Check your trailers bolts and nuts

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wevans
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Check your trailers bolts and nuts

Post by wevans »

When I fished the last time I happened to glance down at the axles before loading the boat and realized that I had not been checking the rust on the trailer "it's only 3 years old" :hammer: On closer inspection I found that ALL of the u-bolts where rusted to about half their normal size and the nuts where almost completely gone on half of them :o I always kept a check on my used stuff, but had gotten into an "it's new so don't worry" rut :smt011 I have no doubt that a hard jar would have broken something loose. So check them things fellas and gals, it aint no fun watching your boat hit the highway as your wheels pass you by :-D :beer: :beer:
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bait boy
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Post by bait boy »

Weavens you need to check your leaf springs too. We break them quite regularly.
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wevans
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Post by wevans »

The springs look like they will go another year or two, but I do plan to replace the spring bolts with SS bolts :-D
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.”
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qoutrage
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Post by qoutrage »

Good idea, Wevans. Neighbor, Freddy, had a shackle break on his tandem axle a couple of weeks ago. He has it at the shop in Medart.
A question for ya- Is that the best place to buy hardware- like plates and brackets, etc? I'd rather cut and replace my own.
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dstockwell
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Post by dstockwell »

I need to find somewhere to get a bigger grease gun and tubes. Them small ones don't cut when your lubing a tandem trailer.
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wevans
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Post by wevans »

qoutrage wrote:Good idea, Wevans. Neighbor, Freddy, had a shackle break on his tandem axle a couple of weeks ago. He has it at the shop in Medart.
A question for ya- Is that the best place to buy hardware- like plates and brackets, etc? I'd rather cut and replace my own.
To be honest, I've never bought anything from Coastal Trailer, so I don't know :oops: I've always bought my trailer stuff from RMS :-D I do plan to check with these fellas and see if they have the u-bolts and plates in SS, I know that regular SS bolts, nuts, screws and nails are much cheaper there :thumbup: :thumbup:

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wevans
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Post by wevans »

Don, Walmart, or any auto parts store :-D :beer:
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qoutrage
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Post by qoutrage »

Thanks for the info, Wevans. My trailer is okay for now, except for having to replace the guide ons and taillights. I bought a set of the water-tight, led ones- 'About 50 bucks, but maybe they will last a while.
The last ones I replaced was on the CS trailer at about $25 and lasted about a year, maybe a little more.
Oh, and I intend to put plastic(teflon?) on the bunks, soon, since the carpet is about gone.. It's always somethin' with trailers.
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wevans
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Post by wevans »

The sealed LED lights are great :thumbup: but if you used the mounting plates that came with them, expect to change out the plates about once a year :smt011

PS: ya might look at these for yer bunks :wink:
http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm ... goryID=221
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RHTFISH
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Re: Check your trailers bolts and nuts

Post by RHTFISH »

wevans wrote: On closer inspection I found that ALL of the u-bolts where rusted to about half their normal size and the nuts where almost completely gone on half of them
Please don't tell me there's anything wrong with that.....mine came like that! :smt013
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
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wevans
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Post by wevans »

After further review, I decided ta pull eveything out and replace all but the frame :o
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Hopfully, I'll find all the parts tomorrow :thumbup: :beer:
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mjsigns
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Post by mjsigns »

That wouldn't have anything to do with gong down to the "Bottoms" on that dirt road and then putting your boat in saltwater would it? :smt017

BTW is that road named "Skipper Bay" road?

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wevans
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Post by wevans »

Nope "on the dirt road anyhow" :-D Bottoms is about 3 more miles past Skipper "going towards Panacea from Tally" and is paved till the road ends at the ramp "on the left also" and the name of the road is Bottoms :smt025 and my boat and trailer gets washed before the fish or myself :thumbup: :beer: :beer:
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wevans
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Post by wevans »

Meant to take an after pic, but I was running late on the repairs :roll: something to definitely dislike about a G3 is the trailer :o nothing is standard US made, if you try looking up the manufacturer it all comes back in Japanese "except two hits on folks trying to get rid of theirs" :smt011 but it's done now "with a little modification" and is all SS hardware and a solid galvanized axle :thumbup: :thumbup: :beer:
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catchin1
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Post by catchin1 »

My friends new boat and trailer(3 years old now that new mentality that wevans metioned) the trailer we just had to rework it, hangers , brackets and even the frame needed some welding and reinforcing from rust out, needless to say it was painted not galvanized :hammer: . He may get another year or so out of it(17 ft aluminum boat) but will definately have to replace. Point is they will deteriote quicker than most people are prepared for.
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