U-Bolts & Brackets

U Bolt Galvanised Kits and Clamp Kits

Trailer U bolts kits provide higher strength when the steel is rolled; they include galvanised nylock nuts that are less prone to breakage than their conventional counterparts.

When buying Electro Galvanised or ElectroGal® u-bolts, these items will come in handy:

Rolled threads, extruded by dies, are more robust than cut threads, made on a lathe or with a hand die, because their grain flows in more than one direction, following the fastener’s contour. So you shouldn’t re-cut the threads of a roll–threaded bolt.

All Couplemate ElectroGal® U-bolts are de-stressed in a new process after ElectroGal® to remove the stresses from manufacture. These U-bolts are then batch-tested to destruction.

Why are our U bolts kits tested, you ask?

The answer is that weak points are created when bending steel. If this stress pressure remains, shock loading from bad roads can cause stress fractures and breakages.

The humble galvanised U-bolt on your caravan can cause you unbelievable grief. At Couplemate, we long ago decided to manufacture U-bolts when popular products kept breaking.

Stress Fractures

Years ago, a standard zinc square U-bolt broke due to a stress fracture on the bend. Immediately, we realised that Couplemate needed to make a better Caravan U bolt.

We designed an ElectroGal® U bolt with the thread rolled rather than cut. Then, we made the thread length 60 mm instead of the standard 50mm because we always ran out of thread when tightening the nuts.

Furthermore, we decided that galvanised nylock nuts were the better way to lock U bolts into position, rather than the two locking nuts, which always seemed to rust.

Note: When replacing U bolts, make sure you also replace your old nylock nuts. These are a one-use-only nut.

ElectroGal® 1/2 inch U-bolts: breaking capacity is 17,000kg—we recommend use on axles rated up to 1500kg

ElectroGal® 5/8 inch U-bolts: breaking ability is 23,000kg—we recommend application on axles rated up to 2500kg

Finally, U bolt Clamp kits are also available for 50mm, 56mm and 80mm clamping.