For all you MEs out there.

I have access to some aluminum box tube. It is 4.5 X 2 with a 1/8th wall thickness. It is extruded/anodized 6063-T5. I'm wanting to build an super light weight trailer for the Abomination. The car weighs less than 2000 pounds, probably in the 1500-1600 range. The length of the deck will be 10 feet and it will be 6 feet wide. It will be a tandem axle trailer. My plan is to build a perimeter out of box and then run two more pieces lengthwise inside the car wheels. There will also be several cross pieces to tie it all together. The tongue would run back to the front axle. Is this going to be strong enough or am I out of my mind.

I'm getting tired of towing 3000 pound trailer to haul a 1500 pound car.

Thanks for the help.

What? Oh, wait...I thought you were looking for a Medical Examiner.

Never mind.

In reply to Datsun1500:

Nice. Beat me to it... I took too long in the googles.

Sounds like fun. Plan on TIG welding it?

Sorry, I shouldn't have started this...

RoosterSauce wrote: Sounds like fun. Plan on TIG welding it?

Hmm, just the excuse I need to buy that welder I've always wanted.

With absolutely zero calculations, my SWAG says you'll be fine.

In reply to Toyman01: You should be, but if you really want to know for sure, you'd have to do some calculations.

DILYSI Dave wrote: With absolutely zero calculations, my SWAG says you'll be fine.

Probably could even take some of the middle sections out, since you don't really use them.

Back in June, I was requested to measure and photograph my trailer- need to do that sometime. If you find challenge pics from 2002- you may see it- it was covered a few boards ago.

But it's only 14' long, the basic structure is to bent 1/4 aluminum plates to form both wheel locations and bending structure, then a steel T that goes foreward for the trailer pick up. Dual axles, just as you plan. My Alfa overhangs both the front a rear of the actual trailer- wheel base fits easily.

Very simple- weighs only 750lb (according to the shipping weight), and is capable of 3000lb.

Seems to me if you arrange the tubes right, you can get both strength and stiffness.

Oh, and MIG attachemts to weld aluminum- thick stuff- is cheap, and easy.

I immediately thought of.......

I don't think you should have any problems as long as the welds are good.

oldeskewltoy wrote: I immediately thought of.......

What is that and why do I want it?

Edit: Googled an image for it and the first one I cliked on came back to GRM...

MIG welds will be plenty strong. Maybe not as pretty as TIG, but anybody whose knowledge of welding is deeper than "American Chopper" will know you did it right.

In reply to neon4891:

a few hints in the ad...

AC as in AC Cobra. That is the late 70s A/C sports car. Much hype about it, unfortunately it never made it to the USA

http://www.google.com/search?q=ac+me3000&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=

Not an ME, but an ME student...

The text book half of me would rather use steel because it is much stronger when annealed then aluminum and has better fatigue properties then aluminum so you don't have to worry about it degrading as much...

The "I don't have a damn band saw so I'll just stand to the side while using this grinding wheel to cut that aluminum" side of me says wikipedia shows 6063-0 has an ultimate tensile strength of only 5Ksi less then 6063-T5(17ksi vs 22ksi) and excellent weld-ability with tig. So unless you were building an ultra optimized race weight trailer you will probably be fine.

Keep in mind the weld areas may lose up to 30% of their strength and build it with a bigger car then expected in mind and you probably wont have any problems.

Add gussets where the tongue stringers tie to the deck, MIG all of and you should be fine.

Rog

ME here,

What was your question? I read the thing 3 times looking for a question mark and couldn't find one.

Your design and welding will be the conclusive piece of the puzzle but that material has the possibility to do what you are asking. Design parameters, service life, and processing during manufacture need to be taken into design account. You did not give enough detail to provide a conclusive answer.

Given that, good luck.

6063-T5 Material sheet

1018 Mild Steel Material sheet

Hate to be the run-around guy here but seriously, you won't get an answer from an ME anymore than I gave with your information posted. No one will risk professional liability nor do we want to see someone hurt. We need to see the whole package. Aluminum has some unique properties to consider when designing with.

(In my best coon-ass impression) You can do it! But no one will say yay or nay without knowing more.

Thanks for the answers guys. I'll put a design on paper in the next few days and post it for your critique. I've built trailers before, but always out of steel and way over built. I would really like to keep the weight on this one to a minimum. I'm trying to get my towing gas mileage above the 7-9 MPG range.

http://metalgeek.com/static/deflection.php

and send me drawings when you're done...

Here's the engineer response.

The material itself is a fine choice... IF you design it correctly and construct it correctly.

Oldtin and Flightservice , thanks for the links. Thanks to the rest of you also. Even the Quincy picture.