Trailer axles??

[Stinky_Hooker]

I know you guys are sick of me.. ;D but i have a question.

My current trailer axles are going to have to be rebuilt. I am going to do ALL new...axles,hubs.wheels/tires,etc..I am wondering if I should stay with the current dual axles, or change to single and bump the size to a 15" rim. Will the lesser initial expense be outweighed eventually by more wear and tear?? If i do stay with the duals i will upgrade to at least 13's because the current 12's a VERY stressed , I mean it left ruts in my yard when i brought her home.


What do ya,ll think??

[Airslot]

I have a single axle trailer w/ 5000# axle, springs, and 15" tires under my V-20. Most people, including myself, will reccomend that you stay withg the tandem axles. Some times I wish I had them. The boat will trailer better on two axles. I'd look at 14" wheels if it were me.

When you get to doing this work remember that it much easier to cut or break the old bolts to remove them.

Airslot

[macojoe]

I had a single when I bought my boat, and it was fine. I had to put a new axle on it and a few other things.
But it was a 1980 trailer and last year I had the cash and bought a Brand new tandem, It was the best thing I ever did!!
That said if you are like me (NO MONEY) Then you have to do what you can afford! And I had to keep patching for 5 years till i could afford a new one.
A new trailer will be at least $3,000 now!!

If using the trailer to go to and from the ramp twice a year cause you have a mooring the single will be fine.
If you live a few minutes from the ramp then single is fine!
But if you fish allot and have to travel any length of time to a ramp the stay with tandem!!

And make sure you have a new wheel on that grinder!! The grinder and a good hammer are going to be your best friends soon!

[Stinky_Hooker]

yeah im sure!!!on the grider thang. i have about an hour run and I usually fish alot,so Im thinking long term the tandem will be best.

[macojoe]

for that much use Tandem is the only way to go!!

I had got some 5000# mono leaf springs form Northern tools when I did mine!! They were great!! They a a single spring that last longer as they are thick metal, the do not trap water between the other leafs, and there was never any squeaking ever again when they did get rust on them!
Just a thought? I have one pair in the celing of my basement cause they messed up and sent me to pair for one money! ;D

[Blue_Runner]

Stinky,

I just finished completely re-building my trailer. It is a 1978 Cox tandem axle. The galvanized framing looked great, everything else looked like stinky (no pun intended).

When I got the axles off and pulled the hubs, I wiped away the old grease from the axle and the axles looked like new. There was surface rust on the axle mid-section (not the part where the hubs go) that was easily taken care of with a wire brush.

So, with that in mind, there was no need to replace my axles. I put new bearings, u-bolts, springs, wheels, tires, bearing buddies, and a couple of good coats of rustoleum paint on the axle mid-section and the U-bolts. Cost me about $350.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't buy new axles unless you see that they are worn once you pull the hubs.

Good luck, and get yourself some power/air tools to remove those old U-bolts (or just break them if you can, as someone else has posted). They're hell on the arms!!

Blue

[chumbucket]

I too, like most everyone else here, would recommend a tandem axle.
My concern is your statement that the current trailer has 12" wheels. If that's the case, I would seriously look at the trailer ratings if you don't know what it is already. Sounds like even with tandem axles, it's underrated for your boat. Some trailers can be modified and upgraded by installing heavier springs, axles, and tires. Some I wouldn't recommend doing that because of the frame size. The other concern is that if it is underrated and you get in a serious accident while towing, insurance companies may question that fact and or refuse to cover you.
Check that out before you go too far with the rebuild/repairs and decide if it's worth it or not. Maybe a good used trailer is in order if the budget doesn't allow a new one right now. Then sell the one you have to re-coup some of the cash.
Just something else to think about. ;)

[reelapeelin]

I'm w/Airslot and MJ...keep those dual axles if the budget allows...14" wheels would be perfect....I've had GREAT service from a set of Goodyear Marathon Radials...And I swear it rolls better w/these tires than bias-plys...little more and WORTH IT :D...

[Seakindly]

SH - Do whatever you feel like doing. This is still America, right?? If they can't take a joke - screw 'em.

Just kidding ... CB beat me to it. :)

[Stinky_Hooker]

In response to CB...the trailer is VERY heavy duty and rock solid,so im not concerned with that. I did baffle me however when i got the boat that they would put 12inch rims on such a heacy duty trailer/boat. it really does look funny!!

The axles DO have to be replaced though as they are rusted away to almost nothing,I wasa surprised i even got it home.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Seacrets]

You may want to research the trailer and see if it originally came with 12" wheels. Maybe somebody switched it to the 12" because the boat sat too high on the trailer and they had difficulty getting it off at the ramp. Just a thought.

[CT_V-20]

Wait a minute... are you guys suggesting I'm supposed to do more with my trailer (dual axle something-or-other) than pull it out of the woods in the fall to go get my boat and then stuff it back in there so the neighbors won't see it in the spring after I put another coat of bottom paint on it?! You actually know what size tires you have?! I might be in trouble here. You guys actually touch your trailers?!! You must have perfect, problem free boats!!!! ;D

P.S. I'm in Puerto Rico right now. It's 78 and raining rather than below freezing and snowing in CT. I wish I wasn't here for work, otherwise I'd go fishing. I'll keep my eyes open for V-20s down here.

[Airslot]

Yeah, I touch my trailer. It sees about 3000 miles a year and is single axle. I take good care of it and expect the same in return. Big thing for me is that I don't dunk on the launch / retrieve. I do really wish I had brakes on that trailer. May look into it this summer.

Airslot

[Capt_K]

Airslot, I give up. How do you NOT dunk you trailer when launching or retrieving ????????? Capt K

[Airslot]

I back my trailer in so that the bottoms of the tires and maybe 2" of the wheels are wet. The brearings and axle stay dry. When I release tension on my winch the boat rolls of without even a push. I then walk down the trailer and unhook the winch hook. Retrieval is exactly the same in reverse.

Airslot

[Capt_K]

Do you have a power winch??
My 86 Steplift is a bear to winch on. I drive it on as far as I can when retrieving. Capt K

[Airslot]

Roger that on the power winch, model #912 set up for single line pull. I was running a double line w/ pulley but it took longer than it should and I watch guys with bigger boats go w/ single line. Also have to say that I can hold my own at the ramp as far as getting out of the way. One of the keys for me is a 30' line w/ eyes in each end. When I launch it's tied to the bow cleat and the trailers winch post. After she rolls off the trailer I walk her back and put the other end on the stern and loop it over the pilings. When I return to the dock I have my line on both ends and drop it over the pilings, fetch the truck, take the line off the stern and pull the boat up to the rollers, take a couple wraps and a half hitch on the winch post, walk the trailer to hook up the cable, winch her up and gone. Takes longer to read this than I take at the ramp.

Airslot

[macojoe]

No power winch here. All but one place I go, I drive on and have who ever is with me hook it and then pull the truck up for me.
In the one place that they don't allow you to drive I sink the trailer so all I have to do is pull it on give 5 cranks on the winch and pull it out.
A new trailer set up the right way makes fishing much much more enjoyable thats for sure!!

[Seakindly]

I do it like Airslot does, but separate bow and stern lines.

[Mac_Attack]

Tandem is the way to go! *My Gruman 16'CC was light and had a single axle roller trailer. *I liked it a lot both backing up and the ease of getting the boat off and on. *My trailer now for the V20 is a tandem bunker. *I like having two tires on each side incase of a flat. *Longer cuts going backwards and I have to go deeper into the water to launch. *I too use two lines when launching or hauling out. *Here's a photo that shows trailer's position at haul out. *Bill Mc ;D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/Machockey/LaborDay041.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Airslot...you must have a roller trailer...

[reelapeelin]

Hey Mac...lots of peple are under the mistaken belief that tandems do what you suggest above...support in case one tire goes flat...sorry, Pal, but unless you've seen your trailer do that, it probly won't, unless it's one heck of a RIGID suspension :o...

[Seakindly]

RaP - I don't understand what you are saying. Please elaborate.

[Stinky_Hooker]

SK I think he said that because most of the time if one goes flat then it doesnt distribute the weight evenly and the one with a flat will drag the rim on the asphalt.

[Airslot]

Yes, I do have a roller trailer. My launch / load procedures have become highly refined to get in/ out of the 5 or 6 ramps I use as quickly as possible. We'll all have slightly different procedures. If you have a galvanuzed roller trailer, no sense in dunking it if you don't need to. If you got a bunk trailer you have to.

Airslot

[reelapeelin]

Yeah SK...I meant that if a tire blows out on a tandem axle trailer, most will not continue down the road w/out causing damage to the wheel, spindle and brakes and possibly the axle...I have seen construction trailers that you could REMOVE the flat tire/wheel and go down the road, but that's a really heavy suspension system...buddy of mine pullin' his Rabalo 21' Cuddy...had a flat, went back and looked at it, figured thats what tandems do and continued down the Interstate ::)cost him lots of bucks to learn that lesson$$$$$

[Seakindly]

OK ... IT'S STARTING TO MAKE SENSE TO ME. My dad told me if I got a flat, I could chain it up till I could safely fix it. I haven't had the opportunity to try that out , yet.

I think what MAC meant was that he likes the idea of having the extra tire there in case he gets a flat or a blowout for the immediate safety it provides. I've never had a flat or blowout on a trailer, but I had a GOODYEAR TIRE WITH 7,000 MILES ON IT BLOWOUT ON MY VAN AT 65 MPH, and it was thrilling - but not much fun. I feel a whole lot better knowing I have a spare in place when I tow my cruise missile down the highway.

[reelapeelin]

...Yeah... I can see where the chain thing could work...congratulations on surviving the 65mph blowout :o...hope you didn't ruin a perfectly good pair of BVDs over it :D...

[macojoe]

You should have been there the day I was flying down Rt 6, 2 miles before the Sagamore Bridge, and the driver side tire from the boat trailer passed me!! :o I looked in the mirror and saw Sparks flying every where!!

I didn't even no it fell off ! Never felt a thing!

Single axle trailer also!

When I got pulled over and looked all the lug nuts were gone?? I have never figured that out?

Anyway I got a ride to go get some lug nuts and when I got back to put the tire back on the U bolts had cut in half from dragging!!
Off again to find new U bolts. Let me tell you, Its not fun working on your trailer with a V20 on it with cars flying by 10 feet from your A$$ at 70 mph!!

Then I bought a Brand New Tandam axle!

[Seakindly]

Nah ... I just shook it off ... but I'll never buy another goodyear tire again. That blowout and many flats. When Ford wanted to take back the firestones, they tried to insist on puttin goodyears on my explorer. F U, I told them. I'd rather have the Firestones. Ultimately, I went to a MICHELIN dealer for my free tires. I always had good luck with MICHELIN. :)

[Mac_Attack]

I have never had a flat on either of my boat trailers. My parents did though, both with a single axle popup trailer and also with a tandem Holiday Rambler. The security I get with a tandem is the remembrance of the camping flats. The pop up trailer was all over the place til my dad got us pulled over. The flat with the tandem was more like a steady pull to the flat's side. Last spring before we went back down to seal the deal on the V20 a spare tire was purchased. You will also notice from my gallery photos that the bearings were all checked in the cold March rain before we began the 3 hour ride home. Bill Mc ;D

[reelapeelin]

MJ... sounds like you lived my worst nightmare...workin' on a trailer on the side of a highway :P...and havin' to leave the boat there to go drive all over and find parts :-/which way to go?...

I don't go out the driveway til I've put an air gauge on the tires and a grease gun to the bearings ;)...and keep good tires on the ground...SK, these Goodyear Marathons haven't let me down yet...they really are great!...of course that opinion could change on the next trip :o...