I need to reattach a bracket which holds a hydrolic lift on the corner of my Lance truck camper.
The 10-2″ lags would no longer tighten. The vertical support is a 2×2 or something similiar – I can’t tell due to the metal sheeting. Anyway, the wood is pretty cracked up, due to all the lag holes. What would you suggest to “inject into the wood to stabilize the 2×2? I thought of pumping “Liquid Nails” into the lag holes, letting it dry, and then reattaching the bracket with new lags.
Any other suggestions, methods, or products to use???
Replies
That's a little hard to say without seeing it or knowing how much force this hydraulic lift has to endure.
Liquid nails tends to stay a little bit plastic and have too much give for something like this though, IMO. I might be looking for some epoxy product.
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I agree with piffin that liquid nails doesn't harden up the way you'd like for this application.
I would use a two-part epoxy. Ace Hardware or the auto parts store will have a variety of two-part epoxies although mostly in very small tubes. Check the instructions for temperature ratings, some epoxies shouldn't see the temperatures that a car parked in the sun can achieve.
J-B weld goes to a high temperature but is paste-like in application. Something of lower viscosity will penatrate further into the wood. Such as some of the clear epoxies. And, if you need it thicker, you can add fine sawdust to thicken it bit or a lot. If it is so busted up that epoxy would drip out a lower crack, then seal the edges and sides with tape before pouring the epoxy in.
Once the epoxy is cured (read the instructions for time which is temperature dependent), you can sand it, drill it, put lags into , etc. You would have pre-drill for lags a little larger than for wood - the epoxy won't give nearly as much. Trimming drips and goobers off is easiest with a sharp blade while the epoxy is still "green" - not wet to the touch but still pliable.
What Dave said makes me think that car bondo would work as well.
get the one with long fiberglass fibers already in the mix. before it goes hard as nails you could screw into it and it should hold very well.
If at first you don't succeed...try again! After that quit! No sense being a dam fool about it! W.C.Fields
It's a wood frame camper with metal skin?
This is one you are going to have some fun with if you want it to be right.
Pull off some trim, jerk a few staples out and dig into it. You really need to replace the injured member.
The chances are really good that the framing is stapled together with roofing staples. Basically strapped together. The real strength comes from the interior paneling and lots of glue.
The problem with trying to stabilize what is there is that you are lifting a quarter of that camper, or maybe a third. Depending on a 3 or 4 jack setup.
All the materials you are going to need is a chunk of lumber and some roll putty. Then it is just doing it.
It may seem like a big deal, but I promise is really won't be. I built them for years and fixed plenty. Of course you will want it off the truck if it is a front jack.
Prepare to be amazed at how little there is in there.
PS........
Be sure to drill pilot holes when you replace the lags.
That will help to keep it from splitting.
All in all it is a poor design for the attachment of the jack. But they have been like that for 25 years.