trailer axle bent, pics included

[Alwhite00]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

I think I would try & flip it to the bottom of the spring - Axle looks too "factory" to have had damage.

LK

 

[skyking897]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

If you think about it, the hard steel axle hits the soft aluminium keel, the axle won't bend but will dent the keel. Not knowing the full history only leads to guessing what happened in the past. But as others have said and me also, get new springs and roll the axle so the bow is up.

 

[ufm82]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

Just a note here about GVWR. That rating is the total load that trailer is capable of carrying INCLUDING the weight of the trailer. If you guesstimate 1100 lbs for the boat, add the weight of the trailer. That trailer won't weigh 1200 lbs. So your overall weight is OK. And anytime you get a sawtooth pattern on the edge of a tire it is an indication of a toe-in, toe-out problem. You're scrubbing the tires as you drive. Camber alone will wear the inside or outside of the tire but the wear will be smooth. LOTS of camber one way or the other can affect toe but it has to be pretty severe. With the arch in that axle you would wind up with lots of negative camber unless it was designed that way and the spindles were affixed with that in mind. If you flip the axle you'll wind up with lots of positive camber and then the outside edge of the tire will wear. I think you have two issues though- camber is off and toe as well. Specifically the tires are toed out causing the inner edge wear.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

Another 2 cents! In the picture it looks like the bottom of the boat is being hit (and bent) by the axle! I have to agree with others that I doubt the boat bent that axle. I just replaced everything on my tandem axle trailer last summer and the new axles were not bent as some have suggested they should be to offset the load. Anyway, As many have suggested there is probably some truth in the "old" spring theory. At any rate they are pretty cheap and should be replaced. Here's my question. Are you sure that trailer came with the boat originally? And, there is always the possiblilty that the axle was replced once already. I suggest just starting over. I noticed the crossmember of the trailer is lower than the axle. That raises all kinds of questions in my mind! The manufacturer of that trailer would not have set it up with a puposely bend crossmember and a straight axle. The original was probably bend to match the crossmember or was well below the bend in the crossmember.
Get new springs, new axle, new wheels and tires and be safe! The over or under question depends on how everything lines up after new springs. Install the new springs before purchasing the axle. Then mock up the trailer with the old axle and take some measure ments. If everything is in line, get a new axle as close to the one you have as possible, although I prefer square axles to round. If however you do need to move the axle below the springs you may need to get an axle that has a small offset welded on the end to make up the difference. Otherwise, your trailer will be seveal inches taller than when you starded and the wheels will be way low in the wheel wells.

Hope this helps!

 

[zagger]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

I think Slow Ride is correct in his assessment. I also think the trailer was originally equipped with formed torsion bar axles and somewhere down the line converted to springs for replacement cost reason. The way it looks I would replace the springs with new 4 leaf ones. This should provide proper clearance between axle and keel.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

If the axle ever hit the keel, you should be able to feel the spot on top of the axle. Might not be able to see anything but you will feel anything.
It looks to me that the vee cross member is an alteration after the trailer was painted that dark red color. The entire vee cross member appears to never been painted or the paint has fallen off.
The u-bolts also have the same paint so that setup may have been this way a very long time. If not from the begining.
Then someone altered the cross members and bunks to accomodate either a different boat or to lower the boat the trailer was made to haul.
You might want to look real close at those springs.
The short leaf might have a crack where the center bolt goes thru thus losing the capacity of that leaf.
Sometimes that crack is very hard to see.
But is not uncommon.

 

[rookie456]

Re: trailer axle bent, pics included

wow, a lot of great responses to my original post. After reading them and doing a little more research, I think it is safe to say that the axle on my trailer is not the original axle, and I think the previous owner mounted the axle over the spring to help with launching. After looking at some images of other boat trailers, I beleive my trailer should have a drop center axle, that would allow the axle to clear the keel, and keep the trailer lower for launching. It seems drop center axles cost quite a bit more than straight axles, so I think I will try flipping the axle to be under the spring and see how that works out.