Making a Rolling Tailboard

Id like to have a go at making one this year universe willing so chucking it out there, any advice/ideas/experience welcome. The idea is simple, strong and serviceable. I dont mind over building it some, nothing too strong ever broke right . The truck has a 3.5ton odd max payload, so its only wee next to the oilfield stuff.

For simplicity im thinking something along the lines of the sketch below. Use a flanged bronze bush in a fabbed insert that welds into the roll. The shaft would pass through the bushings and be pinched tight in 2 mounts welded to the I section, the roll would be further supported with four smaller rollers that locate behind and under the roll. Ive the pipe already, 6-7" diameter with 1/2" wall thickness.





For anyone not familiar with a rolling tailboard this video gives a good jist, along some commentary and closeups of the kit. Except its about 10 time beefier than what ill be aiming at


Cheers

I would figure out how to use rolling element bearings, whether they are roller, tapered roller, or ball. Watch your weight, or your entire payload will be in the winch and tailboard.

gbent said:

Watch your weight, or your entire payload will be ^^^ consumed by ^^^ XX the winch and tailboard.

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THIS. Is the nut to crack.

And why they are not all that common as add-ons vs a purpose-engineered from the outset tilt / roll-back rig.

gbent said:

I would figure out how to use rolling element bearings, whether they are roller, tapered roller, or ball. Watch your weight, or your entire payload will be in the winch and tailboard.

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yeah, and don't forget to add in the downward component of winch line tension. The load on the tailboard can be greater that the weight of object you are loading.

Demon, you're talking 3.5 ton payload so I'm assuming an ''ordinary'' 7.5 ton gross truck.

I can tell you from experience, that while winch loading over a roller oilfield style is possible, it is plain brutal, .........and most of the equipment hauled on such trucks is specially designed for that purpose.

The back end of the body needs to be strong enough to take the weight and stain,(most std ones aren't) as do the body to chassis mountings, ...........and you will definitely need some form of jacking leg with a wheel - like a skip loader has,- ..............for the back end of the truck body has to be kept as near level as possible throughout the entire operation.

Furthermore, ''special'' truck bodies are a legal minefield, (and you'll have to check with the UK's construction and use regulations to be sure??) but I'm pretty sure the load rollers have to be lockable if not retractable as our traffic laws do not permit loads on rollers, ......RO-RO (hook loader) bin and containers have special locking hooks and clamps.

I'm nor saying it can't be done, but advise you tread very carefully, the traffic cops aren't stupid, and if they spot something a bit out of the ordinary you will get pulled! ............as I'm also sure I've no need to tell you that breaking Goods Vehicle rules and regulations can be a VERY expensive past time, ....with the added risk of walking until your licence ban is up.

I like this manuf, there is a local dealer, and I good look at an install one day.

It's about as light as you can get.

The only weight saving I can suggest, is to get rid of the scissor
lift mechanism, and replace with (2) telescoping cylinders mounted
vertically in the front.
Home - Switch-N-Go(R) Interchangeable Truck Body System Manufacuturer

Cheers gents. Im leaning towards plain bearings mostly from the comments here. Im thinking if the bushings are housed in the roller and the shaft passes through them then both shaft and bearings are easily replaceable.

Sami, I got the old D series in the cross hairs . I plan to chop it off just behind the spring hangers but keep the aluminum body. Anything thats loaded will be on some sort of skid thatll land down on a cross member of sorts, as to save the body. I hear you on the legal side, its a historical lorry and im not on an O license. Youre right about it being a minefield but I accept the risk.

I cant see it really needing legs like a skip lorry as the load is far closer to the axle, not at arms length (funny video ), plus one half of the skid sits on the floor till its pulled over the roller.
Re locks and stuff ive some ideas, but i want to focus on the roller assembly atm, Im thinking something like 40mm or so for the shaft from these guys. Sound about right?

First time ive come across spherical plain bearings, well, outside of track rod ends etc.

It looks like your design is good, you have your support rollers figured out. Most tail rolls that I've repaired had a spherical roller bearing your bushing for the load your talking about should work fine. I do think your shaft holder should be beefed up its the member taking the load to your bed. last but not least stake pockets, you can't believe how fast a load can slip side ways with steel on steel. I also have never seen support legs needed, if you lift the front wheels off the ground its time to reassess. You don't learn nothing without trying.

ronf said:

It looks like your design is good, you have your support rollers figured out. Most tail rolls that I've repaired had a spherical roller bearing your bushing for the load your talking about should work fine. I do think your shaft holder should be beefed up its the member taking the load to your bed. last but not least stake pockets, you can't believe how fast a load can slip side ways with steel on steel. I also have never seen support legs needed, if you lift the front wheels off the ground its time to reassess. You don't learn nothing without trying.

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Thanks for chiming in ronf, good to to hear from someone who works on these things.

Was thinking on what you said re the shaft supports. Perhaps instead of being a flange it could just be a large 'split ring' that pinchs on the shaft then bolts up to the roller frame, would pretty much look like the one in the video, seems to be a pretty popular design.
Will definitely include provisions for pins, ive experience of steel on steel slip, unfortunately.


If youve any pics of rollers in bits btw, id love to see them.

Another idea, don’t know if its good or not. Check out post #8
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?387501-Roller-Tail-Board