Making homemade trailer.

[mercury713]

One of my friends has axles without springs.

I was wondering if its legal to pull a Trailer without Springs?

I leave Boat at Cottage all Summer so its only for a 20mile Trip.

 

[mudslinging79]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

for bout 40 bucks, you can go to pick n pull and get a set of leaf springs off of a bronco 2 with the u bolts, for example.not to hard to set up a trailer with leaf springs...

 

[mercury713]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

mudslinging79 Its only a light aluminum boat and I would drive slow.

Lost a 60$ galvanized Trailer with a bent Axle this week

I just want something cheap for next summer, id fix it up more for the fallowing year.

I want to place my money on the boat theses next months.

 

[mercury713]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

In Canada you can get plates, papers and sticker for a home made trailer but you have to get it inspected after. cops don't bother you much here there layed back.( my cars insured )

Wonder if they look for spings?

 

[dan t.]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

Back in the 60s my dad built a boat trailer with a drop axel from a pickup upside down, no springs. The 14 ft plywood boat that it was built for is long gone, but--- the trailer is still going strong and is in regular use each summer, my older brother hauls a 16 ft tinny on a regular basis with it.

 

[mercury713]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

dan t .... It would be simpler with no springs and the main roads here are new so not to bumpy.

Would be lower to the ground like a bass boat trailer

Just need to make a transom saver.

 

[PBJT]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

IMO you must have not pulled a trailer with out springs or you would not even consider it. What I am saying is..do not worry about legal or not it is just a poor idea. The trailer I pulled was a car trailer, empty the thing would pound and bang all over the lane and did not stay behind me well and pulled/jerked the truck all around, but put a car on it and strap down the tires the rig would be "alright" cause the car suspension kept the trailer to the road. You don't have the benifit of your load acting as the suspension and likely pull the tie down straps and eyelits apart eventually. I would hold out and do it right.

Pete

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

I'd agree with Pete. I pulled an old flat bed trailer out of the woods at my grandfather's a couple of years ago. Only had 25 miles to go, so I just aired up the tired and went. With in a mile, the trailer was bouning 6" up and down, and wagging side to side violently - at about 30 mph. Come to find out, the spring and shackles were so rusted, they were frozen in place. I pulled into a neighbors place and we gently set the bucket of his tractor on the trailer till we heard two pops, and could see the springs flexing. Drove the rest of the way home with no issue. Trailer ended up getting completely rebuilt from the ground up and is a great little utility trailer, but I wouldn't even think about pulling it with out a suspension.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

It is not illegal: Masons and contractors pull their cement mixers all the time. Those don't have springs--but did you ever see the way they bounce behind the truck? I'm with the last two posters: It's a poor idea, especially for 20 miles. It would be more than OK if you were just going a couple of hundred yards to the ramp, but over the road is a different story.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

I wouldn't!

I had a home made trailer with no springs, just to go down the street, any bump and the trailer would bounce, hit a few in a row and it would try to bounce the boat off the trailer!
That was top speed all of 15mph!
14' boat, out board and gas tank.

I put springs on it!

 

[irishmedic6]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

I agree with the previous posts. It isn't a good idea. You can put the extra $50-100 in your boat this summer instead of the leaf springs....but you may find that your project for next year may be getting a new boat or repairing a leaky one. You would be amazed how uneven the roads are. They feel smooth because of your suspension. I wouldn't pull the boat (especially if it's riveted) a mile without springs.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

^^^+1. NO springs are a crappy idea. You're gonna beat your boat into a pile of junk in short order. Good luck getting your outboard to stay on also. Springs are cheap. Don't be.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

Another vote for get a suspension. One pothole or big stick in the road and the trailer could flip, break up, or fling the cargo.

Have you already got a trailer that has springs but no axle? Or one with no springs or axle at all? How big a rig we talkin' about? You can get torsion half-axles off EBAY for pretty cheap if we're talking about a small rig.

EDIT: I see you said a small aluminum, though I wonder what exactly you meant by you "lost" your trailer?

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

That boat will be trash, and if it has a motor on the transom, trash. you will beat the heck out of all three. My .02

 

[mercury713]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

What if I placed balloon tires

I might place springs or wait for a used one.

Went to price 14' square tubing for hitch 60$ 1/8 thickness 1/4 is 90$

Id need more for bracing... 150$ in steel.... plus 30 for axle I found with tires .. and springs.... 400-500$

So I guess il wait a bit.

 

[mercury713]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

ajgraz I have a trailer but don't want to change it. (use for firewood)

16 aluminum jon boat with 20 hp

 

[Silver Heels]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

I too like making stuff, but used boat trailers are dirt cheap, plus they already have suspension!

 

[444]

Re: Making homemade trailer.

If you have a princess auto in your area, you can score new leaf springs for about 30 bucks per side. Not super heavy duty, but enough for the boat you plan on hauling. If you get a set of double eye springs you can bolt the front eye directly to brackets you make and weld onto the frame. For the rear you mount the springs to the frame with shackes so the springs can compress and extend horizontally when placed under load.

In Canada you can get plates, papers and sticker for a home made trailer but you have to get it inspected after. cops don't bother you much here there layed back.( my cars insured )

Wonder if they look for spings?

I'm in Canada and I built a home-made trailer and registered it. No inspection. Must vary province-to-province if your area required an inspection.

IMO you must have not pulled a trailer with out springs or you would not even consider it. What I am saying is..do not worry about legal or not it is just a poor idea.

Agreed. It WILL bounce all over the place. When my little utility trailer is empty it bounces all over the place cause there's not enough load to work out the leaf springs. Put a small load in there and it's all good. Without a suspension it will beat the hell out of your boat AND be all over the road!