My New Trailer story!

[fasttrucker]

I need to buy a new trailer for my 22zx that I was picking up in somers point NJ.So I called around and found a nextrail for $3000.00.as the best priced.I then called local marinas for a used one and got a call back.The guy had a freind with a myco.I called it turned out to be a loadmaster with a mako marine sticker on the side of it.Anyway the trailer was a alum.with marathon radials, tandom ,drum brakes on front axle with a fresh water wash outs.2000 model year.This older guy owned a constuction company.He sold his mako but the guy who bought his boat did not want the trailer.He told me he had the bearings all replaced and it was good to go.He wanted $1800, then said $1600, I gave him $1500 cash.I have to get a md inspection which cost me $100.That sucked.Because they didnt do ****.Just filled out the form what a rip-off.I got the plates and off I go.The trailer rode fine to nj ,I picked up the boat and headed home on friday afternoon.I stopped to get gas at the wawa when I noticed a front bearing had blown out.I pulled the tire off.Took the safety chain off the front and used it to hold up the axle.I rode over the del memorial bridge then got off to the local road RT 40.and made it home.

[fasttrucker]

The next day..sat morning I launched the donzi,put it in a slip and went to my local repair shop which is open only every other sat.I made 4 trips to the trailer part store and one trip to a tractor supply store.New axle, new drum,new bearings all around.The new front axle did not have grease fittings so a set of buddy bearings,marine grease.$400.00 parts and $200.00 labor(cash).Anyway never trust someone who sells you a trailer and tells you they just replaced the bearings,because they where pitted and old.I learned the hard way,I should have replaced them all when I first got it.

[fasttrucker]

How are you setting a stepped hull on a straight hull trailer?
I pulled the carpet and cut the front bunks down.Still not 100 percent right but close.Will post pic when I get boat back next friday from the fiberglass shop.I really should have bought the new trailer.:hangum:

[kramsay1234]

Interesting story and used trailers are a risk for sure. I got the original Eagle with my Donzi when it picked up it up and the trailer looked good, but that means nothing. This summer when I was having the boat serviced I decided to have a full trailer safety done and replace the bearings and have the brakes serviced where needed. $900 later it is fit and good to go. It was actually in good shape, but the solid steel support that the leaf springs bolt up to on the one side was actually worn down to almost paper thin and the guy said it was a good thing I took the trailer in or I would have left the leaf springs/axles on the highway towing that way. Those two brackets were a little costly. They serviced the brakes completely (which weren't working) and did the bearings. I feel much better about it and it was well worth the $900. You can't put a price on safety and I would rather have a safe package and hold off on the Livorsi side shifter...No one guaranteed anything on the trailer so I wasn't lied to like you were, but the guy who did the trailer safety said its amazing how many people spend no money on and think nothing about the shape their trailers are in that hold their 4000+ lb boat as they are going 65mph down the highway.

Keep the pics coming on the resto...

[BigGrizzly]

Last year I got tired of the excuses from Tie-Down about their breaks loosing seals and pads wearing too quickly, trip to Sota 800 miles total one to Cumberland,600 total, Eufaula and 10 trips to the lake 60 miles each total. They blamed buddy bearings, I used the tie down ones same problem (BTY buddy are good. I called FBP and Kodiak. Neither one bad mouthed buddy bearings, and with out telling them they both guessed who I was using and where I called. I then bough 2 sets Kodiak stainless steel brake kits, one for each axle. Everything is stainless except the fittings. Anyway Two trips to Lake George one Eufaula one Cumberland, and several other trips,total of over 6,000miles everything is great. Pads are Less than 1/4 used and the trailer stops great and no water intrusion on the bearings. Funny I asked Kodiak if buddy bearings were good, he told me they were one of the best next to their Red eye. I asked the man if I should change them he said if they were in good shape use them. There is still some integrity out there.

[BlownCrewCab]

Your best bet is to use Good water proof grease. If you leave your trailer in the water while your boating then Bearing buddys will help stop water intrusion. If you have good seals and good grease then they arent needed. I work for TIMKEN Bearings, the problem with totally filling that hub cavity with grease is Heat, the more grease, the more heat is retained. the more heat retained is whats causing the seals to go bad early. you can clean that hub cavity out, pack each bearing and install it, and add no more grease and it'll be fine (with good seals & waterproof grease) and probably last longer because the heat will be less and the seals will last longer. Timken does make special boat trailer bearings, coated so the don't rust. but with good seals and grease they aren't needed. If you pack that whole hub cavity with grease,(like a bearing buddy does) your using more grease than we use on some railroad bearings. We gease each side(Cone) and leave what we can empty to eliminate heat. Most railroad bearings go 500,000+ miles (we test them to 1,000,000) Just My .02

[BUIZILLA]

EZ lube axles are a MUCH better setup..
I switched to Amsoil synthetic a few years back. Running with Buiz last year my bearings ran cooler than his the entire trip.. I run Valvoline synthetic, and mine ran about 7-10* warmer than fuzzy's did... but my Carlisle tires ran about 7-10* cooler than his did....

I didn't know TIMKEN made special boat trailer bearings... care to spill some part numbers?? I swapped my Chinese bearings out for TIMKEN'S on day 1 of trailer ownership... trailer place told me the chinese bearings sold for 60 cents each, and the TIMKEN'S were about $6 each, that's why ALL the hub sellers use chinese bearings, they saved $22 on each $4k trailer :nilly: :doh:

[BlownCrewCab]

Sure, there's a whole line of Bearings called "AquaSpexx" for wet environments..

http://www.timken.com/en-us/products/bearings/productlist/automotivekits/trailer/Pages/aquaspexx.aspx


comes with grease and all.

[BlownCrewCab]

OH, and just another Lil fyi....Though synthetic grease is great, I use it in mine. But the one drawback is theres no petrolium in it, the petrolium is what keeps the seals soft and eliminates cracking..If you use synthetic you should check your seals more often..I'm sure one of the reasons you used syn to begin with was to avoid having to F with it again. but thats the 1 drawback...

[BigGrizzly]

B Cab thanks for the info.ince I don't have fancy axles on my trailer yet, I actually read the bearing buddy instructions and they are pretty careful about too much grease. They say, just enough to rock the grease fitting. My failure were not too much grease but Tie-ss disk getting too hot. at any rate I love the Kodiak brakes.