Wilson Fontaine or doonan combo step decks

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by Guf, Nov 1, 2019.

  1. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    Stainless is not SOFT, it is HARD, the failure mode comes not from the elasticity (bend) but from shattering, this is why grade 8 is frequently a good compromise, but the zinc coat you've come up with matches nothing I've seen in any of the documentation and reasoning for stainless over steel (not to mention real world reinstalling of crappy structural aluminum stair and rail)
     
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  3. thejudges69

    thejudges69 Light Load Member

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    Designing and fabricating waste water treatment stairs and railings is something not ever in the elements that a trailer is into. Your dealing with 2 completely different fields. As long as I've been in the business, (gathering your fairly new) I can assure you that stainless does not have many places in an aluminum trailer without intensified issues. I've tried everything possible to slow the galvanic corrosion down when stainless meets aluminum and it always fails. Anything from tech washers to silicone to grease.

    Black steel will likely speed the process of corrosion where as the zinc has a barrier in between. Perhaps once you buy your aluminum flatbed you'll be able to see for yourself.
     
  4. thejudges69

    thejudges69 Light Load Member

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    So what grade material would you call a stainless fastener? I should notate that stainless hardened fasteners are available at a premium of 5-7 dollars a bolt. However your run of the mill industrial supply chain typically offers something in the lines of a grade 2-3 bolt. Softer then grade 5. Now stainless steel structural material i.e. bars, flat stock, plate, yes it is stronger then steel. But more brittle in certain situations.
     
  5. thejudges69

    thejudges69 Light Load Member

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    For reference.
     

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  6. thejudges69

    thejudges69 Light Load Member

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    Now what I will add is that McMaster Carr offers a steel bolt, I forget the corrosion coating on it. I have it in my headlights, they are OEM paccar lights made from top grade aluminum. The stainless fasteners will corrode and fail when attempting to remove them. These coated steel bolts have been in my headlights 3 years now. I removed them this past winter to just freshen things up and every one came out by hand with hand tools, not even a ratchet with absolutely no corrosion what so ever. This coating isn't available in bigger bolts or I'd have them in my trailer instead of zinc.
     
  7. Son

    Son Light Load Member

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    ....... Or just buy a trailer engineered to last
     
  8. thejudges69

    thejudges69 Light Load Member

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    Every trailer has engineering quirks and issues. None of them are perfect
     
  9. Guf

    Guf Light Load Member

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    3 years with the wilson and it has held up darn good! The combo really handles weight. Debating on upgrading to an all aluminum thoughts? Or stay combo? I can scale 49.5k with the combo. Wanting to add an ramp kit. I know the aluminum are about 1-1.2k lighter. Few pictures of some loads over the years
     

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