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Re: Is it safe to weld attachments onto a hitch?

To: Mike Lee - Team Banana Racing <mikel@ichips.intel.com>,
Subject: Re: Is it safe to weld attachments onto a hitch?
From: Bob Hamilton <hamilton@cast.navnet.net>
Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2000 21:31:03 -0300
Mike,

         The reason for not allowing weld on the hitch is the same as on 
the frames of large tractor (truck) units. Welding produces stress around 
the weld area and if not heat treated after welding, can produce fractures 
and eventual failure of the welded piece due to constant flexing. There is 
also the possibility of a poor undercut weld which reduces the thickness of 
the welded piece.

         Same applies to pressure vessels such as propane tanks and railway 
tank cars ( I used to work at a tank car manufacturing plant). All welding 
is done on the tank and then the whole unit is placed in a large furnace, 
heated to ~1200F and held there for 1 hour and then cooled in the furnace 
to 600F and then air cooled. Nothing can be welded to the tank after stress 
relieving.

Later,
Bob



At 11:16 AM 6/2/2000 -0700, Mike Lee - Team Banana Racing wrote:

>Just curious if anyone knows if it's safe to modify a hitch....  I have a 
>class III
>Draw-tite receiver hitch on the back of my XJ.  I recall when I bought it, 
>that there
>was a warning not to "drill, weld, or modify" the hitch.  I'm guessing it 
>was there
>for liability reasons more than anything else, but I'm curious....

=========================================================
Robert (Bob) A.C. Hamilton, Waverley, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Man of Many Sunbeams - Alpine, Drophead and Saloon 1953-1954
[Stable mates - 1973 Midget and 1968 M-B 280SE]
Home Page: www.navnet.net/~hamilton
BATANS Home Page: www.batans.ns.ca
E-Mail: hamilton@cast.navnet.net
=========================================================


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