Trailer axle/bearing advice needed

Shelled an inner bearing on my trailer so bad that I damaged the spindle. I’m going to be able to limp it home I think with the fix I have now but I’m wondering who I’d take it to and get it machined smooth? I was told by a shop in rice lake, wisconsin that they couldn’t replace the axle (too much bend in it to accommodate boat) and that they couldn’t replace just the spindle (would have to cut it back too far thus weakening the axle). Options or advice? Thanks for any help you all can provide!

Ahhh. I’m not the only one!

Happened twice to me going to the rainy river. Had to buy new hubs both times. The wheel happened to grind into the spindle about .25 to .50 deep. I just cleaned it up with sandpaper and made sure the bearing surfaces were in good shape and put her back together. Been doing great since I installed bearing buddies. Not sure of the extent of damage you did, but this is what I did.

I would sand it smooth too and keep it greased. I would also have a spare set of bearings, just in case. I am somewhat mechanically inclined and also like to live dangerously If it went out again, I would then look at axle replacement

this sounds like a DeepVee axle and they are more of a bear than the smaller straight axle.
after burning one up in central saskatchewan, I’ve taken to following BigG’s advice. If i’m going to be farther than hitchhiking distance away from home, I carry extra bearings. If it’s a day travel, then I try to carry a full hub, and then, finding someone who can do a square/plumb weld is another challenge.
In this situation, i’d go with a sand and pray program. .010 is probably ‘easy’, .050 is getting there if the damage is in the wrong spot…
There are no easy answers here. 60mph is hard on bearing surfaces anyway you do it.
good luck. i’ll send prayers.

Joe, any GOOD metal worker should be able to build up the spindle with a wire feed welder then grind/file it back to size so the race will fit over the spindle. I have done it, it takes time but can deffinatley be done.

If I had the tools right now I would offer to help but Im sorry, I wont have shop access for a few weeks. -Mark

By the time you get done putzing with it, a full hub may be the way to go. Not sure on your set up, but I burned one up on the way to Rainy and changed it out in the casino’s parking lot, hub was $65 packed and ready to roll.

Just saw the ‘spindle’ part!

Should’ve added that it’s a tapered spindle. The hub survived unscathed somehow. Literally nothing was left of that inner bearing, only half of the individual bearing rollers were left, the rest ground up.

Thanks for the info/advice guys. Just got the trailer back from the shop. Apparently, the damage is in the wrong spot as Stu mentioned. It’s right where the inner seal sits, and there’s enough of a burr there to prevent a perfect fit. I still don’t understand why they wouldn’t just grind to fit, but whatever, I’m no metal-worker.

Joel

Joel,

I have an older Spartan trailer that had the same problem. The surface that the inner bearings ran on was so pitted it would chew up a new set of seals in less than a month. I replaced the whole axle. I dealt with an outfit called Absolute Trailer Sales in Inver Grove Heights, MN. The axle they sold me was custom built to my dimensions by a company called Dexter. It cost about $250.

Now when I was reasearching all this, I found that you can guy shims that fit over that part of you axle. Do a search on trailer shims and that you get you in the right direction. Something like this:

web page

I haven’t used these things myself, but it’s an idea. Good luck!

Rootski

Depending on the damage or groves put into the spindle, I would try to sand it smooth.

It may take you awhile Joel but with some emery paper you can do a pretty good job.

If you have a caliper, check the spindle size every so often to see what you have done. If you need a measurement to know when it is close, measure the other side if it is not also damaged to some degree.

I cannot believe they could not weld a new spindle on to your existing axle.

We had one of our race trailers go bad with a bearing in Iowa and we took emery paper and cleaned it up enough to get home we thought. The next day we checked it out and it seeemed to be fine and we used it for 2 more years that way.

The shop we stopped at in Iowa said the axle had to be replaced.

There are times when I believe some of these shops make the issue to be much worse than what it really is simply to make a few more dollars.

You have nothing to lose by trying to smooth it out with some emery paper. Don’t use anything rougher than emery paper as you could put some small grooves into the spindle.

Then fit your bearing to the spindle to see how it fits.

I have been lurking on IDO for a while and I wouldl ike to say hello and this is my first post

Two of my shorelander trailers came with spindle sleeves from the factory. The sleeves would only ride under the seals. Whenever I would repack the bearings I would take off the sleeves and clean them up with emery cloth and they would be good to. I wouldn’t have second thoughts about adding sleeves to the spindles

Bob

Welcome Bob!

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. I’ve lost bearings and replaced them over the years, but this is the first time I’ve had to pay any mind to the trailer spindle/axle itself. Apparently you have to be a bit more precise with these things than we had to be fixing hay wagons.

Tom – the emery cloth suggestion was a good one, and the shop did just that, and put a “spring” seal in for good measure. I’m guessing that their fix was a good one as I didn’t loose a bit of grease, and the bearing/hub never got hot trailering it about 150 miles.

Thanks too for all that replied with the spindle sleeves suggestion – I’m going to get some of these, along with a replacement hub packed with a greased bearing kit ready to go should things get bad again this season.

Joel

Good to hear the shop got you ready to go fishing again.