Toe out on boat trailer wheels

[smallribber]

If you look ar boats on trailers that have been standing for some time you will often a moderately alarming toeing out of the wheels at the bottom. Me and my mate who is a bit of a trailer Nerd have come to the conclusion that this is the rubbers in the 'indespension' axle compressing over time. The solution is to just store you trailer/boat on blocks

Here is how mine were on a quite new axle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAkD76u25pU

[mhill]

Your friendly trailer "nerd" does he fancy teaching me how to service the breaking system on mine?

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by mhill

Your friendly trailer "nerd" does he fancy teaching me how to service the breaking system on mine?

If you have a large tow car the best way to service the trailer brakes is to get it all working very well. Then back of the breaking mechanism in the rod so it only 'just' comes on. I have not told you this but it will prevent that below. In my view the brakes we have on boat Trailers in this country if dunked in the sea which is generally inevitable are simply not up to the job. This is generally why I will only tow unbraked long distances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dip9cdmXtNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnGTqEoiI7U

[Peter_C]

Toe out or negative camber? If the wheels lean in from the bottom to the top that is camber. Toe would be the front of the tires pointed out away from the trailer.

Toe out would destroy tires very quickly. Heavy camber wears the tires on the inside edges. Neither are good for a boat trailer.

How expensive are the replacement rubber parts? I'd probably just call it routine maintenance. Too much work putting jack stands/blocks under and removing them every time you need to move the trailer.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Toe out or negative camber? If the wheels lean in from the bottom to the top that is camber. Toe would be the front of the tires pointed out away from the trailer.

Toe out would destroy tires very quickly. Heavy camber wears the tires on the inside edges. Neither are good for a boat trailer.

How expensive are the replacement rubber parts? I'd probably just call it routine maintenance. Too much work putting jack stands/blocks under and removing them every time you need to move the trailer.

Ok with the whole camber thing. You cant replace the Rubbers that would mean a whole new axle and the new one would do the same. New axle about £450 nowadays and several weeks wait.

Putting them on the blocks is no biggy. Did it in about 7 mins

[Peter_C]

So 14 minutes just to move the trailer.

I sure wouldn't replace them with the same axles. Get something of better quality when they fail.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

So 14 minutes just to move the trailer.

I sure wouldn't replace them with the same axles. Get something of better quality when they fail.

I rather think you don’t understand the whole Boat Axle thing in the U.K. there is effectively only one maker available which is Peak and this is how they are. You only need to do this if the boat is stored on the trailer for a long while in which case 7 mins not 14 is no time at all. All axles with pressed rubber suspension units will do this. It has nothing to do with quality

[smallribber]

The title should be negative camber and not toe out

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

I rather think you don’t understand the whole Boat Axle thing in the U.K. there is effectively only one maker available which is Peak and this is how they are.

I definitely did not know you only had one option for trailer axles. We have so many to choose from with most being solid axles using leaf springs, along with independent axles. We also use hydraulic brakes or electric over hydraulic.

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

You only need to do this if the boat is stored on the trailer for a long while in which case 7 mins not 14 is no time at all.

7 minutes to remove them, trailer gets moved, then 7 minutes to reinstall the blocks is 14 minutes. Longer than it takes to prep, launch and recover the boat and prep for trailering home. Everyone's time is different depending on lifestyle. *shrugs* I'll admit I would be too lazy to deal with blocking.

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

All axles with pressed rubber suspension units will do this. It has nothing to do with quality

Quality could also be considered longevity. No other options though...

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

I definitely did not know you only had one option for trailer axles. We have so many to choose from with most being solid axles using leaf springs, along with independent axles. We also use hydraulic brakes or electric over hydraulic.



7 minutes to remove them, trailer gets moved, then 7 minutes to reinstall the blocks is 14 minutes. Longer than it takes to prep, launch and recover the boat and prep for trailering home. Everyone's time is different depending on lifestyle. *shrugs* I'll admit I would be too lazy to deal with blocking.



Quality could also be considered longevity. No other options though...

There are several axle manufacturers supplying the uk market. Its not realy a huge issue, you do see odd trailers with the wheels sat squat but generally only real old ones which have probably been overloaded most of their lives. Bearings, hubs & brake components usually rot out well before the rubber components deteriorate to the point of running tyres off to any great degree. Axles are relatively cheap in real terms & once they get to a certain age & degree of corrosion its a fairly cheap & easy operation to replace them, once replaced you have everything new as they come complete with brakes hubs etc. I couldn't be bothered faffing about blocking off a trailer every time I wanted to move it.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by beamishken

There are several axle manufacturers supplying the uk market. Its not realy a huge issue, you do see odd trailers with the wheels sat squat but generally only real old ones which have probably been overloaded most of their lives. Bearings, hubs & brake components usually rot out well before the rubber components deteriorate to the point of running tyres off to any great degree. Axles are relatively cheap in real terms & once they get to a certain age & degree of corrosion its a fairly cheap & easy operation to replace them, once replaced you have everything new as they come complete with brakes hubs etc. I couldn't be bothered faffing about blocking off a trailer every time I wanted to move it.

I say again as I sad originally..... Blocking off is only if you are going to store it quite a long time.

Axles in the UK used to be cheap but no longer.... Try and buy one in real life and see the cost and also the time you have to wait.

Also when you buy in the UK almost all roads lead to Peak

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

I say again as I sad originally..... Blocking off is only if you are going to store it quite a long time.



Axles in the UK used to be cheap but no longer.... Try and buy one in real life and see the cost and also the time you have to wait.



Also when you buy in the UK almost all roads lead to Peak

You never heard of any of these?
*Al-ko, Knott, Avonride, BPW, and Indespension.
When you need hubs bearings shoes back plates etc you could be spending in the region of £300 plus a load of labour at that point an axle at around £500/600 becomes a realistic option

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by beamishken

There are several axle manufacturers supplying the uk market. Its not realy a huge issue, you do see odd trailers with the wheels sat squat but generally only real old ones which have probably been overloaded most of their lives. Bearings, hubs & brake components usually rot out well before the rubber components deteriorate to the point of running tyres off to any great degree. Axles are relatively cheap in real terms & once they get to a certain age & degree of corrosion its a fairly cheap & easy operation to replace them, once replaced you have everything new as they come complete with brakes hubs etc. I couldn't be bothered faffing about blocking off a trailer every time I wanted to move it.

Thanks for the further explanation.

[cdbxyz]

life is way too short for this

[chipko]

Originally Posted by cdbxyz

life is way too short for this

Yeah, but he’s not wrong to be fair and good advice.

Never experienced the negative camber issue but we always store on blocks over winter to save axle rubbers settling and stressing tyres.

Just good practice at the end of the day.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by chipko

Yeah, but he’s not wrong to be fair and good advice.

Never experienced the negative camber issue but we always store on blocks over winter to save axle rubbers settling and stressing tyres.

Just good practice at the end of the day.

I do exactly the same with the caravan over winter. No axle rubbers of course, but saves tyre flat spotting and side wall cracking.

[willk]

Originally Posted by chipko

Just good practice at the end of the day.

Apparently it makes yer boat 7 minutes harder to nick as well

[neil.mccrirrick]

And saves flat spots on wheel bearings!

[smallribber]

So a good idea all round………… I wonder who told me to do it

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by willk

Apparently it makes yer boat 7 minutes harder to nick as well

"IF" I was a thief I would careless if it was on blocks or not. Connect to trailer and drag it away. Zero time lost and damage would be non existent from wood blocks. Noise would be minimal too. *Shrugs*

Living in a mediterranean climate I am not sure what this winter off season is? For us winter is when the winds often die down and its time to go boating/diving.