bits that hold a Sankey body to the trailer

[BogMonster]

My Sankey trailer box has announced its intention to detach from the chassis on the next outing

of the 8 body to chassis mounts along each side of the box body, 6 are gone and the 2 that are left are unrecognisable lumps of rust only found that today when I lifted the trailer up by the front of the box to hose it out and the box came away from the chassis, did produce some words along the lines of ooooerr bugger that was a bit close (having just got back from using it)

What do these mountings look like when you can see them - is it a U-bolt or (as I think) maybe some sort of eye bolt arrangement with the eye at the top (bolted to the box) and the threaded part going down through the brackets on the chassis to allow the box to be tightened down?

bit of a strange idea but I think it would be easier to make new fittings than try and alter the whole mounting arrangement, the rest of the brackets are OK (well at least they are no more rotten than the box ) its just the "thready bits" that have departed.

[Guest diesel_jim]

My old narrow track trailer used "J" bolts (about 6 or 7mm diameter IIRC).

i think i had a bag of new ones them ready for when i "did it up", but never got around to it, if they're any good i could post them? although i only got them from my local fastner place, they were nothing special.

later wide track trailers have about eight M8 bolts, and the tie-down hoops also aid in the body mounting (they have a bloody great roll pin that holds then in place)

[BogMonster]

I'm a bit confused now - and wondering if mine has been repaired once already

After I posted the Q I found the Sankey workshop manual I thought I had somewhere which clearly shows J bolts/hook bolts going through holes on the trailer body and tightening it down onto the frame but mine is definitely not this exact arrangement, as there are rusted up bolts through the holes where the "J bolt" would go, I will take a picture at lunchtime to explain (clocks changed this weekend and its still dark here at the moment)

I think having looked at the diagram in the WSM that J bolts might be the easiest repair because I can just cut off the rusted up mess and put these through the old holes which hopefully will be OK.

If you do find the bolts you had I might take them off your hands for some beer tokens, I don't think you can get such things round these parts though a gas torch and some M6 stud bar might be a temporary solution

[BogMonster]

Found some M8 hook bolts for 15p each so a bit of work with a drill and I think it should be sorted for the princely sum of £1.20

[Guest diesel_jim]

Cool, no probs. B)

shout if you do need them though, i'll dig 'em out.

[BogMonster]

All done and good for another couple of years before the mountings have nothing left on the box to bolt to

Easiest way to do it is to start like this:

much easier to work on it when upside down

This was the best one of those left, under the middle of the trailer, odd looking fitting and completely different to those shown in the Sankey manual but I guess they are original, seven of them were missing completely (rusted and fallen off on the rough track down to the house, I guess):

which I tapped lightly with a hammer and it fell off, if you grind out the bolt there is a hole which is the right size for M8 hook bolts so then I replaced with these:

nine of these later (couldn't be bothered with the other one under the middle as it was inaccessible with the grinder and anyway the rear of the trailer is held down with the tailboard conversion) a few seconds with the winch to right it:

I wondered what that funny bracket on the axle was for, nothing to do with the brakes obviously