Constant trailer wiring issues

[Tail_Gunner]

My vast amount of experience with trailer light problems has shown that a majority of those problems are bad ground connections.

I've spent many hours chasing wires and wire connections only to find out it was a bad ground where the light assembly was riveted to the frame.

 

[iracemine]

yeah I always wondered why do we pop rivet them on??? would it be better to use.... lets say a self tapping sheet metal screw? or perhaps a small bolt and sand down the back area first and then after installation use some paint to seal it up?? or am I missing something...

 

[Tail_Gunner]

I think the main problem with using pop rivets to install trailer lights is an issue of dissimiliar metal corrosion. If you use an aluminum pop rivet on a steel trailer frame, the aluminum pop rivet will corrode very quickly, especially in a corrosive prone environment.

Using steel hardware tightly torqued along with a dab of dielectric grease will prolong the trouble free operation of the ground contact.

 

[BIG JOE]

I think the main problem with using pop rivets to install trailer lights is an issue of dissimiliar metal corrosion. If you use an aluminum pop rivet on a steel trailer frame, the aluminum pop rivet will corrode very quickly, especially in a corrosive prone environment.

Using steel hardware tightly torqued along with a dab of dielectric grease will prolong the trouble free operation of the ground contact.

X2, I'm with TG for sure.. especially on things like Boat Trailers, and Trailers with Aluminum structures, mounted on a Steel chassis frame.

I've often wundered if an Anode.. mounted somewhere might provide some sort of Cathodic Protection.. TG ?.. Anyone ? Any thoughts ?

Joe

 

[Tail_Gunner]

X2, I'm with TG for sure.. especially on things like Boat Trailers, and Trailers with Aluminum structures, mounted on a Steel chassis frame.

I've often wundered if an Anode.. mounted somewhere might provide some sort of Cathodic Protection.. TG ?.. Anyone ? Any thoughts ?

Joe

There are only two ways to positively prevent dissimilar metal/galvanic corrosion:
1) Provide a barrier that prevents metal to metal contact like a gasket or such
2) Use metals that are as close to each other as possible on the anode -> cathode scale, like steel on steel.

I pulled this right out of my aviation maintenance textbook in the corrosion chapter:

Most Anodic (Most Corrosive)
Magnesium
Zinc
Clad 7075 Aluminum Alloy
Commercially pure 1100 Aluminum
AlClad 2024 Aluminum Alloy
Cadmium
7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy
2024-T3 Aluminum Alloy
Mild Steel
Lead
Tin
Copper
Stainless Steel
Silver
Nickel
Chromium
Gold______________
Most Cathodic (Least Corrosive)

The further apart different metals are in the list, the greater the amount of dissimilar metal corrosion there will be.
The closer together metals are on the chart, the least amount of dissimilar will occur.
So as you can see, all the aluminum alloys are on the anodic side of the list. If you try to use materials closer to the middle of the list, the corrosion problem will be less. So steel or stainless steel hardware on a steel trailer should present a lessor amount of galvanic corrosion than would aluminum hardware (pop rivets) would.

If you use an anode, you're more treating the symptoms instead of the disease.

 

[BIG JOE]

WOW... I guess that answers that. Thanx TG, good info.

Joe