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TTFishon
Is it possible to bend the axil on the boat trailer by tightening something too tight?
Boat trailer axle
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ArcticAmoeba
Not usually, and if you could, I would not want to tow my boat with it! Haha! But all trailer axles are essentially pre-loaded, so they look bent under a light, or no load at all. Or is your trailer just tracking funny?
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TTFishon
ArcticAmoeba said:
I didn't notice if either one tracked funny. My bigger boat I purchased used a couple of months ago and didn't notice the axil until about a week after I bought it. The guy said that the wheels and axil were just redone. And after strengthening the transom on my small boat I noticed the axil looked bent on the trailer it's on. That trailer is a friend of mine's and he just installed a new axil and tires too.
Irishrover
There are a few hings you can do to a boat trailer axle but the only thing you could over tighten would be the bearings. If you did that they would let you know soon enough. The excess heat would melt away the grease and they would soon seize up. You can bend an axle by putting too much weight on it. If some one reworked the axle make sure it's on there square and true. You can screw up tire real quick if the axle is not on straight. If you think the axle is bent check your spindles and make sure the are true. If the spindles are square to the trailer and the axle is in lined up properly you should be OK. I've changed out a couple of axles and switch from drum brakes to disc brakes. I was careful to mark and measure the axles and thing worked out fine. If you have the time post a picture of the axle so we can see what you mean by being bent.
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TTFishon
Irishrover said:There are a few hings you can do to a boat trailer axle but the only thing you could over tighten would be the bearings. If you did that they would let you know soon enough. The excess heat would melt away the grease and they would soon seize up. You can bend an axle by putting too much weight on it. If some one reworked the axle make sure it's on there square and true. You can screw up tire real quick if the axle is not on straight. If you think the axle is bent check your spindles and make sure the are true. If the spindles are square to the trailer and the axle is in lined up properly you should be OK. I've changed out a couple of axles and switch from drum brakes to disc brakes. I was careful to mark and measure the axles and thing worked out fine. If you have the time post a picture of the axle so we can see what you mean by being bent.
Here's a pic of my buddy's trailer.
http://i456.photobucket.com/albums/qq290/tedfishmon/100_2728.jpg
I'd show a pic of mine but I got my license plate in the pic. It's the same except it bends upward.
Irishrover
Unless that is some weird optical illusion I'd say yes that axle is bent. Next question would be how much weight is the axle rated for and how much does the boat and motor weigh. Looks like the tags are still on the axle so you could check that out. A main concern would be the shape of the spindles have they been canted at all? I have a pipe trailer that has a bent axle and the spindles are canted up. It's no problem because the trailer never leaves the farm and gets pulled slowly but with a heavy boat at highway speeds that a different matter . Check the spindles the should be at 90 degree from the trailer.
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TTFishon
Irishrover said:
What are the spindles?
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FishFinger
Ooooooh, I'd agree the axle looks bent. The spindles are at the ends of the axel shaft on bost sides. The bearings (inner and outer) ride on the spindle which is what allows the drum to turn. Just as Irish recommended remove the drum and verify the spindles are @ 90 degrees to the trailer frame.
Irishrover
A spindle is the the thing that the wheel hub spins around on. The wheel hub is what you bolt the wheel to. If you take off your tire (the rubber part) it is on a wheel (the metal part), what is left is the wheel hub. That is where the bearings are located. The bearings are kept in the wheel housing by a wheel seel on the back side and a wheel nut on the front side. The wheel nut holds the bearings and housing onto the spindle. The bearing rest on the spindle and consist of an inner and outer bearing and are contained in the wheel hub. The spindles are whats left after you remove the wheel hub. If the spindles are bent along with the axle it should be obvious when looking at it and there will be excessive tire wear on the inside (trailer side of the tire).
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Irishrover
Check this site out it's for Champion trailer part. It's where I order parts for my trailers when I need then. They have good graphics that might do better than my written discription. CHAMPION TRAILER PARTS SUPPLY
Take a look at the spindle section.
Take a look at the spindle section.
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TTFishon
Irishrover said:
Hey, thanks for the link. Now I know what a spindle is and now I know I need to get both trailers fixed or looked at before the season really kicks in.
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TTFishon
Irishrover said:
I talked to my buddy. He said the trailer is rated for 3000 lbs and that the ale is suppose to be like that. He said it will straighten out when I put the boat and motor on the trailer. I don't think my boat and motor and all my gear combined would even come close to 3000 lbs. I hope it straightens out when I use it.
Irishrover
As long as those spindles are straight you are good to go.
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TTFishon
Irishrover said:As long as those spindles are straight you are good to go.
OK. I'll check them this weekend. Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.
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