Trailer & Frame Repair Welding
When a trailer tongue cracks, a frame bends, or a hitch finally gives out, you need a weld that holds the first time. Johnson Metal Works handles structural welding repair on trailers, frames, racks and cast iron across Sunburg, Willmar and west-central Minnesota — in our shop or on-site where the equipment sits.
Built to carry a load again
A trailer that hauls grain, hay, skid steers or a fishing boat puts real stress on every joint — and out here those trailers run hard, year-round, over gravel section roads and through frost heaves. Eventually something flexes, cracks, or rusts through. We weld it so it carries weight the way it was meant to, not just so it looks patched.
Structural and frame work is unforgiving: get the prep wrong, weld over rust, or run cold and the repair fails again under the next load. We grind back to clean, sound metal, match the right process and filler to the base material, and reinforce the joint where it makes sense so the fix outlasts the original. Steel, stainless, aluminum and cast iron all come through the shop, and we know which one wants which approach.
Most of this work happens here in Sunburg, but a loaded gooseneck or a frame that won't move comes to us as a mobile welding call instead. Either way you get the same standard of work and an honest read on whether a repair will hold or whether you're better off rebuilding the section.
Trailers, frames & the odd job
From a cracked tongue you noticed in the yard to the repair nobody else wanted to touch, here's the kind of structural work that comes through our doors.
Trailer tongues & hitches
Cracked tongues, bent A-frames, worn coupler mounts and pull-out receivers. We cut out the failed section, fit new material and weld it so the connection to your truck is solid and safe to tow.
Frames & cross members
Bent, cracked or rusted-through frame rails and cross members on utility, equipment and stock trailers. We straighten where we can, replace what's gone, and tie it back into the original structure cleanly.
Racks, decks & rails
Headache racks, ladder racks, side rails, deck framing and tie-down points that have torn loose. We re-anchor them with reinforcement so they take the load and the road without working free again.
Structural reinforcement
Gussets, doubler plates and added bracing on trailers, frames and weight-bearing weldments. When a stock joint keeps failing, we beef it up so the same crack doesn't come back next season.
Cast iron repair
Cracked cast iron brackets, housings, pulleys and old implement parts. Cast is finicky to weld, but with the right preheat and technique we bring many pieces back instead of you chasing a part that's no longer made.
The odd job
The bracket that doesn't fit a category, the snapped lift arm, the homemade contraption that finally broke. Bring it in. If it's metal and it can be fixed, there's a good chance we can fix it.
A straight path to a repair that holds
No runaround and no guesswork. We look at the actual failure, tell you what it'll take, and do the work right the first time.
Tell us what broke
Call or text a photo of the crack, the bend, or the part. We'll tell you whether it's a shop job or an on-site repair and roughly what to expect.
We inspect & prep
We find the real source of the failure — not just the visible crack — grind back to clean metal and choose the right process for the material.
Weld & reinforce
We make the repair and add bracing or plate where the design needs it, so the joint comes back stronger than the spot that let go.
Back to work
You get your trailer, frame or part back ready to load — with a clear answer on whether anything else is worth watching.
More from our shop
Structural and repair work often overlaps with the rest of what we do. If your job leans one of these directions, start here.
Custom Fabrication
Need a part built instead of fixed? We fabricate trailers, racks, brackets and weldments from scratch.
Farm Equipment Repair
Implements, hitches, augers and field repairs — structural welding for the machines that keep the operation running.
Mobile Welding
Can't move it? We bring the welder to your yard, farm or job site across west-central Minnesota.
Service Area
See every town and county we cover — from Willmar and Spicer to Glenwood, Benson and beyond.
Common questions
Is a welded trailer tongue safe to tow?
When it's prepped and welded correctly, yes — a proper structural repair restores the joint's strength. The danger is a cold or surface-only weld over rust or a hidden crack. We grind back to sound metal, weld with the right process, and reinforce the connection so it tows the way it should.
Can you weld cast iron, or do I need a new part?
A lot of cast iron is repairable. With the right preheat, filler and technique we bring back cracked brackets, housings and old implement castings — which often beats hunting for a part that's no longer made. Bring it in and we'll tell you honestly whether a repair will hold.
Do you come to me or do I bring it to the shop?
Both. Smaller trailers, racks and loose parts are easiest in our Sunburg shop. A loaded gooseneck, a heavy frame, or anything that won't move becomes a mobile welding call and we come to you.
What metals do you work with?
Steel, stainless, aluminum and cast iron. Each one wants a different approach, and matching the process and filler to the base metal is a big part of why a repair lasts. If you're not sure what your part is made of, we'll figure it out.
Will the repair last, or is it a band-aid?
Our goal is a fix that outlasts the original. Where a stock joint keeps failing, we add gussets, doubler plates or bracing so the same crack doesn't return. If a repair genuinely won't hold, we'll tell you that too — sometimes rebuilding a section is the smarter call.
Get that crack handled before it spreads
Free estimates on every structural and repair job — call or text and we'll take a look.