When was the first year for aluminum trailers?

[C Striker]

Ok...

Went to auto zone. guru says he can only help me with 1 of the studs to compare. Came back 2 hours later, guru gone of course. Other guru points me to trailer place. Went to advanced...Sonny the guru who lives there. Using a caliper he found me one he thought would work. Except the splines come the whole way back to the bolthead. Not like origional. It doesn't want to fall into place.

Of course the old one doesn't want to fall into place either... I want to make sure I FORCE THE RIGHT PART IN

ya mean? I can't really get the old one back in due to the ugly threads, don't want to overstress the part of the spline that is hopefully started in the right place.

Erik

[raycarlson]

they won't fall in place,you have to press them in,or beat them in with a punch and big hammer.

[Tomfoolery]

. . . Except the splines come the whole way back to the bolthead. Not like origional. It doesn't want to fall into place.

Of course the old one doesn't want to fall into place either... I want to make sure I FORCE THE RIGHT PART IN

When that hub or drum or disc was assembled originally, the holes were just holes - no internal spines. The studs were simply pressed into place, with the splines forcing their way in. Shackle bolts (also with splines) for leaf springs are the same way - they're forced into the hole. Remember, they're grade 8 equivalent, and much harder than the base metal they're forced into, and since something has to give, it's the hub/drum/disc that gives.

If you're uncomfortable with forcing them in, bring it all to a local auto shop and have them press them in. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

But if it were me, I'd use it as an excuse to build or buy an arbor press. It would be cheaper to just buy new hubs/drums/discs of course, but that wouldn't stop me from buying a new tool.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-sho ... 33497.html

[C Striker]

I never would have guessed the internal splines are "machined in" with the lug. How common is this with trailers?

I put the old one back in to get the feel for it. The threads aren't that bad after all. Dare I say the nut fell on compared to the lug falling back in. I bet the new one would work too. it was .004 or 5 thicker still in the bag. It didn't have a hex head though.

To me, I wouldn't want to make a habit of replacing or removing these. Especially if they are round headed instead of hex.

[Tomfoolery]

I never would have guessed the internal splines are "machined in" with the lug. How common is this with trailers?

It isn't. I was just trying to assuage your reservations about using brute force and ignorance to install those lugs.

To me, I wouldn't want to make a habit of replacing or removing these. Especially if they are round headed instead of hex.

You shouldn't have to. A little rust proofing should keep them from getting too crappy, but at some point, the hub/drum/disc is going to need replacing anyway. But forcing them out and new ones in is easy enough with the right tools. The head is round because it can't turn anyway (splines), so it's just a matter of force and backing it up correctly.

[raycarlson]

knowledge is everything

[Spector]

Researching the addition of a second axle to my trailer. (2008 aluminum trailer)
Found a dealer (Standens) here in Calgary that can order an axle from UFP built to my serial number.

Looking at fender options and was wondering, has anyone used another set of factory fenders mounted in front or back of the originals? looks like it might work

Other solutions??

[Ormonddude]

they won't fall in place,you have to press them in,or beat them in with a punch and big hammer.

If you use some proper sized washers you can use the studs own threads with the nuts to torque them into place if you have a Air wrench this can really save warping of hubs and bloody knuckles. Even if you dont have Air tools just poke it thru maybe pop it once then put a couple of washers and torque them in one at a time now you may need to add more washers or wait till your mounting the tires for them to set all the way in.

[Boblee]

and adding the best rust protectant to the interior would be just the ticket.

Why not just get it galvanised shouldn't cost much.

[Tomfoolery]

Looking at fender options and was wondering, has anyone used another set of factory fenders mounted in front or back of the originals? looks like it might work

You're going to move the original forward or back, right? Why not put on a tandem fender? It'll look nicer, and may cost about the same as another pair of originals. Sell the originals here, if they're worth anything, which they probably are if they're aluminium.

The PO's of my boat/trailer added a second axle, and another rounded steel fender. It works, and I'm not going to replace anything (other than the brake, wheel, tire, bearing, seal, side marker light, and spring work I did), but it looks like someone added a second axle, as the fenders don't match.

[Spector]

Looking at fender options and was wondering, has anyone used another set of factory fenders mounted in front or back of the originals? looks like it might work

You're going to move the original forward or back, right? Why not put on a tandem fender? It'll look nicer, and may cost about the same as another pair of originals. Sell the originals here, if they're worth anything, which they probably are if they're aluminium.

The PO's of my boat/trailer added a second axle, and another rounded steel fender. It works, and I'm not going to replace anything (other than the brake, wheel, tire, bearing, seal, side marker light, and spring work I did), but it looks like someone added a second axle, as the fenders don't match.

That's a good point. I've looked at pictures on here and the tandem fenders certainly look like they belong. Would the factory fenders give a bit more clearance to the hull?

[Tomfoolery]

Mine don't. They don't look as bad in the pics as they do in person, as they're different heights, different widths, and the new one has a smaller edge lip. But they're legal, and that's good enough for me.

I had just finished softening up the leaf springs in these pics, as they were 3500 lb per pair (probably a lot more for the originals, based on the chubby leaf thickness). Rides oh-so-much softer now.

I also added that little triangle of sheet metal at the outside-front corner of the front axle to hold a clearance/side marker light (with "PC" lens, meaning 180 degree visibility), so it's legal as both a side marker and as a forward facing width (clearance) light. Red clearance and side markers are part of the "over 80" LED submersible tail lights.





Easternmarine has diamond plate aluminium tandem fenders for less than tandem steel fenders. Go figure.

http://www.easternmarine.com/venture-al ... ender44355

http://www.easternmarine.com/loadrite-1 ... zed-613851

[C Striker]

Ok this really stinks. Planned on a few days onboard. Lowest temp of 60 degrees overnight and sooner or later will hit 80.

Pulled the boat from the back and into the front drive for the morning tow. Woke up to see the towbar is bending up. I could see it plain as day, but the Punkin thought it may be an optical illusion, so I grabbed the level. A level shows the aluminum sides as level, the rear half is about level, but the front half ( forward of the winch ) is way off level. The bubble is buried to the side.

Thus ends another wonderful weather window for a well deserved vacation on the water. Time to put her back in the yard and get out the tools again. Either that or risk it breaking altogether.

So everyone be warned. This is an issue that worst case scenerio causes a huge accident and someone dies. And let me reiterate the founding principle of democracy... Let the buyer beware!!! Shame shame shame!

Reminds me of a story of a guy who bought a sea-do boat. Took it back a year later because it ran horribly. The dealer (in a coastal town) regretfully informed him that putting it in salt water voided his warranty.

I'll post how I end up fixing this. If anyone has any new info on this fix, thanks in advance.

Erik

[Hardcrab]

Reread you post.
My first reply did not fit your bending in front of the winch/vee post as you describe.
Your symptoms are not at the same bending point as my failures have been.
My failures have the bending starting at the junction of the drawbar/rails welds (steel) or bolts (alum).
Your issue seems strange to be bending that far forward.
Good Luck.


It's still a POS drawbar.

[Tomfoolery]

AFAIK, that tube is ASTM A500 or A501, 3x3x3/16 wall. A 4x3x3/16 tube should fit in the same space, and being taller by an inch, will be about 2.0 times as stiff, and 1.5 times as strong. Side to side stiffness and strength is increased too, but not by as much as the strong axis properties, and that's not where the problem is anyway.

You can go up in wall thickness, but the benefit is also relatively marginal unless there's a problem with bolt holes becoming deformed, which I don't think is the case.

Hopefully everything is just bolted on for easy transfer to a new tube.

Any local steel supplier or service center should have this tube laying around. Scrap yards often stock clean material for sale, by the pound.

You might want to find out if its a wall thickness problem due to corrosion, or just overloading (or underdesign). A combination of heavy tongue load plus the winch pulling very hard on the bow eye would increase the bending load at the winch tower location, but most folks seem to have the problem at the point of maximum bending moment where it bolts to the aluminium.