MacGregorSailors.com

The UFP axles used on the M model aluminum trailer were spec'd out by Macgregor and put out for bid to all who wished to become a supplier. UFP won the contract and designed the axles specifically per specifications called out by Macgregor. The UFP part number for the axle is MAC03. So it is not some off the shelf left over odds and ends.

My new axle came in. Took a little over a week. Wow! I was expecting 3-4 weeks. $500 complete with everything except wheels. The guy from 6 Roblees is going to be in town next week and will deliver it to me personally. What great service.

Follow up on thread from earlier this year. I worked on it while the boat was floating in her slip all summer.

I couldn't find a trailer shop to do this for me. So thanks to all in this thread who helped me do this mod myself.

So the new axle and fenders look great. Fairly simple mod. Thanks to Highlander for the part/serial number, Six Roblees were able to order me an exact axle sans brakes. Easy to bolt to the trailer. I did snap a brake line in the project, but replaced it with a heavier duty line and bled them well. I bought 4 new wheels and made one of the factory wheels as a spare. Aluminum fenders work well and should last long.

I can definitely tell the boat tracks better on the road like this. I feel much more comfortable towing at high (65+) speeds. My boat is heavily loaded (70hp motor, 2 x 12gal fuel tanks and lots of gear) so this make a huge difference.

One side note.
When I retrieved the boat on the trailer, I hadn't installed the fenders yet. I was not sure how much clearance I needed.
After backing the trailer down the ramp, it started to float. The extra wheels made it float. Very weird. I had to work quick before the trailer floated sideways.

I did my trailer axle this year as well. We then towed 2000 km to the coast and back. As well as the improvements you note I, find that the trailer now rides much smoother. Instead of the single axle dropping into a pothole or whatever and the whole trailer bouncing with it, the second axle helps support the load and really evens out the ride.

Simple to install, drill eight holes. It took me longer to install the fenders and mounts

RussMT wrote:Follow up on thread from earlier this year. I worked on it while the boat was floating in her slip all summer.

I couldn't find a trailer shop to do this for me. So thanks to all in this thread who helped me do this mod myself.

So the new axle and fenders look great. Fairly simple mod. Thanks to Highlander for the part/serial number, Six Roblees were able to order me an exact axle sans brakes. Easy to bolt to the trailer. I did snap a brake line in the project, but replaced it with a heavier duty line and bled them well. I bought 4 new wheels and made one of the factory wheels as a spare. Aluminum fenders work well and should last long.

I can definitely tell the boat tracks better on the road like this. I feel much more comfortable towing at high (65+) speeds. My boat is heavily loaded (70hp motor, 2 x 12gal fuel tanks and lots of gear) so this make a huge difference.

One side note.
When I retrieved the boat on the trailer, I hadn't installed the fenders yet. I was not sure how much clearance I needed.
After backing the trailer down the ramp, it started to float. The extra wheels made it float. Very weird. I had to work quick before the trailer floated sideways.

The extra wheels made it float. Very weird. I had to work quick before the trailer floated sideways.

Yep light moutain air will do that

J

Did you center the two axles where the single was to keep the tongue weight the same? It's hard to tell from the pic. Very sharp looking trailer, regardless.

You might want to experiment with inflation pressure. I've found in mine that the sweet spot is about 45 psi (50 psi is max rated for the tires). At the max, they telegraph too much road imperfections and I can feel the harshness. At 40 or less, it starts feeling mushy as far as sway and steady tracking goes. So 45 psi seems to be the best compromise.

My tires are only loaded to about half capacity since there are four of them, and running at half pressure should give the same contact patch at the ground as a full load at full pressure (single axle trailer), but the advantages of the extra axle are outweighed by the lack of sway stiffness and the extra towing drag at low pressure, so just under rated is where they live. Pretty bouncy when it's empty, for sure, though.

Tom,
I did center the 2 axles on the previous location. Moved the existing one 16" forward and added the second 16" back from where the original was. Seems to be well balanced.

Great idea about tire pressure. I didn't even think of that, but you're right, with 4 wheels the weight is distributed over more rubber. I don't need to fill them to max capacity. The wheels are not carrying very much weight, so I'll let some air out and see how she rides. So far, it does ride much better and as mentioned, hits bumps, potholes with much more grace.

my 08 trailer riding on four 225-75-15 load range D Goodyear radial Marathons have a weight capacity of 2550pounds at 65psi, I run them at 40-45 psi since they are at only half their load capacity. This is their sixth season in use with somewhere between 25-30 thousand miles on them, After washing and armouralling you cant tell that they are not a brand new tire,tread wear is non-existant, and rides like on a glass highway. Have never heard one person ever complain that they were dis-satisfied with the four axle conversion.

RussMT, of topic but do you sail Flathead Lake at all?
We're thinking of checking it out next year

Spector wrote:RussMT, of topic but do you sail Flathead Lake at all?
We're thinking of checking it out next year

Flathead is about 5 hours north of us. We keep our boat at Canyon Ferry Lake. However, we do want to go to Flathead. Perhaps now with the new improved trailer we will venture to Flathead next year. Our neighbors take their Bayliner up there and rent a cabin for 2 weeks each year.

There are some folks on this forum who go there. Like most large mountain lakes, the weather at Flathead is unpredictable. Summer thunderstorms can get pretty nasty. If you go, keep a watchful eye on the weather and sky. Have a plan to get out of the main lake if needed. Another forum member here got caught when a storm came over the mountains where he couldn't see it ahead of time.

With that said, it's a beautiful lake with crystal clear waters.

Its about 5.5 hrs south for us. Maybe a Mac rendezvous is in order??

Thanks for the pics, love the 'floating' boat

Hi Spector, Can I ask what your total price was on that dual axle aluminum trailer that you purchased out of Calgary? I already bent my original axle and had to get it straightened out which was a few bucks so I either have to put another axle on my trailer that I have now or purchase anew aluminum dual axle trailer. Thanx

The Floridaguys sell an Aluminum Mac trailer for 4000 USZd FOB FL.

If you want it in Canadian Aluminium, it's a bit more

Catigale wrote:The Floridaguys sell an Aluminum Mac trailer for 4000 USZd FOB FL.

If you want it in Canadian Aluminium, it's a bit more

That's probably a good bargain. However, it's still single a single axle trailer.

What is aluminum trading for these days?

The super sport aluminum trailer for 4000 USAd is a tandem trailer.