What are U bolt Kits?

Why buy U bolt kits, you might ask? No one use a U bolt without the hardware right? I mean, how would you install it? So it only makes sense to buy your U bolts as a kit, with the necessary hardware right there in the box (or preassembled). While you can purchase any U bolts as U bolt kits, there are a few industry standards that you will commonly find in the marketplace.

The first is usually referred to as a Trailer Kit, or a 7/8 Trailer Kit, or less commonly a ¾ Trailer Kit. A Trailer Kit is an aftermarket suspension replacement U bolt kit for a tractor trailer. They are frequently sold over the counter, which is another reason why having the kit as a standalone unit is convenient. These kits come with two U bolts, four fender washers, and four high nuts. The market in general sells these kits in Grade 5 material, but some manufacturers have moved to Grade 8 material because of its superior strength. Some vendors sell these kits in a bag, but they are usually found in a kit box with the vendor’s part number and logo on the box.

Another kit that is widely used, but for different applications, is the Truck Body Mounting Kit. These kits are used to mount the box for a box truck to the chassis. Sometimes these vehicles are alternately referred to as Van Bodies. These are square bent, usually 5/8 diameter, with coarse thread. These kits come with the U bolts, four Tie Plates, eight hex nuts and eight split lock washers. Again, you can get these U bolt Kits in a box with your company name, logo, or barcode right on the box.

One final Trailer Kits is the Cab Guard Mounting Kit. The name explains it all. It mounts a Cab Guard, sometimes referred to as a Headache Rack to the truck, to protect the cab from damage occurring from an accidental load shift. These Cab Guards absorb the shock of impact, possibly saving the driver’s life. These kits include four U bolts, similar to the Truck Body Mounting Kits, though sometimes they are Zinc plated. They also include four Tie Plates, four spacers, four rubber Tie Plate pads, two rubber frame pads, eight nylon insert lock nuts, and eight flat washers. Many of the items in these kits are Zinc plated, basically for aesthetic reasons. These are more of a specialty kit, but are regularly available from Truck outfitters.