Any Metalurgists out there?...

[Hammerhead]

(08-19-2018 )imalumberjack Wrote:  I have been offered a free lowboy ..... A shop caught on fire last winter and we are demo-ing it. Lowboy was sitting inside along with several other vehicles, pretty much a total loss. Lowboy is 55 ton 16 tire expando. Maybe it would survive as a 25 ton? Looking at it: there were aluminum wheels on rear (outers) they melted so it got to 1200 degrees, the electrical wiring is still intact I guess copper melts at 1800 degrees? I think it would cost 12 to 15 thousand in parts to make it roadable? Any thoughts?

As someone who pulls multi-axle lowbeds for a living, I have three words for ya...

HELL
F#%^*NG
NO!!!!

Here is the one thing most people don't know about equipment trailers...
They break.
Yup, all of them.
Nope, not kidding.
They ALL do, it's not if, it's when...
I have an emergency fund set aside just because I know this.
Broke 'em once, sure I'll do it again.
Fact of lowbedding.
There's a reason I shake my head laugh my ass off at redneck engineering adding neck length for longer/more axle jeeps, piss poor lugs added to the rear for spreader bar boosters n sh!t.

That's a Cozad.
Don't need to see the badges to tell you that, didn't enlarge the photo.
If I know that by looking at it quick, how much do you think I know about those trailers?
Here's a hint, QT100 grade steel, minimum!
Cozad would happily recertified that for ya...they'll peel the VIN tag, build you a new trailer and reinstall "Re-Built" VIN tags, and that's the ONLY way they'll do it. And I haven't even asked them...
Don't have to.
Know their reputation, and they wouldn't consider it, so why would you?

The only non-scrap use for that trailer is; paint it, put wheels n tires on it, and put a 5 gallon overhauled old Cat Dozer on it with an old non running truck in front of it for a cool company sign...

Only other option, scrapyard...but I just told you, it's high grade steel, so make sure you don't get screwed on the scrap value.