Just found a goose plate at the junkyard in a rolled 99 2500 gasser. I know, I really wasnt expecting to see it there either being a gas truck and all...(but it came out really easy when the sawzall went after the bed)
But anyway, its the solid plate with angle brackets for the frame, plenty for what I will be towing. Was wondering what grade hardware to bolt it with. Conventional wisdom would say grade 8, but knowledge tells me that grade 8 gets brittle when used with reciever hitches. So whats yalls take? Cant tell by the old bolts, they dont have any markings in the heads.

 

 

Always grade 5's in all hitches this way they flex with the movement and don't break or come lose on ya.

 

Uncle bubba.... I know this is a touchy subject but my train of thinking is that a grade 5 will streach and break before a grade 8 will start to move. I know over on pirate4x4 we have gotten into MANY heated debates over which grade for what... seems like everyone is spit down the middle.

I'm not a engin-nerd by along shot buts what your thoughts on that theory?

 

If you look at every hitch on the market they all come from the factory with grade 5 hardware, all the way from the cheapest to the most expensive. I figure after all the money brands like B&W, Rigid and Putnam put into research they're must be a reason.

I don't pretend to have any scientific knowledge of this stuff myself, but I was always told that Stainless or grade 8 and harder are only for use in static applications that need to be held tight. For anything with movement or vibration it was grade 5.

Just think back to the stories about the oak and willow trees. Oak trees are completely rigid and so oak boards are incredibly strong and long lasting. But in high winds the oak will snap and fall down while in the same winds the willow trees just keep bouncing back.

Now to go one step further, I've had customer bring me trucks with hitches hangin because of grade 8 failures. The bolts don't shear off like you would expect, they actually snap off an break, shatter like a tall glass. You have a top and bottom of the bolt but the broken section is jagged and broken.

 

hhhmmmm

 

 

grade 5 all the way.

 

Grade 5 plated.

 

Welded!!!!!!!!