Suspension Failure - Wheel and Stub Axle gone

[Tinster]

A TR6 wrench I am not - A boat wrench I am. A drunk
totally stripped the Teleflex steering gear box and broke
the Teleflex steering cable on my buddy's tarpon boat.
I agreed to remove the busted up system and install a
new Teleflex system from steering wheel to engine.

(It is said "no good deed goes unpunished")
I got whupped but good yesterday.

My buddy keeps his boat 100% in the water and borrows a
trailer to pull it out for bottom cleaning, engine maintenance,
etc. As we hooked my Wrangler to this beat up trailer,
I commented the wheel bearings were shot and
the suspension was marginal.

Blah, blah, new steering installed and tested A-OK.
As we started to pull his boat and trailed up the concrete
ramp, the wheel and stub axle snapped off and rolled into the water.
Blocked up the entire ramp. (Think if the boat and trailer were
on the highway doing 60 mph?)

It took six guys plus my Jeep in 4X low gears to get this boat
cleared out of the ramp. Point of story- Lack of maintenance
of any vehicle can kill you.

Dale (Tinster)

 

[Banjo]

YIKES! the axle snapped clean off!! I think your comment about the wheel bearings and suspension was correct. Thank God it wasen't at speed!
Sooo.. It that your new side job? Tarpon boat technician? hehehehe.

 

[14dna]

WOW!!!

Dale, that was quite the adventure.
You and older suspensions don't always get along do you.

So if I was to bring a boat to you, could I get it fixed?
TINSTER TARPON TINKERING!!

Dave :hammer:

 

[Brooklands]

Dale,
Good call on the trailer. Too bad your friend did not realize what a good mechanic you are. Around here we know how much you have learned.

 

[Silverghost]

I can only imagine the "fish"ed off people THAT caused. Kudos to you, Dale, for being there to help him and knowing what to do!!

 

[Tinster]

I can only imagine the "fish"ed off
people THAT caused.

For sure Peter! It was after hours, most of the marina employees
had gone and this close to the equator, we are pitch dark
night by 7:00 PM. And Wendy calling every 15 minutes:
"Where are you? Brenda starts tonight!"

Some folks have told me I waste my time rebuilding the
suspension on my nearly new trailer once per year.
It costs me about $100 per side to rebuild. Well worth
the peace of mind. This is the second time I've had to
help clear a collapsed trailer and boat off a ramp.

It is really difficult, brute force work.

Suspension is suspension- I thought some car folks
might enjoy viewing a catastrophic trailer suspension failure.

Dale (Tinster)

 

[DrEntropy]

Ugh. That coulda been rough out on a highway.

Over here trailer maintenance is at the bottom of the list for too many "boaters". And there's a slew of 'em. I guess they don't think about how many RPM's those TINY little wheels spin at 60MPH... and what's a "bearing" anyhow?

Nevermind actually rinsing things with fresh water or taking a grease gun to the things once-in-a-while. sheesh.

 

[Tinster]

Ugh.

Over here trailer maintenance is at the bottom of the list for too many "boaters". and what's a "bearing" anyhow?

Nevermind actually rinsing things with fresh water or taking a grease gun to the things once-in-a-while. sheesh.

Exactly the same here Doc. I use only CRC Marine products on my boat and
carry a spray bottle quart of CRC 6-56 to spray down the trailer suspension,
exposed metal boat parts, and galvanized winch cable. Also a grease gun I
use every time I use the boat. My entire boat is scrubbed with fresh water
and soap after every use. Just ask Banjo Ben!!

I see so many boaters pull their boats, park them and then
simply get into their cars and drive away. No fresh water flush
for the engine internals, let alone the trailer suspension.

Not flushing twin $20,000. engines is beyond my belief.

It takes all kinds, I suppose.

dale (Tinster)

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Whoa, for a moment there I thought you were going to give us a jjbunn story. Sorry it happened, but glad it was not the TR6.