boat trailer blues

[runt4561]

last year I broke the torsion axle on my boat trailer. Me and my friend welded it back together and welded some flat bar and angle iron to it to sure it up a little. I realized the bottom of the boat rubs on the angle iron when loading and unloading. I found a local trailer manufacturer that sold torsion axles for a great price so 3 weeks ago, I went there and provided the measurements for my axle. They ordered a custom made axle which should have taken about 2 weeks. Like I said this was 3 weeks ago. in the meantime, I put the axle back on the trailer and started using it again. While the axle was off, I noticed that I had a bearing starting to get noisy. I hoped that since the new axle would be here soon, I could just keep it packed with grease and it would last. Yesterday I got home and noticed the bearing buddy had come loose and slung all of the grease out. so now I need to replace bearings if I am going to guarantee fishing for this coming weekend.

 

I bought this boat last year, it is 20 years old but I paid cash and for the first time in my life, I don't have a boat payment but I have spent a lot of money keeping this thing on the water. now that boat payment doesn't look all that bad, lol.

[fishnkamp]

I suspect you have a 20 year old trailer that has been neglected for quite some time. If you have to spend $1000 for a new trailer than that is equal to only a few months payments.  If the axle was a problem last year, then it would have been a priority to fix properly last year, if it belonged to me. If your boat is rubbing on any type of metal while loading and off loading, I would find out why and fix that. Perhaps you need to replace sagging boards, or your brackets are wearing too much into softened ready to fail wood bunks. I would not complain, I would go inspect, repair/replace before we will read the trailer broke in half at the ramp.  I have seen this happen and it is not pretty.