source for receiver tube

[glockdoc]

looking for an online source for receiver tubing for making receiver hitches. Local supplier wants to sell me 2.5" square 3/16" thick which is not the proper stuff-too much slop. he claims he can order what I want but won't. I can go to a local hitch installer and pay a ridiculous price for what I need. Guessing what I need is 2.5" sq by 1/4" thick DOM. Anyone have any ideas?

[fun4now]

any ideal why he wont order it??? thats kind strange, makeing you pay $$$ woud be no suprise though. i got some local bit its more like 3/16 but it fits nice and snug. use it to make my POW*MIA hitch plugs, or are you trying to make the hitch the plug gose in??
i dont supose there is another place in the area, maybee check the phone book for fab shops and see if one of them will order it for ya.

[calweld]

I haven't bought it for a while (it lasts a long time!!), but it was called 2.53" X 2.53" X 1/4 wall flashout (seam removed), you have three hundredths clearance when using a 2" tube. It may be called something else now, I think the last time I got it was about 10 years ago. My local steel supplier has it, I'm sure if you called around a little somebody carries it.

Just a warning -- I have seen another size of tubing that is more like a 2 5/8", almost 1/8" clearance when using 2" tube -- it is ideal for sliding cheater bars on hay trailers, but too sloppy for trailer hitches, and I have seen it used on trailer hitches. If you are going to be making hitches look for the 2.53" stuff.

Another warning -- tubing made a few years ago had larger radius corners than that made today -- sometimes you have conflicts using newer 2" tube and older receiver tube -- the squarer corners on the newer 2" tube won't always fit into the rounder corners on the inside of the older 2.53" tube.

[chaikwa]

http://www.buyersproducts.com/

That's where I buy all my receiver tubes from. Comes in lengths up to 4', as short as 6" too.

You'll probably have to set up an account with them to order anything, but that's no big deal.

chaikwa.

[moellerswelding]

try buyers products in cleveland ohio

[glockdoc]

Never did say why he wouldn't order it. When it comes to al, brass, ss, copper, ornamental iron he is the only game in town. Guess "My way or the highway" mentality. If he ever gets hungry his attitude may readjust. Ran into the same thing north of Atlanta at Gem City Steel awhile back. Tried to sell me the 2.5 by 3/16" stuff. Even told me that's what Ford and GM use. I would prefer to get a 10' or 20' stick of the stuff. I can paint, drill pin holes, and weld on the stress collars. I need to build a hitch for a truck, front hitch on a Jeep, yet to be designed way to install an overhead rack to a truck's front bumper/frame. Also have a friend that wants to be able to make his winch mount mobile. As you can tell I could use several feet of this stuff. I'll give buyersproducts a call. thanx

[dyn88]

northerntool.com Look around I know they carry them

[Quadlinear]

Excellent trailer/hitch internet supply house with a great online ctalog is www.expeditior.com I have used them before with satisfaction.

Alan

[fun4now]

i couldnt get your link to work ??? can you check the spelling or try another way to post it.
thanks
james :cool:

[Sberry]

I buy them premade from the trailer supply place, under 15$, dont have to cut it or drill a hole and the steel comes free and the stress collar is on, ha, unless I was in the biz I wouldnt fool with buying stock most of the time. The stock will cost too offsetting the cost of the ready mades. I dont think a guy could save 5$ and still has to do the work. Its worth 5$ to drill the hole.

[MAC702]

Its worth 5$ to drill the hole.
Four of of five berry farmers agree.

I must have laid out one of those holes perfectly a few years ago. Measured everything twice, used a good carbide scribe and a square, etc. Danged if I didn't have to drill it again on the other side because that one didn't meet in the center/middle.

[calweld]

I buy them premade from the trailer supply place, under 15$, dont have to cut it or drill a hole and the steel comes free and the stress collar is on, ha, unless I was in the biz I wouldnt fool with buying stock most of the time. The stock will cost too offsetting the cost of the ready mades. I dont think a guy could save 5$ and still has to do the work. Its worth 5$ to drill the hole.
For just trailer hitches, I agree. I like to keep the receiver tube around for other things when you need a tube sliding inside of another tube. It's funny how many applications you can find for this, if you have it available.

[calweld]

One thing, if you do buy a length of reciever tube, be sure to label it with a paintstick or something. I bought a 20' piece, had it delivered to the customer's shop (making a sliding adjustable tongue). When I went back to pick it up later, couldn't find it. Turns out he used it to build a header cart to transport the grain header for one of his combines :( :( That material cost 2 - 3 times what regular 2 1/2" tube would be.

[Sberry]

Right, that was part of the point I was making, the price difference in stock and the pre-mades will be minimal, the vendor that makes them buys steel by the truckload and a one off buyer would liokely pay as much for stock mtl as pre-fab. Very little difference even for half a doxen of them and like you said, sooner or later that pricey tube will look good for something else. and you wouldnt have to buy only as many as needed when you needed them, I keep a couple on the shelf.

[fun4now]

i gota agree on the hole thing, i have to drill them for my hitch plugs i make and even with a drill press and lots of pre meshering it stil dosent always come out centerd. :confused: realy is a pain but i cant find the inside ones pre drilled if it was the outside i would get premade in a minuit.;)

[Quadlinear]

Okay, My fat fingers got me again... Sorry
www.expediter.com


Alan

[fun4now]

thanks i like to put sites of intrest into my faverets just incase i ever get set up to use them.;)

[sf93]

Here is a place I found to be good, and free ground shipping within the U.S. http://www.truckandsport.com/content/pages/CURT-MANUFACTURING/RECEIVER-TUBE/product.html

[drscotch]

From my local source hitch tubing was specified as 2.5" x 2.5" x 0.215" wall which gives 0.070" clearance. I've never heard of using 3/16" (0.188) for hitches, that's a lot of wobble.

The 0.215" wall works great with standard 2" x 2" x 0.188" tubing. I used this for the adjustable legs on my welding table.

[kelly'$mygirl]

I work at a hitch shop and we only use 3/16 wall recever tubes on custom hitches up to 14,000 Lbs. Only recever tubes i've seen 1/4 are class fives. I think the 3/16 should be fine for a class 3.