Ranger boat trailer swing tongue bolt breakage

This is something to watch for, if you have a Ranger Trail trailer. The bolt for my swing tongue broke in half the last time out, and I had been waiting for a month for a replacement bolt from Ranger. Both ends were still in the trailer, but when I pulled the pin there was a lot of play when I went to swing it. I thought first that the lock nut started to loosen, but when I tried to tighten it I realized the bolt was broken. I found a place that sells them on line, and I will post a link if anyone needs to buy one. My bolt is 5/8″ X 7 1/2″ long. I am not sure if all Ranger trailer models have the same size bolt though. I have a 621 VS Ranger

http://www.boltdepot.com/product.aspx?cc=6&cs=7&cm=6&cd=66

Bolt I ordered was 9104 7-1/2 $7.72

are you sure the original was an 18-8 stainless steel one? Most stainless bolts are fairly “soft”, fastener-wise. If you still have the old one, look at the head. 3 lines indicate a grade 5 bolt, 5 lines indicate a grade 8. I’m noticing that some trailer companies are using (2) shorter bolts, 1 top, 1 bottom, rather than 1 long one.
HRG

I have just recently been thru this with my trailer and would advise anyone with a swing tongue to check this on a regular basis.My pull pin broke one week then the bolt the next going down the road and let me tell you it is not cool.Luckily I was in town and only going 30mph when the bolt went and the tongue did swing all the way to the point that it hit my bumper.I don`t need to list all “what could of happened” scenarios but just imagine the words that came out when I looked in my drivers mirror and the boat was gone.It swung so far the boat was not visiable at all in my mirror so the immediate reaction was absolute panic and where the he** did I lose the boat.It was dark and raining which magnified the situation x 10. Thank goodness nobody was walking down that side of the road and no cars were parked on the street either

Yeah it was the original stainless steel bolt, but there ae no lines on the top of that bolt it has “F593C CK” stamped on the top. The stainless bolt I bought on line has “S30400 THE” stamped on the top of that one. The replacement bolt from Ranger was in today as well so I picked that up. The replacement bolt was galvanized steel rather than stainless, and that bolt has five lines on the top of it. I put the galvanized bolt in it, and will keep the stainless I bought on line in my truck just in case.

Great post thanks, been thinking about some replacement parts.

Just to follow this up. I did some research on the stainless bolts. Stainless steel is not even close to as strong as even a grade 5 bolt. After getting a replacement galvanized grade 8 bolt from Ranger, I went back to the dealer to look at the new Ranger boat trailers, and they have galvanized grade 8 bolts in them now. I would suggest if you have a bigger boat you may want to switch it out to a grade 8 from stainless just to be safe.

Mojo,
Is the grade 8 bolt you got from Ranger the typical dull-silver galvanizing, or the yellow zinc-chromate? I can get yellow zinc grade 8 around here all day long, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one galvanized (dull silver).
Thanks, HRG

It is the dull gray/silver galvanizing grade 8

I’ve never checked that bolt. On my list of things to look at tonight. (I never remove the bolt as I have never needed to swing the tounge) Thanks.

-J.

Just thought I would show where my bolt broke before I throw it out.