My storage yard called me this morning when I was going to p/u the boat to go out on Monday to let me know that the spindle snapped on my trailer.



So I spent this morning hunting down an axle. Got a 3500# to replace the 2250# unit that was on there and got new hubs with larger bearings. Eventually I'll replace the braking axle to match, but not right now. Had to buy it complete as the spindles are welded to the axle. This had been going on for some time as about 3/4 of the axle showed signs of long term fatique as you can see in the cell phone photo below. The "white" rectangle is all that is left of the round spindle. I could be really ticked but I am not as this happened in the yard and not 100 miles from nowhere so I'll do a little dance.



The yard is closed now and the dogs are out, so I'll have to replace the axle Monday morning before going to the lake. I'll post progress later.

Sorry for the bad news. Looks like you have a plan that will work out.

My trailer set up is similar. While exploring it when I had it apart for my brake lock up, I wondered how is the spindle reattached? Is the whole rectangular block welded to the axle or just the round/cylindrical part at the back of the spindle?

One piece, including the spindles.

Be carefull the first tow with the new axles. If your springs are too heavy-duty they can make it too bouncy for the weight of your boat. I have heard it can damage the hull if it is too stiff.

I am not replacing the springs, just the axle which has larger spindles on it.

Two cans of Krylon Rust Inhibiter Primer applied:

Looks like a cooler next to it....hopefully beer was included in your prep work.....

Trash can? No beer, but wine has been consumed...

Good thing I wasn't on my way to Mohave right now! Still going to get to Silverwood on Monday... Or maybe Big Bear Lake...

Now that I look more closely it does resemble a trash can......

Just wanna say---I have seen a LOT of weird crap in my day, but I've never, until NOW, seen a spindle just break off like that. Never. If there's a name on the busted spindle, I'd be for calling them, definitely a manufacturing defect...

What would cause a spindle to break off like that? Looks like a clean snap. Was it pressed in the 'white' rectangular area? Or is that rectangle area what's left of the spindle/shaft? That's weird!

How are you going to get the new axle aligned when you put it on?

I haven't done this, but I would gess you would want to make shure the axle is square with the centerline of the trailer, otherwise it will "crab" down the road slightly, and that will put pretty high additional stresses on the hitch, the tow vehicle and probably the trailer. I just don't know how I would make that measurement.

I guess you could tape from some midpoint on the hitch to the midpoint on the axles, after you have made sure the axle is perfectly centered on the trailer.

I would think (can be dangerous ) that what's most important is that the new axle is aligned with the old axle rather than the trailer frame? And since he's mounting the new axle to the old springs, they should pretty much line right up. Since leaf springs are mounted with rubber bushings that allow for some movement, unless the axles are mounted way off from each other, the rolling tires will straighten themselves out by default...

If the axle you did not replace has not been moved just use a tape measure on both sides and adjust until both measure the same distance.

Well that didn't work out too well. I bought the axle based upon some measurents from the guy at the storage yard took and gave to me over the phone. What I didn't know was that I couldn't just go to a trailer supply store with my trailer's model number and serial number and p/u an axle. I installed the new hubs, cleaning my palms with grease packing the bearings and painted the axle to match the trailer on Sunday with the hopes of getting it installed early Monday morning and get to the lake.

So when I went at 6:30 am on Monday to the storage yard to install it and pulled the old one off, it didn't match up. So back to the trailer supply store at 8:30 when they open (and ½-hour away). The don't have the axle I need in stock, but could order one and weld the spring pads on when it arrives... 7 to 10 days. So I return it and it's off to Santa Ana to Trail Rite trailers.

Sidebar: You need three dimensions to replace an axle... center to center spacing of the spring pads, drop from the bottom of the spring pads to the centerline of the spindle and hub face to hub face (where the rear seal rides on the hub). So if you ever need to replace an axle this information is for you.

I call them on the way with the serial number and they pull the right axle and weld on the spring pads while I'm driving there... another 45 minutets. Their axle comes complete even lug nuts and the new style Bearing Buddies and hubs installed and packed with grease, but is not painted. Now I get home and it is almost noon and I still need to prime and paint it. By the time that is done and dry it is 1:30pm (thanks to the nice heat we have going on right now). Now off to the storage yard to install the new axle and put the wheels back on. An hour and a half later its all back together but any and all plans to go to the lake are shot.

Now for a confession of what I believe may have caused this failure. Four years ago I had it parked in my driveway with a bike cable run through the wheels to secure it. I pulled it out of the driveway without removing the cable which proceeded to bust through the rear seal. I pulled it out with a pair of needle nose pliars and continued on to the river. This is the bearing that was toast when I replaced all the bearings and seals last winter. I should have fixed it right then or at least very soon but did not. My bad that I am paying for now. I still am glad that it happened in the yard and not on the road and now I have an axle with larger spinles on it and found out that the braking axle already has the larger hubs.

What I did find out is that this trailer was rated for 3900# based upon the name plate rating and now it is rated for about 5400# by just changing this one axle. The dry weight of my boat is something like 3350#, leaving only a 550# capacity for a full tank of gas and all the stuff in the boat. This means that I was at or maybe even above the GVWR of the trailer. Now I have some slack in there. So check the weight rating of your trailer before loading up the boat with stuff as this is common in the industry to save something like $50 (retail) on an axle for the trailer. If you're buying a new boat on a trailer, skip the aluminum wheels and upgrade the axles!

Oh and as far as the alignment goes, there really isn't any thing to do as the spring pads have a hole in them that slips right over a peg on top of the leaf springs and it is exactly where the old axle was.

And one more thing. I think I know why I had a blow out and cupping problems with the tire on that spindle now. (Posted last summer)

The white area is actually fractured steel. The spindle had been moving up and down and slowly breaking the spindle via fatigue. This was a classic fatigue failure.

Maybe a trailer safety course would be good to take. You can never be too prepared out there.

Oh and I got some non-published information from Goodyear on Marathons. The maximum speed is 65mph at the rated inflation, but you can add another 10psi and go up to 75mph.

But I should trailer safely at 55mph from now on. This is what that trailer safety course would tell me.

And without the bike cable of course.

Or at least secure the cable to something stationary....of course, that might yank the whole axle off.

Like a cop-car scene from American Graffiti

Good to know that Trail Rite was responsive and on the case, if I need to call on them.

They did cost more, but in addition to getting the right axle by a phone call, it was fully assembled.

Clarification: If Trail Rite was open on Saturday, I would have gone there first regardless of price. I went to Arrow Trailer in hopes of salvaging a trip to the lake on Monday.