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Building a new lunette

SGTGunner

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Sorry but I don't know the correct term for the assembly with the lunette ring attached that actuates the surge brakes, so for the rest of this post I'll just refer to it as......."it".

I've been researching for ways to make my M1101 ride level while hooked up to my truck. None of the "solutions" I've come across so far interest me for one reason or another. I don't want the leverage on my truck from a 10"-12" riser nor do I want the bending issues that come with them. I also don't want to permanently alter any part of the trailer. So what I plan on doing is to build a new "it" from scratch with (for my application) 10" of additional drop. I'm not all that familiar with the inner workings of the surge brakes so I wanted to run this by yall and get your thoughts, and also to ask why it isn't a more popular method, at least as far as I can tell from my searches.
I had a hard time finding a metal supplier that carried 2 1/2" x 3" tubing, but I did find some 2"x3"x1/4" so I bought a couple feet. I have a slice of 7/16" plate in the scrap pile I'll weld to the bottom of the horizontal member to take up most of the slop while leaving it loose enough to slide in and out. I haven't measured the angle of the drop member yet but will most likely bring the angle down a little bit while adding my additional 10" of drop. Naturally I'll add as much of a gusset as will fit for good measure.

With proper welds, would/should this set up be a viable, strong and SAFE way to achieve a level ride height? Would that much drop alter the way the surge brakes operate?

I'm a welder by trade, but my work doesn't involve any real structural work where safety of the general public may be at stake so I'm a little nervous that even with a large gusset there would be too much leverage, especially laterally. Any tips or ideas would be appreciated.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
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Some pictures or a drawing would help. Are you saying you are not going to alter the ring or the arm it's mounted on? That arm does appear to be a cast or forged steel, as many do alter it, weld to it, to bringing the new part down at about a 45* angle for a ball hitch.

Personally, and some may disagree, I'd use a stick welder with 6011 base weld and then go to 7018...not mig.
 

DeadParrot

Active member
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oklahoma city, ok
If I read your plans correctly, what you will accomplish is transfer the unwanted leverage from the truck to the trailer. It doesn't magically go away. It will all be transferred to the surge brake housing and from that to the trailer frame. There is probably a structural reason the center of the ring is within fractions of an inch of the center of the trailer frame the surge brake system is mounted on.

I fixed the problem on my truck by having a custom hitch installed that comes straight back off the frame and just above the license plate on the rear bumper.
 

SGTGunner

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Id be using 6010 for the root and 7018 for fill/cover. I don't like using mig on anything where strength/safety is a concern. Mig is capable of strong good looking welds, but 7018s give me the warm fuzzys.

Anyway no I would not be altering anything, I'll build a completely new one from scratch to replace the original. I already have the material and a new lunette ring, I just need the time to build it. I'll be replicating the original just with more of a drop and a gusset.

Yes, I understand that all I'll be accomplishing is moving the leverage point to the trailer instead of on the truck, but the trailer is built more robustly than my F150, and will probably never carry more than 2000 lbs. I think then the weak link would be the bolts securing the brake housing so I may decide to close the bottom side of it by welding C channel to it so the housing then slides over the tongue and the hard ware simply holds the housing in place instead of taking most of the force from towing.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
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I like a 45* from the horizontal member. I'm not sure if that is what you describe.

Sounds like you have it under control. We like pictures.
 

SGTGunner

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Texas
Sorry it's been so long. I only recently got the time to work on it. I still need to drill the holes for the pins and add a gusset. It's not perfectly level (I missed a cut and lost length on the dropped part correcting it) but much better than it was. Also by using a civilian size lunette ring to match the pintle I should be rid of any binding issues. I will also be drilling a hole which I can insert a pin to lock out the brakes for easier backing.
 
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SGTGunner

New member
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Location
Texas
So far it's been working as well as the original, however I have yet to pull it with a load. I really don't want to load it until I can add a gusset to support the bottom of the lunette mount.
 
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