Can a Piano Style Hinge be Used on a Trailer Ramp Door that is 94 Inches Wide

Question:

Do trailer builders use just 1 6foot piano hinge on car trailer ramp doors if the door is 94inch wide? Or do they hinge the entire length? Maybe they use a heavier hinge?

asked by: James

Expert Reply:

The way a trailer ramp door is hinged is going to depend on how the manufacturer decides it needs to be hung so it really could be one long piece or several pieces. The hinge(s) may or may not extend all the way to the edges but most of the ones I have seen do extend the length of the door.

Piano hinge # H300 is decent sized. It is 3 inches wide so it is a pretty good size. It wouldn't be used on a heavy equipment trailer or anything like that but instead be used on smaller enclosed trailers. The steel used is 0.074 inches thick so that is just a little larger than 1/16 of an inch (its closest to 5/64 of an inch).

With that in mind I was talking to another Expert and we came to the conclusion that this size and gauge hinge would not be the size you would use for any ramp that is bearing weight. You have a large door so a more substantial hinge should be used.

A lot of heavier applications use what is sort of like door hinges in your house with pins through them such as # HP634. This style is much better for bearing weight and large ramp doors.

expert reply by: Michael H