Trailer, should I or shouldn’t I?

[Waterbouy]

I intend to service my trailer will do brakes, springs, bearings etc as normal but having a touch of OCD have just changed all of the washers either of the rollers for stainless ones together with stainless steel pins. A few questions to people with more knowledge than myself
1. I would like to change the steel nyloc nuts for stainless steel ones any disadvantages? (but not the bolts / u bolts)
2. On some part so the trailer itself a few specs of rust, is it a good idea to spray with cold galvanising paint?
3. What I would call the swinging arm and brake back plate has gone a bit rusty so I tented to wire brush it, coat with a rust converter then paint with hammerite, is this best thing to do?

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by Waterbouy

2. On some part so the trailer itself a few specs of rust, is it a good idea to spray with cold galvanising paint?

Where this has happened on my trailer I've rotary wire brushed it back to bright metal, applied etch primer (acid based, eats slightly into the parent metal to form a good chemical bond: plenty for sale on eBay at around £5 or £6) and then apply Hammerite silver. It's a good colour match and shows no sign of degradation.

There's folks on here who swear by galvanising paint, but I've not tried it.

and...I'm just changing my steel washers and split pins for stainless

[Crusher]

For the relatively small cost why do trailer manufacturers fit steel parts on our nice new, and not cheap trailers? Changed the washers on mine too!

[ashbypower]

Would not mix Galv steel and stainless myself:

HERE is an intresting article, dissimilar metals and all that

[Leapy]

I think it's a question of application, scale and time...this quote HERE from the British Stainless Steel Association...

Galvanised steel in contact with stainless steels is not normally considered to be a serious corrosion risk, except possibly in severe (marine type) environments

...suggests it's a problem, possibly, in severe marine environments. But, I don't think dipping a trailer in every week/month or so is 'severe'. When we pull the trailer out with the boat on, the trailer gets hosed down too. To date, after three years, there's minor cosmetic rust on a few of the mild steel bolts/nuts/washers, none on the stainless fixings. The exception to this is the roller washers - zinc plated steel - some of which were bright rust and the rest which look like they were made yesterday. This to me suggests more of a plating process issue than anything else.

[ashbypower]

Originally Posted by Leapy

. The exception to this is the roller washers - zinc plated steel - some of which were bright rust and the rest which look like they were made yesterday. This to me suggests more of a plating process issue than anything else.

May be may be not !! you makes yer choice and live by it

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by ashbypower

May be may be not !! you makes yer choice and live by it

Indeed...if it doesn't work I'll share my embarrassment on here

[Anchorhandler]

For two disimilar metals to suffer galvanic corrosion they need to be submerged in an electrolyte.
Yes, sea water is an excellent electrolyte but (IMHO) a trailer isnt really going to spend enough time submerged for it to cause an issue. (even if the zink layer on the chassis is only microns thick) The galvanizing will generally start rusting before galvanic corosion occurs.

On my trailer build ALL nuts and bolts are stainless steel to at least 304 grade with most being 316. (in my line of work i get them cheap if not free )

And if you want to talk OCD, I have shrink wrapped all U-bolts with heat shrink tubbing to prevent (delay) them corroding...also stops them fretting and rubbing through the zink layer......now thats anal

I'l post some pics next week when my 'roller bunks' come back from the galvanizers.

Simon

[Waterbouy]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Where this has happened on my trailer I've rotary wire brushed it back to bright metal, applied etch primer (acid based, eats slightly into the parent metal to form a good chemical bond: plenty for sale on eBay at around £5 or £6) and then apply Hammerite silver. It's a good colour match and shows no sign of degradation.

There's folks on here who swear by galvanising paint, but I've not tried it.

and...I'm just changing my steel washers and split pins for stainless

Thanks Leapy I will look at getting some etch primer

[Waterbouy]

Originally Posted by Anchorhandler

For two disimilar metals to suffer galvanic corrosion they need to be submerged in an electrolyte.
Yes, sea water is an excellent electrolyte but (IMHO) a trailer isnt really going to spend enough time submerged for it to cause an issue. (even if the zink layer on the chassis is only microns thick) The galvanizing will generally start rusting before galvanic corosion occurs.

On my trailer build ALL nuts and bolts are stainless steel to at least 304 grade with most being 316. (in my line of work i get them cheap if not free )

And if you want to talk OCD, I have shrink wrapped all U-bolts with heat shrink tubbing to prevent (delay) them corroding...also stops them fretting and rubbing through the zink layer......now thats anal

I'l post some pics next week when my 'roller bunks' come back from the galvanizers.

Simon

Wow! I thought I was bad, love the idea of heat shrinking tubing the u bolts.

My thoughts are now to replace the nuts with standard bright zinc plated nylocs not stainless steel & change them when they start to rust.