Author Topic: Homemade trailer hitch for C14 (Read 12601 times)

kawacop1642 · « **on:** February 11, 2012, 04:52:21 PM »

So I decided to build my own hitch since the few vendors who make them for the c14 are way out of control with the pricing. One place wants $179.00 just for shipping.
Anyway, I'm just about finished with it and will post pics on and off the bike. Will also tow my small cargo trailer for several hundred miles to test it.
I will be hoping to get some good feedback from you guys as to the location I chose to mount the hitch.
Total cost so far is about $20 bucks.

just gone · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2012, 05:05:23 PM »

I'm lookin' forward to seeing this, don't forget us, regardless of the results.

jamiemac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2012, 05:10:34 PM »

Same here. I'm planning on doing the same.

Bosco · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2012, 07:29:37 PM »

Sounds good. Will you make anymore.

Son of Pappy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2012, 09:06:15 PM »

Part of the captivated audience

The Pope · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2012, 04:13:19 AM »

Axxman · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2012, 05:19:30 AM »

Trailer hitch? Really??

Cuda · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2012, 06:38:16 AM »

Really ... to tow his Harley around

kawacop1642 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2012, 12:43:35 PM »

Well I finished the rough draft and will make a test run soon. Here are several picks of the semi finished hitch. I still need to bend the ball plate up slightly to level.

kawacop1642 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2012, 12:58:19 PM »

Another pic

just gone · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:14:34 PM »

So, the bent bars going to the axle are under compression from the tongue weight, do you think they might need a little
vertical help from the sub-frame above the rear fender? What tongue weight are you going to test with,
and what is your approx. tongue weight goal?

Best wishes on your testing.

kawacop1642 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2012, 05:25:04 PM »

marty,
don't think you could use a brace from the sub frame to the axle. Then you would have no travel of suspension. in other words, the shock would not compress. Would be sorta like having a ridged frame.

I designed the hitch so that the top bar slopes downward and the bottom brace goes upward which puts the rear ball evenly between the two. sorta like a vee shape. This allows the weight to be distributed evenly to where the hitch is mounted.
I am guessing the tounge weight on my small cargo trailer is probably around 40 or so pounds. The trailer itself (empty) only weighs 150lbs.

I'm gonna do a test run with the trailer attached and loaded up soon and post my results here.

Sixgun17 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2012, 07:24:32 PM »

So...aren't you adding about 40 pounds of unsprung weight to your rear suspension, or am I a confused resident?

Not that it would be the first time...

just gone · « **Reply #13 on:** February 15, 2012, 11:56:56 PM »

Quote from: kawacop1642 on February 15, 2012, 05:25:04 PM

Then you would have no travel of suspension. in other words, the shock would not compress. Would be sorta like having a ridged frame.

Well DUH!

I shoulda thought about that. An excellent point.

Perhaps some horizontal gussets welded at the bends in the lower bars would ease my
concerns about tongue weight and hard braking causing problems at the bends.
However, carry on with the testing, maybe I'm just a worry wart. $:-\$

The Pope · « **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2012, 03:55:38 AM »

I like what you've done so far, but I do agree with fartymarty that the addition of some horizontal gussets welded at the bends in the lower bars would help. Full length horizontal section added to the lower bars may be even better, as that would increase the strength greatly.

kawacop1642 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 16, 2012, 06:21:19 AM »

After further testing (standing on the hitch, 195 lbs) I decided to weld a gusset at the bend of the left brace as it ever so slightly moved as I jumped on the hitch. Of course, the tounge weight of the trailer is not even close to this, but for the extra insurance it's woth the two mins. of welding.

Thanks for the input guys. I'm open to more suggestions.

basmntdweller · « **Reply #16 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:21:43 AM »

Is the hitch plate just welded to the backside of the main hoop? I'd want a little more support there if that is the case. Otherwise, with the stiffener added to the left lower strut, it looks good to go!

Matt

lt1 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 16, 2012, 12:06:17 PM »

I had noticed this thread earlier, but hadn't logged in to see the pictures. Now that I have, I can say that I admire your enthusiasm, but cannot recommend the design. I'm not an engineer, so I will probably not explain it well, but please try to follow the concept.

You are adding unsprung weight to the rear. Not a good thing in and of itself, but you have amplified the error by leveraging the unsprung weight.

Every bump and road contour will be transferring energy to the hitch, ball and tongue of the trailer. Because of the linkage in the C14 driveshaft, it is not as bad as if it were attached to a conventional swingarm, but there will still be a lot of vibration and energy transfer.

Additional loads are also being transferred directly into the swingarm and swingarm bushings/bearings, which will at least accelerate wear, and will affect suspesion compliance and handling.

I'm sorry to have to say this, but this looks like a bad design to me, and I believe that you would be risking life, limb, and property to use it at highway speeds.

basmntdweller · « **Reply #18 on:** February 16, 2012, 02:11:54 PM »

Quote from: lt1 on February 16, 2012, 12:06:17 PM

I had noticed this thread earlier, but hadn't logged in to see the pictures. Now that I have, I can say that I admire your enthusiasm, but cannot recommend the design. I'm not an engineer, so I will probably not explain it well, but please try to follow the concept.

You are adding unsprung weight to the rear. Not a good thing in and of itself, but you have amplified the error by leveraging the unsprung weight.

Every bump and road contour will be transferring energy to the hitch, ball and tongue of the trailer. Because of the linkage in the C14 driveshaft, it is not as bad as if it were attached to a conventional swingarm, but there will still be a lot of vibration and energy transfer.

Additional loads are also being transferred directly into the swingarm and swingarm bushings/bearings, which will at least accelerate wear, and will affect suspesion compliance and handling.

I'm sorry to have to say this, but this looks like a bad design to me, and I believe that you would be risking life, limb, and property to use it at highway speeds.

After reading this and thinking about it, I agree that he is correct. You don't want your hitch ball bouncing the trailer around at every little pebble in the road. It needs to be mounted to the suspended part of the bike's chassis, leaving the suspension do it's job freely. I don't think it would be risking life and limb but it definitely will affect handling to a degree that you aren't going to like.

Matt

kawacop1642 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2012, 02:36:03 PM »

Well, you guys are right! I did a little test run with the trailer loaded behind me. I took it over several speed bumps and bumpy roads. I did notice that the front tounge of the traier did get thrown up some with the suspension. not severe, but enough to warrant concern if I was to hit a heavy bump at hiway speeds. Other then that, it pulled effortlessly. Didn't feel it back there.

Back to the drawing board.

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Author Topic: Homemade trailer hitch for C14 (Read 12601 times)

Son of Pappy