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Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 12th, 2021, 2:19 pm
by Juan
The axle and leaf springs on my skiff's single axle boat trailer aren't in the best of shape, I've knocked off a layer of rust and applied some rust stop stuff but I'm picky and I don't feel warm and fuzzy about their condition so I'm considering replacing them soon. I don't mind making modifications and repairs on my boats and trailers (actually enjoy doing it) but I've never replaced an axle and I'm guessing if it's not done perfectly, it might cause tire wear issues. Anyone replaced an axle and if so, would you do it again? Would you replace leaf springs with torsion bars on a small trailer? Is it a DIY job or should I just take to the trailer place and have it done right the first time?

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 12th, 2021, 2:51 pm
by leonreno
I replaced my tandem spring axles several years ago, when using the original hangars, with the right sized parts, not really much to go wrong. I replaced the axles, hubs, brakes, surge actuator and lines all at the same time, wasn’t that hard. Most of the old bolts broke or snapped, which was fine, I replaced with SS bolts(use anti-seize or grease to prevent galling). I bought my axles from Sturdybuiltonline.com, they have axles that have adjustable spring seats, no welding needed.

I chose not to switch to torsion axles as I was afraid I would mess up the height concerning the fenders and the boat loading geometry, the boat loads easy and didn’t want that changed.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 13th, 2021, 8:38 am
by fishinfool
I second the "it's not that hard" comment. If you are replacing with an axle and you are concerned with axle geometry, measure the distance of the axle to the rear corners of the trailer. Be sure to double check for square, distance from left axle to left rear corner AND right rear corner. Then right axle to right rear corner AND left rear corner. All corresponding distances should be equal.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 13th, 2021, 10:59 am
by ropeman
leonreno wrote: February 12th, 2021, 2:51 pm Most of the old bolts broke or snapped, which was fine, I replaced with SS bolts(use anti-seize or grease to prevent galling).
Get a can of PB Blaster and soak all the bolts down several days before you start, then again when you are ready to take them off. You might want to get a grinder ready in case the PB doesn't do the job.

Also, if you can get the boat off the trailer it would make the job much easier than crawling around under the boat and trailer.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 13th, 2021, 11:58 am
by Juan
Thanks all. Sounds like I should be able to do it. Don't have an easy way to do it without the boat on the trailer so will have to put it on jack stands while I change the axle and springs.. Probably be faster and easier to just cut off the nuts and bolts since I'll replace with new ones any way.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 14th, 2021, 10:42 pm
by leonreno
ropeman wrote: February 13th, 2021, 10:59 am
leonreno wrote: February 12th, 2021, 2:51 pm Most of the old bolts broke or snapped, which was fine, I replaced with SS bolts(use anti-seize or grease to prevent galling).
Get a can of PB Blaster and soak all the bolts down several days before you start, then again when you are ready to take them off. You might want to get a grinder ready in case the PB doesn't do the job.

Also, if you can get the boat off the trailer it would make the job much easier than crawling around under the boat and trailer.
I had a grinder ready, but most of the bolts just snapped, the ones that didn’t came off with a breaker bar. I actually liked the ones that snapped, they went fast. I was already going to replace them.

I will add I had a helper that made replacing the axles easier, but it is a job you can do by yourself.

I just recently replaced all the bunk brackets on my trailer, and that was much harder, mainly due to the fact I had to jack the boat above the trailer since I couldn’t drop it off anywhere. The bunks also were much heavier than I thought they would be, 3x10x10 foot cypress bunks. Replaced the carpet also. But I would gladly replace axles over that again.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 15th, 2021, 6:23 am
by STMU
leonreno wrote: February 12th, 2021, 2:51 pm Most of the old bolts broke or snapped, which was fine, I replaced with SS bolts(use anti-seize or grease to prevent galling).
You can 100% do it yourself, and I suspect you probably have all the tools you need already. However, SS is not necessarily your best option. Do you have an aluminum trailer or galvanized steel? Dissimilar metals can cause corrosion and you'll want to look into beforehand. Should be fine with aluminum but may want research if galvanized. You can also have galling issues with SS. I also dont use SS on load bearing points like spring bolt hangers.

The conversion is expensive and might not be worth it depending on you scenario. I had a friend who did the same thing only to have one of the bolts fails. The SS sheared at the leaf spring connection going down I75. No one was hurt, but the trailer and boat were damaged beyond repair.

Lots of discussions online with folks way smarter than me. Hulltruth should have some good info.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 15th, 2021, 7:26 am
by Juan
Aluminum trailer and plan to replace the galvanized axle and leaf springs. I may have to settle for galvanized since it's got a V bend in the axle and straight spindles and galvanized is the only one I've found in the correct size thus far.. but thanks, I'll do some more research before placing the parts order.

Re: Trailer axle replacement

Posted: February 15th, 2021, 10:40 am
by STMU
Ment to add...SS comes in a ton of different flavors. Most big box stores will have 304, but 316 is a much better alternative if you can find it. 316 has molybdenum, which has much better corrosion resistance. Given this is for a marine trailer, it might be worth shopping around to see if you can find it online or at a store not named Home Depot or Lowes. Few extra dollars spent can be worth the peace of mind. Good Luck!