Fixing crooked H-Frame

[BK9954]

I have an H-frame that is supporting about 200 yards of barbed wire fence. 100 yards each direction. It was dug and set during a very wet month. Now the middle post is leaning and slowly moving under the pressure. It has been there 2 years. The fence is still tight. There is no concrete in the hole, just post and dirt. It is not moving sideways but outwards. None of the other H frames have this problem but this one is at an angle. Is there a way to fix this without taking down the fence?

 

[M-5]

get you a good anchor (mobile home type) use something the can ratchet to straightn it . dig around post on the non side you need to pull it and then fill up the hole with concrete leave bracing set until the concrete is cured. Then find the reason it in heaving that direction. you may need to and another line post and brace,

 

[greybeard]

When I was recoverving from open heart surgery last Nov-Jan, a neighbor came over and 'helped' me by putting in some H posts after I had drilled the 4' deep holes with the tractor. At a gate opening, he wasn't used to being around red clay and just dropped some dirt in the bottom, tamped it some, then filled the hole 3/4 way up and tamped some more. Told him that wouldn't do in my clay beause ya can't tamp that much clay at a time and get the post to 'set' properly but he was adamant that it would, and I wasn't in any position to either dig it out or get him to. When we stretched the last of 5 wires, the post the gate attached to had came up out of the ground a few inches, making the horizontal brace take on an angle, and the gate hang at an angle. I fixed it the next day by putting in a floating brace on the post farthest away from the gate, tightening the ratchet and it forced the other post back into the ground. That post is still loose perpendicular to the run of the fence but the gate hangs straight when it's closed. I'll redig it and tamp it right..maybe..some day. It's the only H setup I've ever had move.

 

[callmefence]

How deep is it?

 

[BK9954]

4 foot

 

[BK9954]

pulling up as well though

 

[hurleyjd]

pulling up as well though

Sure would like to see a photo then someone can help you out. Never use H braces only welded up corners with three post and top rail and bottom rail and the heavy duty bull panel welded to them. Whole deal is sixteen feet long.

 

[BK9954]

I will ride back and take a picture today. Its in the back 60 acres.

 

[BK9954]

Now let me just start by saying before anyone starts poking fun this was the first H frame I had ever built. My Dad was not into cattle or ranching and my grandfather died before he could pass on any of his knowlege. I have no mentor so I am learning from neighbors and you. I made the mistake of tightening the first guide barb wire I use to line my T post before I had secured the H frame with the cross wire. Very rookie mistake. Also built in the rain so the mud didnt make very solid ground. Any ways any ideas how to fix it without taking down the whole fence. I laid a mile of fence and out of all the H frames this is the only one that is messed up.

 

[LRTX1]

I'd take and put some tension on the post with a come a long, dig a trench, pull the post over where it needs to be and drop a 2ft section of a cross tie perpendicular to the post about 3ft deep. If the top of the post is moving one way the bottom has to be moving the other. The cross tie will prevent that. Only disturb as much dirt as needed.

 

[hurleyjd]

Now let me just start by saying before anyone starts poking fun this was the first H frame I had ever built. My Dad was not into cattle or ranching and my grandfather died before he could pass on any of his knowlege. I have no mentor so I am learning from neighbors and you. I made the mistake of tightening the first guide barb wire I use to line my T post before I had secured the H frame with the cross wire. Very rookie mistake. Also built in the rain so the mud didnt make very solid ground. Any ways any ideas how to fix it without taking down the whole fence. I laid a mile of fence and out of all the H frames this is the only one that is messed up.

You need to do a search on the internet for corners. The cross members need to be at least 8 feet. You need to pull the two end post and reset. Dig the hole deeper for the middle post looks as if you only have about two feet in the ground. There is no need for two twitch wires only one will do.Run it from the top of the end post and to the bottom of the middle post and tighten. Do the other side the same. This should give you a good corner. Try this website. http://www.gatewayalpacas.com/alpaca-fa ... ilding.htm

 

[hurleyjd]

Also terminate each wire at the middle post instead of going around the post and to the other end. The wires curving around the post are pulling your post over.

 

[BK9954]

The post was deeper but got pulled up from the tension.

 

[Brute 23]

When you build a fence use 10' corners. There should only be 3-4" of post above your top wire. Every thing else needs to be in the ground.

I would probably also double H each side and use a larger diameter post. Might seem like over kill but the most expensive way to do a job is to have to do it twice.

 

[callmefence]

I agree , I don't think they are 4 foot deep. Maybe your tape measure was made in Arkansas.
Jokes aside.To me it looks like it's not a full 90° corner. Just a line brace that makes a slight direction change.
Braces in this kinda deal often lean as wire tension pull to the inside, but there is no support in that direction. ( if I am seeing correctly) you would have been better off building the brace perpendicular to the fence. And just stretching around it
If your standing on your side. Your best bet is to set a deadman, cable and Turnbuckle. This would have been a stronger set-up using just one single post.
Again whatever you do you need to dig the corner up and redo it. They other 2 post ain't really doing anything.

 

[Brute 23]

Those partail bends like that are always a PIA. That is a good place for a gate. Build a straight shot one way, straight shot the other, put a gate in between to make the bend.. or even boards. Any thing to keep from from pulling those two directions off the one post.

 

[hurleyjd]

It is not to hard to carry a couple of bags of sackcrete along to tamp into the holes dry. There will be enough moisture in the ground to set the concrete.

 

[callmefence]

It is not to hard to carry a couple of bags of sackcrete along to tamp into the holes dry. There will be enough moisture in the ground to set the concrete.

I'll mix mine properly

 

[Brute 23]

Concrete is one of the worse things you can do to a wood post. It will rot off at the concrete every time.

 

[BK9954]

Its a 20 degree angle going around a ravine. It was close to a 4 ft hole before the post got pulled up. I dug the holes with 2.5 foot hand held auger and dug the rest with a post hole shovel marked with the correct depth. I put rocks in the bottom because I read on the internet this helps with drainage. Is this not correct? I guess I will dig it up and re do it. Being that the wire is secured to the post with multiple nails I wont be able to get it off without cutting it. I guess I will use the tubular splicing tubes with my crimping tool I use to do fence repairs. It is 15.5 high tensil wire. This should work correct? I have used those splicers with high tensil wire before. Should I set the new post with concrete? Should I wait a while before I stretch the wire back on.