approx. 12klbs.

I think they're barely enough for my machine and would be easily crushed by a 16ton machine.:(

I'd definately go heavier, as nedly05 mentioned.

Good luck.:)
 

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Ramp strength question

Thanks! I've designed up a set that is 5 feet long, 20" wide, using 4 inch channel and is being analyzed on the infernal pooter right now. If it passes muster, I'll post a picture of them before and after loading. We'll see if the pictures match. :)
 

cherokee101

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
99
Location
Oklahoma
Ramps

Mine have the apex of the angle up. I end up peeling off the street pads on the trackhoe with disturbing frequency. Need to rebuild with some expanded metal or someting like that.
 

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Ramp strength question

Yeah. We just want to take it to shows and parades for the heck of it.The ramps don't appear to bend at all, and the computer model predicts a 0.029" deflection in the middle, worst case. The ramps are 4 inch standard channel and the cross pieces are 2" by 3/8" angle. Length is about 5 feet. Worst case load is 4 tons per ramp, centered on the ramp. Overbuilt, but that sure beats underbuilt! :)
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
Yeah. We just want to take it to shows and parades for the heck of it.
It's none of my business, but if you don't mind me.........who's tank is it then , possibly yours? You don't appear to be in a Military outfit, atleast by your dress in the pic.:D

What's the lowdown on the tank itself? Manufacturer, gun size, etc?

Sorry so many questions, I'm just curious, and we don't get alot of tanks through the HEF neighborhood,so..............;)
 

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Ramp strength question

Yeah, it's our vehicle. Technically,it's a self propelled gun, 105mm. Gun was demilled before we got it. It's just a toy to take to shows and parades. It's a British Abbot from about 1967. We're part of the restoration and collecting hobby. We putt around the neighborhood in it from time to time, and we recently offered rides in it to a charity auction to raise some $ for a family shelter.
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
Yeah, it's our vehicle. Technically,it's a self propelled gun, 105mm. Gun was demilled before we got it. It's just a toy to take to shows and parades. It's a British Abbot from about 1967. We're part of the restoration and collecting hobby. We putt around the neighborhood in it from time to time, and we recently offered rides in it to a charity auction to raise some $ for a family shelter.
Pretty cool stuff man!!:drinkup

I wonder what the difference between a tank and self proppelled gun is, it's armament or the level of protective plating?

I bet that when you stroll over to the neighbors in the tank (er, self proppelled gun..........toy:cool2 )to retreive that weedwacker they borrowed, they're real quick to return it too, huh?! :D

I had a chance once to take a short ride in a tank, at the Minnesota Guards Camp Ripley in '86. An Abrams M1 IIRC. I was amazed at how smooth it road, considering how rough the ground was, and how fast we were actually going.

I also was amazed at how much fuel it used. The Soilder in charge said fuel mileage @ WOT was 7gals/mile.:eek:

I'm glad to see you can use yours for charity events and other stuff. Thank for sharing!
 

woberlin

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Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Messages
111
Location
malvern, ohio
Occupation
excavating contractor/bodyshop owner
Jeff, the difference between a tank and a self propelled gun is that; a tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a flat trajectory, high velocity cannon, meant for front line use primarly against other tanks. A self propelled gun is basically a lightly armored platform for a howitzer meant for behind the line use as an artillery piece. They are much more versitle than towed artillery, in that they are faster, can travel most terrain, and can be set-up to fire much faster. The light armor also offers some protection, but they are not for front line use.
 

Jeff D.

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2005
Messages
1,280
Location
MN.
Woberlin, thank you for that explanation.

I figured it might have to do with the amount of armor, or possibly the gun size, but I seem to recall seeing some tanks with rather small guns, so I doubted it was gun size alone.
 

Dirtmaster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
63
Location
upper duckwater, IL
Self propelled gun

Someone asked if I get to a show in PA. Er, no. I'm in Washington State. Just thinking about the fuel bill to get there gives me the willies.:jawdrop

Woberlin was spot on in his description of the differences between a tank and a self propelled gun. If this SPG got into a dustup with a tank, it'd be dead meat. They did carry 6 rounds of High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) just in case they had to duke it out at short range, but that should never ever happen. Well, lots of stuff should never ever happen in battle, but does. These were made for the British Army of the Rhine in the cold war to support forward infantry. They'd prowl up and down the roads in Western Germany in case the Russians made a move. Specs are: Carries 38 rounds of 105mm (50 pound projectile) and can chuck them up to 10.5 miles. A 5 ton 6X6 accompanies each SPG, full of ammo. SPGs can elevate the gun to 70 degrees for lobbing, whereas a tank has very limited elevation capability.
The gun needs to be locked down in the clamp you can see while traveling, because it's delicate (relatively) and would shear the elevating gears off if you hit a good bump. They usually fire broadsides because if they fire forward, the muzzle blast knocks out the headlights. Doesn't do much good for the driver up front, either. Although, they only fire from a fixed position, so the driver isn't up front anyway. In the unlikely and unfortunate event that you happened upon a tank, the driver reaches out and unclamps the barrel, then the gunner swings the gun around onto target and uses a secondary sight alongside the barrel to fire point blank. Not very fast.

Here's a picture of it loaded up on my 1951 Trailmobile that we made up a beaver tail and ramps for.
 

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