Trailer parts shop ?

[Downhilldai]

Rogue's on the case!

I'd similarly recommend a change of axle - up to you whether you go for 'sealed for life' or taper roller bearing. In unbraked <750kg rating, both are good, in my experience. You may get some independent suspension units to fit your existing axle, where the trailing arm would effectively move the fulcrum point further aft, helping increase your noseweight, but I'd fit a new axle if I were you, especially if RW has one on the cheap (which will fit )

What else do you need for it?

[Shaz]

Eek.. this is starting to sound expensive. I'll go and measure it when the rain eases a bit. I've found one which looks the same as the original on Ebay but it's still got about 10 days left so probably won't be any good.

I think that's it but I'll have to find the list I made from the gathering of all the stuff to get fixed before the next one !

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Eek.. this is starting to sound expensive. I'll go and measure it when the rain eases a bit. I've found one which looks the same as the original on Ebay but it's still got about 10 days left so probably won't be any good.

Apologies I wasn't trying to sell anything so to keep the advice straight I'll withdraw the offer of the indispension units, I just remeber that at the beginning of the thread you asked where parts could be sourced locally and I was asking if Stroud was local as I'll be down there next weekend sorting out my trailers.

I genuinely think that Snipe solution is crap an would advise you to improve the solution and not replace an old bad one, as then future maintenance repair becomes a lot easier.I think that you could provide a better solution for around a £100, pending photograps, which I don't see as expensive

Having said that as long as you have new stubbers and bearings you'll be safe which is the only real important thing, I suspet the ebay units wont have many takers so you may get a result

[Shaz]

That's cool - don't let me put anyone off selling stuff !

I sort of had this in my head as 'simple repair' rather than 'long term upgrade', so hadn't really budgeted for it that's all. I agree there's little point in replacing something if it's crap anyway, so will have to give it some thought.

It may also turn out that I'm in a dreamworld about the cost of bits of metal of course....

[doggypaddle]

I think stu is on the right line, an axle change/upgrade would be a good solution.
Those stub axles are a horrible design, the seal is not really in the right place for a trailer that gets immersed. Hubs and stubs with a separate dynamic lipseal are far more suited for marine use. a loose spinning bearing on a worn stub axle with no seal between the inner race and stub axle wont keep water out even if a new hub and bearings are fitted, hence the state of your bearings when we pulled them apart and our suggestion that they would be in a similar state again soon. (and theres a bloody great hole in the middle of the hubcaps whats that for? too let water in???)
If you do opt for removing the stub axles, the best way to get those bolts out is either get the boat off the trailer onto your lawn, or remove the axle so you can get at them ,then centre punch them and drill them partially out, at least until the head is off then try drifting them out, or drill right out.
Personally i would opt for dropping the boat off then attacking the U bolts on the axle with disc cutter then fitting an alternative axle.
Your Old axle will sell on Ebay, it is useable and has good tyres and hubs and would be ok for a small trailer(non boat use) or a launching trolley.
someone will have a use for it.

[Shaz]

The U bolts are off, most of them sheared but they are out of the way. It's the bolts on the stubby things themselves that are going to require a lot more violence (if that turns out to be the way to go).

I must have misunderstood what you guys were saying, sorry - I thought you meant the ends were worn, which was going to continue causing problems with wheel bearings, so the solution would be to replace the worn bits. I hadn't realised it was an actual design flaw with the whole axle, which Snipe obviously worked out quite quickly if there aren't many still with that set up !

I've no idea what a dynamic lipseal is but it sounds interesting.

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Shaz

I've no idea what a dynamic lipseal is but it sounds interesting.

If It's any help I don't think Rimmell make it!

Angle Grinder(disc Cutter) for me on those bolts.

Hows the monsoon season, any pics yet?

[doggypaddle]

a dynamic seal seals a rotating bit to a static bit. as opposed to a seal between two static bits.

[Shaz]

It was more interesting when I didn't know, thought it might have been something dirty.

Anyway, sorry, got distracted by random family members turning up - and I'm not sure the monsoon season's over yet here but have acquired a couple of pictures. Hopefully this is what you meant, I haven't got room to get a picture of the whole lot from the back but I can try to rearrange at some point if this will help ?

The channel that the axle goes into is 11cm across.

There's about a day left on the Ebay one which looks like a direct replacement, so will see how that goes. If I win it and it's any less knackered I'll try to get it in the right place as a temporary solution then work out the best way forward in time for May. If not I might have to have a closer look at that other thread where a nice man is hopefully still selling a new axle.

I have an angle grinder now - my lovely Dad has loaned me one (hoorah for old people!) - but can't do anything this weekend as I appear to have signed up for colder slower boating activities.

[Shaz]

Dammit didn't get the ebay one. At least it's not looking like there is any rush to sort it for December as there's not been any other posts about a get-together then, so I'll spend a bit more time trying to get it sorted properly.

There was a slight geographical issue with the ebay one anyway, so it's probably for the best.

[Downhilldai]

To minimise disruption, cost and labour, I'd suggest you fit a new pair of suspension units, with nice new hubs, bearings, etc. Something like these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trailer-Suspen...item5636caf939


If these won't fit to your existing channel axle, then you could buy/make something like this to do the job:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Boat-Trailer-P...item3a549658ab

Rogue Wave's axle is very good value, but do you need brakes? Moreover, you may have difficulty fixing it to your existing trailer chassis, on account of where the fixing brackets will be (on the outer part of the axle, rather than near the centre)

[Shaz]

Sorry - didn't meant to do any hijacking !

No I don't need anything complicated like brakes, I didn't read that bit. DHD - thanks for all the tips, replacing everything with new I suppose is the right thing to do, its just going to be complicated as nothing will fit. I might try for now attacking the stubs to get them off and taking them to the man who reckons he can spray metal on to them. Except if I cut them off I won't be able to move the whole trailer to anyone who could weld it back together....hmm.

Looking at the weather today I'm really tempted to believe the trailer isn't that bad, and put everything back together to go and play. (It's ok I won't really do that).

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by Shaz

replacing everything with new I suppose is the right thing to do, its just going to be complicated as nothing will fit.

If you get new suspension units & hubs, fitted to a new channel axle, then your existing tie bars should bolt straight onto the ends of the channel and the channel will fit to the existing centre spine of your trailer with a few new U bolts, just like the current set up.
The only other thing that you'll need to sort out is mudguard brackets (and mudguards?) - easily done with a bit of 40mm RSA (rectangular square angle/angle iron!), bolted to the channel.

Originally Posted by Shaz

... I might try for now attacking the stubs to get them off and taking them to the man who reckons he can spray metal on to them.

Is this guy called Merlin?

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Is this guy called Merlin?

No he's called Andrew... I didn't know what he was on about either but thought that was just me. Hope he's not too crazy as he's also going to be my first call if welding is required.

I haven't attacked the stubs yet as it didn't seem like the cleverest idea with no onward plan, assistance, or clue what I was doing. I've done some more measuring so will get back on Ebay for now, and then work out how to safely remove the boat!

[Rogue Wave]

fkk it. I'll weigh it in on ebay

Shaz any body that mentions metal spaying as a solution for a crap suspension system doesn't know much about trailers and how to improve them..

I'm in Stroud tomorrow from 14:00 till 20:00 if you want me to come and look at your trailer I'll be happy to. As I said previously I'm not looking at selling you anything but I know how to fix trailers economically

By the way when your'e next talking to Downhillnobber (DHN) ask him if you need to run with the brakes or are they removable

[JSP]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

fkk it. I'll weigh it in on ebay

Shaz any body that mentions metal spaying as a solution for a crap suspension system doesn't know much about trailers and how to improve them..

I'm in Stroud tomorrow from 14:00 till 20:00 if you want me to come and look at your trailer I'll be happy to. As I said previously I'm not looking at selling you anything but I know how to fix trailers economically

By the way when your'e next talking to Downhillnobber (DHN) ask him if you need to run with the brakes or are they removable

Wouldn't mind that axle of you myself RW, would like to have brakes on mine. But no pennies yet. Do you wanna buy a sand dune?
If you've still got it after xmas mate give me a shout.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Shaz

No he's called Andrew... I didn't know what he was on about either but thought that was just me. Hope he's not too crazy as he's also going to be my first call if welding is required.

I haven't attacked the stubs yet as it didn't seem like the cleverest idea with no onward plan, assistance, or clue what I was doing. I've done some more measuring so will get back on Ebay for now, and then work out how to safely remove the boat!

So where are you with this now?

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by bedajim

So where are you with this now?

Er... well... not much further to be honest! I realised that at the moment I do still have a last-resort option of putting it all back together and dragging it 2 miles up the road to get someone else to do it, whereas once I start chopping bits off my options become seriously reduced. I know that isn't really in the Ribnet spirit, but I'm going to wait until I'm sure of a plan before doing anything drastic.

May know more by next weekend.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Er... well... not much further to be honest! I realised that at the moment I do still have a last-resort option of putting it all back together and dragging it 2 miles up the road to get someone else to do it, whereas once I start chopping bits off my options become seriously reduced. I know that isn't really in the Ribnet spirit, but I'm going to wait until I'm sure of a plan before doing anything drastic.

May know more by next weekend.

Can you post some better pics of your trailer from a bit further away showing the axle beam and bracing struts + how they are fixed to the rest of the trailer.

Jim

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by bedajim

Can you post some better pics of your trailer from a bit further away showing the axle beam and bracing struts + how they are fixed to the rest of the trailer.

Jim

I can try but won't be able to get any for a while as its in a garage so can't really get any distance behind it (and its not really in a condition to move).

Rogue's now had a look and has some suggestions so will see where that goes if that's ok. Thanks very much for all the ideas though!