The wheels fell off!

[Leapy]

Not a common topic on a boat, I know, but I suffered the indignity at the weekend of having the wheels fall off my SIB Launching wheels, that is.

Having taken lots of advice on this forum regarding launching wheels I invested £80 but the ironmongery was stainless, nice big, soft, rubber wheels, the whole lot swings up and down easily, or is easily detached if required. Perfect. Sort of.

The wheels are held on to the stub axles with washers that have a serated tooth arrangement to the internal diameter (I'm sure someone will come along and tell me what they're actually called). You put the wheel onto the axle, press the washer on and, in theory, hey presto. What's supposed to happen is that any sideways loading from the wheel causes the washer teeth to dig in and resist. Nope. Wrong. Not in this case, anyway.

The washers are not symmetrical, so they have to go on the right way as the teeth are angled along the axis of the washer. In so being, again, the theory is, easy to put on, hard to take off.

The washers are plated mild steel and the axles stainless. And there, I think, lies the problem. The mild steel teeth won't dig into the hard stainless and just slide. In 200 yards the wheels came off about 10 times The language was awful

I'm about to convert to thrust washers and Beta Clips.

Moral...check before you buy

Name of the supplier withheld whilst he decides what he's going to do about it

Codders...as an aside, this type of wheel is still the dogs

[chewy]

Can't you drill the axle/stub and stick an R clip through it?

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Leapy

The wheels are held on to the stub axles with washers that have a serated tooth arrangement to the internal diameter (I'm sure someone will come along and tell me what they're actually called).

Usually called "push nuts" over here.

The washers are plated mild steel and the axles stainless.

Don't you hate when companies building "Marine Grade" hardware cut corners because they can't buy the appropriate grade of hardware, or can't be bothered to manufacture it?

Most trailer attachments fall into this category. Good stuff, until it sees salt water.

jky

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by chewy

Can't you drill the axle/stub and stick an R clip through it?

Yep, that's the plan Beta clip/R clip...all the same thing depending on where you buy it. Going for a big penny washer too to spread the thrust

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Usually called "push nuts" over here

Googled push nuts...seems they're more commonly called 'spider fixes' over here. Thanks

Push nuts/spider fixes...they're still useless

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Not a common topic on a boat, I know, but I suffered the indignity at the weekend of having the wheels fall off my SIB Launching wheels, that is.

Having taken lots of advice on this forum regarding launching wheels I invested £80 but the ironmongery was stainless, nice big, soft, rubber wheels, the whole lot swings up and down easily, or is easily detached if required. Perfect. Sort of.

The wheels are held on to the stub axles with washers that have a serated tooth arrangement to the internal diameter (I'm sure someone will come along and tell me what they're actually called). You put the wheel onto the axle, press the washer on and, in theory, hey presto. What's supposed to happen is that any sideways loading from the wheel causes the washer teeth to dig in and resist. Nope. Wrong. Not in this case, anyway.

The washers are not symmetrical, so they have to go on the right way as the teeth are angled along the axis of the washer. In so being, again, the theory is, easy to put on, hard to take off.

The washers are plated mild steel and the axles stainless. And there, I think, lies the problem. The mild steel teeth won't dig into the hard stainless and just slide. In 200 yards the wheels came off about 10 times The language was awful

I'm about to convert to thrust washers and Beta Clips.

Moral...check before you buy

Name of the supplier withheld whilst he decides what he's going to do about it

Codders...as an aside, this type of wheel is still the dogs

Mine are the same I'm going to drill and "R" clip them, also the end of the box section on the transom is far to thin so i'm going to fill it with some solid plastic section to maintain it's shape

[chris123]

Had the same problem with mine earlier this year - no problems (touch wood) since fitting R clips to retain them.

Mine are also made from very skinny stainless.

Cheers

Chris

[tinker]

Mine are the same as well. I have used all thread with a nut on either side (remove the plastic end caps from the axle) this works well, it will now be the last thing to fall off.

PS The roller bearing in the wheel also managed to fall apart.

[Leapy]

Had a phone call from the supplier...R clips and washers in the post

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by tinker

The roller bearing in the wheel also managed to fall apart.

Yep. Ditto...Shame really: for the sake of a bit of thought, drilling an extra hole and supplying an R clip, the infamous soft launching wheels get a bad press.

A classic example of he-who-designed-it-never-tried-to-use-it

Cue comment from those who bought plastic wheels

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Googled push nuts...seems they're more commonly called 'spider fixes' over here. Thanks

Push nuts/spider fixes...they're still useless

Can't really argue with that.

jky

[sdh2903]

Had exactly same problem with mine, sounds like i bought the exact same ones. Not very good quality in my eyes, not 80 quids worth anyway stainless or not.

I do have one question as mine had no instructions at all, the legs of these are curved, does it matter which way round the leg curves. i.e fwd under the hull or aft away from the transom?

[codprawn]

Mine have been great - no trouble at all but they were about £120 or so.

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by sdh2903

I do have one question as mine had no instructions at all, the legs of these are curved, does it matter which way round the leg curves. i.e fwd under the hull or aft away from the transom?

Had mine away from the transom

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Mine have been great - no trouble at all but they were about £120 or so.

Bloody hell Codders. I'd want a porter and a punka-wallah as well for that

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Leapy

Bloody hell Codders. I'd want a porter and a punka-wallah as well for that

Ahh but they were already on the boat when I had it!!!