Need a new trailer or axle, help and advice needed!!!!!!!!

I posted a week or so ago about my trailer problems. I had the inner bearings blow out on my trailer and had a hell of a time removing the inner bearing race which was stuck on the spindle. I finally got it off with a Dremel and cut off wheel only to find the reason why it was stuck.

There’s a pretty significant groove worn into the bottom of the spindle. It’s becoming apparent that the spindle is not going to be usable going forward. I’m at a bit of a crossroads. As I see it I have a few options:

1.) Replace the spindle. Is this even possible? I’m guessing I’d have to find a welder to cut off the old spindle and weld on a new one or something. Estimated cost = ???

2.) Replace the axle. I have no idea how much this would cost, or if I’d be able to do this myself. Maybe I would?
Estimated cost = $150??

3.) Replace the whole trailer. Estimated cost = $500-$800

This boat is a late 80s 15.5′ smoker craft with a 25 hp Evinrude. It’s great for small lakes and the river, but it isn’t exactly a spring chicken. My ability to buy a new boat in the next 3-4 years is pretty close to zero though.

So, fix the problem now and wait for the next thing to go wrong, or buy a new/used trailer. What would you do? Anyone have experience replacing the axle or replacing a spindle on a small boat trailer like this?

I’m having trouble finding used trailers online, I’m guessing most people with this size boat just sell the boat+trailer and rarely have one or the other separated.

check out redneck trailer supply in hampton iowa,if your axle is rated for 3500 pounds,complete axle runs about a hundred bucks with hubs,a 7000 pound rated axle will run shy of two hundred. do you have a northern hydraulics or northern tool supply in your area?? they usually have some on hand there. measure the axle diameter,or if its square,measure both sides,the length from spindle to spindle,or spring perch to spring perch,get new u-bolts and nuts also.

as far as being able to do it yourself,fairly easy and straight forward job,make sure to use jack stands ahead and behind the axle after getting it jacked up,dont want to read about you in the paper getting squashed.
fix your trailer,at least you will know what you have when done,and you wont be buying some one elses problem and be where you are at now down the road.

I had trailer issues with my last boat. And I did the first 2 options at different times to the trailer. I actually did the axle twice and did price out trailers. I did have a heavier boat, and the costs of all of those options were much higher.

FDR

Iowaboy1 wrote:

good stuff

Thanks for the reply! I’d be surprised if my boat + motor weighed over 750 pounds. It’s an older aluminum boat with two benches and that’s about it.

I’m guessing a 2000 or 2500 pound rated axle is what’s on there now. I was surprised to see those are like $70 at northern tool.

If I’m changing the axle out should I go ahead and replace the leaf springs too? Mine are pretty rusted…

New axle, new leaf springs, new hubs, new tires. Should be in good shape?

Make sure the overall frame is good to go too. I would hate to make those repairs to fins out otherwise at a later date.

FDR

if the frame looks good,replace the springs and shackles while you are at it,its only a couple of more bolts per side unless the rear of the spring is just laying in a hanger,then replace that hanger also,then your trailer will be good for a long time.
springs and shackles are cheap,dont penny pinch now,and while you are at it,check out your hitch,and replace it if it is worn out,the whole works will be less than what you will pay for a used trailer,and while its on stands,give the wiring a good going over,replace if it has scotch locks,wires twisted and taped,etc.
I know this sounds like a lot all at once,but you are only looking at a days work poking along at it,and when you get her out next spring,guess what? its ready to go to work!!! and with no issues!!! pm me if I can help you out in any way.

That’s the other thing, we can’t keep the boat at our town home during the winter so it needs to brought down to my in laws place in Winona before it starts snowing.

I could of course throw new hubs on the existing axle in the hopes that it makes it down there. I don’t feel great about that option though…This needs to be fixed eventually.

thats more than I would trust it to go a hundred miles if the bearing area on the spindle is cut very deep,more than twenty thousands of an inch as the bearing will walk on the spindle and ruin new bearings,although I have done that by taking secondary roads and spent all day going slow.pita for sure.
if you attempt this,pack the bearings and hub,and I mean pack! with lucas red n tacky #2 and check the hub often for heat,that lucas I mentioned is about impossible to wipe off,and it has excellent extreme pressure additives in it that will allow you to limp it to storage,did this to a vermeer round bailer once on a weekend,the inner bearing was actually missing a few rollers!!
made it fifty six miles with no heat issues.go slow!!!

I’ve gone through the exact issue and tried both options 1 & 2. Mine broke down on a fishing trip and I was fortunate to find an Air Force mechanic in the middle of nowhere (Cloquet) who welded on a new spindle. However, I still managed to wear out another bearing and ended up replacing the axle. In the cities I called around and the cost to replace a spindle was as much as getting a new axle. I called the trailer manufacturer and had a new axle at my door in a couple days, complete with new hubs & bearings packed and ready to go. Like iowaboy said, don’t try to drive on a worn spindle but do replace the springs, bolts, etc. if needed. Replacing the axle is not a difficult job (first time for me), and I was able to do myself.

Check out Pioneer Rim and Wheel in Mpls. They should have an axle. I replaced one and it really wasn’t that expensive or a hard job at all.

I ordered axle for my old shore lander from them complete with hubs and bearings for under $150.

philtickelson wrote:

I’m guessing

Guessing!?! I thought you statisticianized everything.

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I would just replace the axle, and its not all that complicated. While your at it, spend the could extra dollars and replace all the bushings as well.

Just make sure you have it sufficiently blocked while working beneath it

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philtickelson wrote:

hat’s the other thing, we can’t keep the boat at our town home during the winter so it needs to brought down to my in laws place in Winona before it starts snowing.
I could of course throw new hubs on the existing axle in the hopes that it makes it down there. I don’t feel great about that option though…This needs to be fixed eventually.

No, no, no. With the damage you did locking things up, you’ll eff up the new hubs/bearings and end up beside the road again.

Do the axle and get-r-done. To me, the springs are a “if you really need to”. There’s a difference between having rust on them (which almost all springs do) and really rusting to the point where it’s going to impact the structure. I rarely see this on anything that hasn’t been in salt water or seen a lot of winter road salt.

Grouse

i’m going with the whole axle.

i had a spindle go out on a duck boat up in canada. went to ‘NAPA’ and bought a spindle and had a local garage weld it on.

they didn’t get it straight and i went thru three sets of bearing coming home. after the first one, i bought TWO the next time. used them BOTH…

whole axle for me next time…

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>philtickelson wrote:</div>
I’m guessing

Guessing!?! I thought you statisticianized everything.

LOL, this made me laugh more than it probably should have.

Bwally, thanks for the offer, where are you located? I’m a little nervous about buying a used trailer. I think if I fixed the axle I’d be in really good shape moving forward, don’t want to inherit any unknown problems. I don’t mean that as a knock on you or anything, just in general.