Cybertruck Trailer Hitch/Casting Failure @10,400 lbs *VERTICAL LOAD*

[Gigahorse]

I mean…. It’s rated 1100lbs on tongue weight.

If you put 10k on the trailer nose I think you’ll have other issues

A poorly but not negligently loaded trailer could have a couple o three thousands pounds, a load shift (think a couple pallets of concrete falling over on a trailer) could, when combined with a pothole put way more than 10klbs on the hitch. Should it happen, not really, with enough miles and people actually using the truck will it.....yes. Steel frame as seen in that video, not idea but no problem, snapping of aluminum was a bit exaggerated but the thickness of some parts of that casting seem crazy thin to me.

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[Gigahorse]

I can't picture the physics for that, so help me understand. First of all, out of 11k some 3k is the trailer itself and it can't shift. Trailers are fairly balanced around the axles and don't put much weight onto the hitch by themselves. Then we have the load, say an 8k skid steer. Let's hypothetically say it does shift forward some... what's the weight distribution at that point ? I don't have the number in mind, but even if you put it as far forward as possible, I doubt there will be more than 2k or so on the hitch. Only then the dynamic load comes into the picture.

Hauling a vehicle, a couple pallets of concrete, a large water tank, etc etc. Someone pulls out in front of you and you slam on the breaks shifting the load, coupled with a pothole or other factor could get 10k surge weight on the hitch. Should not happen often but if there are going to be a million cybertrucks and 1% of us actually use them to tow, I think this at least needs to be looked at. New technology in the gigacasting has advantages but that slow and steady test was much more forgiving to break at 10klbs than a hard shock in a semi-accident situation.

 

[theyoungblood]

This is a trap for complete morons. Congrats on exposing yourselves. You wouldn't know a GVWR from your ass.

 

[jimbobb23]

Breaking at the tow weight is not good.
When traveling 60mph a load shift, construction dip etc would send that weight close to 10klbs.
I was hoping the failure weight would be closer to 15k which would give the appropriate margin for safety.

It's vertical weight limit that was tested.

 

[LinkWar88]

This clown is in bed with ford. Another idiot doing dumb content.

 

[cybercricket]

Hauling a vehicle, a couple pallets of concrete, a large water tank, etc etc. Someone pulls out in front of you and you slam on the breaks shifting the load, coupled with a pothole or other factor could get 10k surge weight on the hitch. Should not happen often but if there are going to be a million cybertrucks and 1% of us actually use them to tow, I think this at least needs to be looked at. New technology in the gigacasting has advantages but that slow and steady test was much more forgiving to break at 10klbs than a hard shock in a semi-accident situation.

Why would a pothole create a surge in weight on the hitch ? What's the physics of that ?

 

[jameskk]

old Zack.... remember when he accused another company of ripping off his internal phone pics and sued them? Then he ripped off Elon's naming nomenclature by calling his wheelchair company "Not a Wheelchair". That tells you everything you need to know.

correct me if I'm wrong

 

[Cyber Man]

I can’t believe people are taking this negatively. Technically what this means is CT can handle 100,000 lbs towing as Tongue weight is at the ballpark of 10% of the trailer weight. Dynamic weight can never be equal to Trailer weight, unless Trailer tilts magically by 90 degrees and all of the weight is on the tongue. Dynamic load is NOT based on Trailer weight; it’s based on Tongue weight!

Jump on a weighing scale and see whether your weight gets logged by 10X!!! Keep jumping till you realize it’s not possible. ?

 

[Crissa]

Okay, sure, the Dodge didn't have the hitch snap off at 10k lbs. But was it damaged? Is the frame now bent?

At least a Cybertruck with a snapped hitch will still drive straight lol

Was the Ram just pushed to the ground? I'm wondering what its end condition was.

-Crissa

 

[mongo]

I can’t believe people are taking this negatively. Technically what this means is CT can handle 100,000 lbs towing as Tongue weight is at the ballpark of 10% of the trailer weight. Dynamic weight can never be equal to Trailer weight, unless Trailer tilts magically by 90 degrees and all of the weight is on the tongue. Dynamic load is NOT based on Trailer weight; it’s based on Tongue weight!

Jump on a weighing scale and see whether your weight gets logged by 10X!!! Keep jumping till you realize it’s not possible. ?

Dynamic weight is 100% based on trailer weight, along with distribution and tow vehicle dynamics.
When the tow vehicle hits a bump the hitch will rise. The amount of force that places on the hitch is dependent on the inertia of the trailer, not the static tongue weight.

That's why trailer and hitch test standards are based on the dynamics and run around 6k of vertical tongue load for a 11k class trailer.

A trailer with 1,100 tongue weight could be 11k pounds or 2k. In the 11k case (ignoring tire&axle), it could be 6,050 pounds directly over the hitch and 4,950 pounds an equal distance from the axle the other way. The hitch needs to directly accelerate that 6k during bumps, not just the 1k of net torque difference.

Then, for long term durability, that value needs to be derated due to fatigue limits of the materials.

Jumping off a scale gives you a reading of f=m*a where a is gravity plus your jumping ability. Jumping on a scale results is a deceleration based on your body's compliance and how much you bend you knees. Typically 2-3gs per Grok, so you'll get a reading of 3-4x your weight. Think hammer resting on a nail vs hammer swung at a nail.

 

[CTInProcess]

Except I doubt this was done for entertainment. It was either done to make $money$ on YouTube, and/or to protect legacy truck/gas oil interests. Probably both. There is billions of dollars of potentially lost profits on the line depending upon how long it takes for Cybertruck adoption to reach substantial levels. In the short-term the biggest risk is to legacy auto because a 20% decline in sales/prices would devastate their profits due to declining efficiencies of scale.

Most of the anti-Elon, anti-Tesla hate you see today has been carefully curated and stoked by monied interests, some of it likely your own tax money that has been transferred to shady non-government agencies (NGOs). Some of the money is almost certainly private donations from the likes of George Soros and Bill Gates.

Agreed!! Legacy Truck makers are seeing their demise as we speak. Tesla keeps selling out of Cybertrucks, I see them on the road, left and right. Tesla doesn’t even advertise or need endorsements.

This Elon hate is ridiculous. Of course other entities are fueling this hate towards him. He’s uncovering fraud, just look at the many people up for prosecution because of this fraud. People act like he’s personally responsible for changing peoples lives when all he is doing is working on software to improve efficiency and quality. Soon we will have a government with quality work like all Teslas Off the line. To get a preview just see how efficient and competent Tesla service centers are! Amazing! Let’s not even talk about the improved software! Flawless as the automatic wipers!

 

[IIIEnforcerIII]

I'm not worried about mine in a towing capacity. But is there risk in horizontal load when I'm using my truck to yank out a stump or pull somebody out of a ditch or snow? 7000 truck yoinking a stuck object? Is that reason to worry?

 

[65SoYoLO]

I'm not worried about mine in a towing capacity. But is there risk in horizontal load when I'm using my truck to yank out a stump or pull somebody out of a ditch or snow? 7000 truck yoinking a stuck object? Is that reason to worry?

I would not do that.

 

[mongo]

I'm not worried about mine in a towing capacity. But is there risk in horizontal load when I'm using my truck to yank out a stump or pull somebody out of a ditch or snow? 7000 truck yoinking a stuck object? Is that reason to worry?

Yes, depending on what you are using to connect to the object and your velocity the shock/impulse load can easily exceed the truck's design limits.

Imagine a hammer hitting a nail. The weight of the hammer doesn't drive the nail in, the kinetic energy acting on it in a brief moment does.

 

[cybercricket]

Dynamic weight is 100% based on trailer weight, along with distribution and tow vehicle dynamics.
When the tow vehicle hits a bump the hitch will rise. The amount of force that places on the hitch is dependent on the inertia of the trailer, not the static tongue weight.

That's why trailer and hitch test standards are based on the dynamics and run around 6k of vertical tongue load for a 11k class trailer.

A trailer with 1,100 tongue weight could be 11k pounds or 2k. In the 11k case (ignoring tire&axle), it could be 6,050 pounds directly over the hitch and 4,950 pounds an equal distance from the axle the other way. The hitch needs to directly accelerate that 6k during bumps, not just the 1k of net torque difference.

Then, for long term durability, that value needs to be derated due to fatigue limits of the materials.

Jumping off a scale gives you a reading of f=m*a where a is gravity plus your jumping ability. Jumping on a scale results is a deceleration based on your body's compliance and how much you bend you knees. Typically 2-3gs per Grok, so you'll get a reading of 3-4x your weight. Think hammer resting on a nail vs hammer swung at a nail.

How does vehicle suspension play into that, especially something more advanced like the air suspension on the CT ?

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