Trailer axle question

[Blackmagic94]

My jet boat trailer had an axle go south. Replaced the rear tandem with a 3500 lb dexter. Now i can see it oscillate rapidly at 50mph or faster getting worse as speed goes up. Brand new tires and balance after and still no change. Towed yesterday and it snapped the driver rear leaf spring.

thoughts

 

[Mandelon]

Bent? Quality ain't what it used to be...it could be defective from the factory. Who installed it?

 

[monkeyswrench]

Did one about 2 months ago, it had issues. The hangers on the frame were not square. This particular tandem had the rear axle dog tracking. The owner had the same thing kind of happen. He lost a spindle, and a repair shop slung another in it...but never checked it, not even with a tape. Owner noticed it wearing the tires a little, inside of one, outside of other.
Instead of trashing the powder coat, I made a new spring pad, moving the axle on one side forward .250". He's had it to norcal and a couple other places since, seems to be good. (Rechecked everythin last week when I winterized it.)

 

[Blackmagic94]

So I noticed the broken sprint is wallowed out at eyelets but not sure if that was before or now kind of deal. Could a trailer axle rear tandom being slightly dog legged out cause a bounce? Would higher or lower weight springs help

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Yep. Trailer is constantly fighting itself going down the road. Tire sidewalls on each axle start acting like springs Acting against each other and it wobbles and shakes down the road until something breaks. If the leaf spring bushings weren’t done before, that would certainly kill them.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I would agree with the hangers not being square, measure this from the ball back to each center point, I would bet you are off.

 

[Blackmagic94]

thanks guys

 

[Flying_Lavey]

So I noticed the broken sprint is wallowed out at eyelets but not sure if that was before or now kind of deal. Could a trailer axle rear tandom being slightly dog legged out cause a bounce? Would higher or lower weight springs help

What if everybody is thinks ng backwards here? When was the last time the shakles and all the bushing were inspected and greased on the trailer. More than likely the trailer is over sprung (I can't remember the last time I've seen a trailer squat at all when a few people get in the boat) so all that force is being applied straight to those bushings and bolts wallowing out the leaf eyelets and bolt holes allowing the axle to do funky stuff more and more til...... Snap...

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

 

[Blackmagic94]

I just ordered 1200 lb springs

 

[gottaminute?]

What if everybody is thinks ng backwards here? When was the last time the shakles and all the bushing were inspected and greased on the trailer. More than likely the trailer is over sprung (I can't remember the last time I've seen a trailer squat at all when a few people get in the boat) so all that force is being applied straight to those bushings and bolts wallowing out the leaf eyelets and bolt holes allowing the axle to do funky stuff more and more til...... Snap...

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk

the SCSC equipment trailer rolled into LaPaz Park for the enduro looking like this. it must have happened right there as no tire or trailer damage was seen.

 

[Waterjunky]

the SCSC equipment trailer rolled into LaPaz Park for the enduro looking like this. it must have happened right there as no tire or trailer damage was seen. View attachment 940957

been there and done that......
Always fun.

 

[Waterjunky]

Not to hijack the thread but I recently was given an equipment trailer that was in a grass fire that then lit the tires and wood deck. I don't trust the springs and will be totally rebuilding the suspension but thoughts on the axles? I am thinking new bearings and brake components but keeping the hubs themselves and axles. Thoughts on heat damage? I know it was hot enough to fully cook all the paint off that end of the trailer. The hitch area didn't get hot enough to burn the paint off.

Thing the hubs and axles are safe?

 

[Blackmagic94]

Not to hijack the thread but I recently was given an equipment trailer that was in a grass fire that then lit the tires and wood deck. I don't trust the springs and will be totally rebuilding the suspension but thoughts on the axles? I am thinking new bearings and brake components but keeping the hubs themselves and axles. Thoughts on heat damage? I know it was hot enough to fully cook all the paint off that end of the trailer. The hitch area didn't get hot enough to burn the paint off.

Thing the hubs and axles are safe?

But to hijack

 

[$hot]

Not to hijack the thread but I recently was given an equipment trailer that was in a grass fire that then lit the tires and wood deck. I don't trust the springs and will be totally rebuilding the suspension but thoughts on the axles? I am thinking new bearings and brake components but keeping the hubs themselves and axles. Thoughts on heat damage? I know it was hot enough to fully cook all the paint off that end of the trailer. The hitch area didn't get hot enough to burn the paint off.

Thing the hubs and axles are safe?

Go down to your local buffet and get some fat girls to jump on it, that should be enough to test everything

 

[Jimmyv]

Not to hijack the thread but I recently was given an equipment trailer that was in a grass fire that then lit the tires and wood deck. I don't trust the springs and will be totally rebuilding the suspension but thoughts on the axles? I am thinking new bearings and brake components but keeping the hubs themselves and axles. Thoughts on heat damage? I know it was hot enough to fully cook all the paint off that end of the trailer. The hitch area didn't get hot enough to burn the paint off.

Thing the hubs and axles are safe?

Heat-treated, should be stronger

 

[Waterjunky]

Heat-treated, should be stronger

If it only worked that way.......

 

[gottaminute?]

If the heat was a concern for me, I would pull both axles and compare the camber and check for toe-in. (just use a digital level if you want to really know the numbers or grab a pair of 3 ft straight edges, a tape measure and just compare the front/rear axles) If they show less than a couple tenths of a degree difference, I would go with "no damage" and run them. If they have much more than that OR show ANY "toe-out" either they are damaged or were poorly made in the first place and should be replaced.

 

[waterhorse]

My jet boat trailer had an axle go south. Replaced the rear tandem with a 3500 lb dexter. Now i can see it oscillate rapidly at 50mph or faster getting worse as speed goes up. Brand new tires and balance after and still no change. Towed yesterday and it snapped the driver rear leaf spring.

thoughts

I had a spring break on my boat trailer due to a VERY out of balance brake drum. (Hadco brand brake drum) Replaced the brake drum, problem solved.

 

[spectra3279]

I had bearings overheating, broken springs that kept breaking and weird noises. I replaced all the axles and all the springs and all the hardware and hubs.

Now no issues at all. Other than a brake line leaking, haven't found that one yet.

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[Blackmagic94]

So installed a new spring just on the broken one to get it home and it pulled perfect now. I got new ones to replace the rest I think they sprint was Broken before it snapped.