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TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum | #1 CDL Truck Driver Message Board
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Tricks of the Trade-Occupation Specific Discussion
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Flatbed Trucking Forum
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Wilson Fontaine or doonan combo step decks
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<p>[QUOTE="thejudges69, post: 10445352, member: 169272"]I bought a 1/2" thick by 7/8" thick diameter spacer with a 3/8" ID. It's a steel spacer, and then I bought a 3/8" zinc coated flange bolt and zinc coated nylon insert flange locknut. It takes 94 spacers and bolts to do a 53" stepdeck with 14" crossmember spacing. 12" crossmembers would be little over 100. I did every bolt in my tie down track including the vertical ones in the neck. I chose the flange bolts so I didn't have to worry about washer thickness and as you can see the bolt flange is close in size to the spacer. I got the bolts from McMaster Carr, I'll get a length when I'm at my shop again. If you do a bolt and nut setup, you need to know your thicknesses before you buy. I have about a 1/16" clearance below the floor. But I'm below and that is what matters.</p><p><br /></p><p>From the factory Doonan uses stainless bolts for looks only. I asked Kelly at doonan his thoughts and he highly recommend the grade 8 bolts if your ok with steel bolts. Stainless steel 3/8" bolts have a tensile strength of 70k psi, where a grade 8 is 150k. The bolts are going down through the floor into the crossmembers with the nut on the bottom so that I could keep it below the floor. This method keeps it below the floor so nothing will catch it. If I put the nut on top the bolt will stick up above the floor. Kelly expressed that it doesn't matter what direction the bolts going as long as it's tight and below the floor.</p><p><br /></p><p>You shouldn't use any bigger spacers then I have simply cause the spacers won't fit. The 7/8" spacers can go into the rail standing up and will pivot with just enough space to lay over. Anything bigger won't layover without some grinding.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you buy what I bought you won't need to do any modifying. I used a 1/2" impact on top and a wrench underneath for removal. The wife ran the impact, I held the wrench, we did 3-4 at a time. We then tightened them with a 3/8" impact cause doonan has a torque spec on them bolts and a half inch will exceed the torque and break bolts. It took us 2 hours cause we had to move bridges and tarps. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a link to the spacers hopefully the link works.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.aa-mfg.com/product/aa-648-a-steel-bushing-7-8-od-3-8-id/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.aa-mfg.com/product/aa-648-a-steel-bushing-7-8-od-3-8-id/" rel="nofollow">AA-648-A Steel Bushing, 7/8" OD, 3/8" ID</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I'll get you links to bolts and nuts also. I should start charging for this since doonan may entertain my modification as well .[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="thejudges69, post: 10445352, member: 169272"]I bought a 1/2" thick by 7/8" thick diameter spacer with a 3/8" ID. It's a steel spacer, and then I bought a 3/8" zinc coated flange bolt and zinc coated nylon insert flange locknut. It takes 94 spacers and bolts to do a 53" stepdeck with 14" crossmember spacing. 12" crossmembers would be little over 100. I did every bolt in my tie down track including the vertical ones in the neck. I chose the flange bolts so I didn't have to worry about washer thickness and as you can see the bolt flange is close in size to the spacer. I got the bolts from McMaster Carr, I'll get a length when I'm at my shop again. If you do a bolt and nut setup, you need to know your thicknesses before you buy. I have about a 1/16" clearance below the floor. But I'm below and that is what matters. From the factory Doonan uses stainless bolts for looks only. I asked Kelly at doonan his thoughts and he highly recommend the grade 8 bolts if your ok with steel bolts. Stainless steel 3/8" bolts have a tensile strength of 70k psi, where a grade 8 is 150k. The bolts are going down through the floor into the crossmembers with the nut on the bottom so that I could keep it below the floor. This method keeps it below the floor so nothing will catch it. If I put the nut on top the bolt will stick up above the floor. Kelly expressed that it doesn't matter what direction the bolts going as long as it's tight and below the floor. You shouldn't use any bigger spacers then I have simply cause the spacers won't fit. The 7/8" spacers can go into the rail standing up and will pivot with just enough space to lay over. Anything bigger won't layover without some grinding. If you buy what I bought you won't need to do any modifying. I used a 1/2" impact on top and a wrench underneath for removal. The wife ran the impact, I held the wrench, we did 3-4 at a time. We then tightened them with a 3/8" impact cause doonan has a torque spec on them bolts and a half inch will exceed the torque and break bolts. It took us 2 hours cause we had to move bridges and tarps. Here is a link to the spacers hopefully the link works. [URL="https://www.aa-mfg.com/product/aa-648-a-steel-bushing-7-8-od-3-8-id/"]AA-648-A Steel Bushing, 7/8" OD, 3/8" ID[/URL] I'll get you links to bolts and nuts also. I should start charging for this since doonan may entertain my modification as well .[/QUOTE]
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TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum | #1 CDL Truck Driver Message Board
Forums
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Tricks of the Trade-Occupation Specific Discussion
>
Flatbed Trucking Forum
>
Wilson Fontaine or doonan combo step decks
>
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