tips: 1. add a spacer plate of aluminum between the metal axle and aluminum frame, replace the aluminum plate after a few years when it corrodes, or use a rubber spacer that will prevent the galvanic corrosion between the metal and aluminum. 2. drill with oil to reduce the heat, make bits last longer, and cut faster.
Hi DN.. Not knowing much about torsion axles and looking back now that I am done, if possible, I wish I could have gotten an adjustable torsion axle. That probably would have saves me some issues I needed to solve but I am thrilled that this project is now complete and with the boat roles down the road just fine..
Good morning a friendly reminder I think you know but I wanted to make sure that you triangulate between the ball and a spring so it runs straight down the road and gives you maximum Tire life. Awesome videos.Thank you
Hi Richard.. I actually indicated I did that in the 'description' of the video. Not only that but I measured also from the back of the frame to make sure all measurements were still square. It is an OLD aluminum trailer and upon close inspection, I will be needing to replace some of the cross beams in the future thanks to galvanic action of steel touching aluminum.
I've always used oil filled bearings because of the difference between oil and grease. In my experience I have learned that grease tends to draw in. Oil on the other hand pushes debris out. Also as the wheels turn with the oilfilled hubs the bearings are continually bathed in the oil allowing them to stay cooler when the trailer is moving.
Hi Thomas.. I have never heard of oil filled bearings. Can I 'simply' remove the old bearings and replace them with oil filled? Are oil filled 'sealed' bearings?
Hi Danny, yes, I am finally out of the springs consumer business. But looks like I will be needing a pair of D-load tires. I did a quick calculation of the weight of the boat, engine, full tank of gas and the weight of the trailer PLUS 4 big batteries and I am over on weight for C-load tires.. yep, always something..!
Need a aluminum spacer between bolts on axle to trailer to prevent between axle and trailer. Corrosion will still occur just on the plate not the trailer. Wrote this before end of the video
Let's hope so Jim... But another tidbit I discovered was I am a little over the weight on my C-load tires and I need to get D's.. that will be waiting awhile...
Hey. Dude, I just bit the bulletin on a torsion axel for my 1984 17-1 Mako. The galvanized steel frame original trailer is intact. I was going to replace the springs yet again till I did the math. Thank you for this video. On Sex vs function? I’m with you.
Hello Robert.. My son Stewart and his family presently live in Melbourne, Australia. My wife calls me MacGyver because I can fix just about anything. Gonna be working on a toilet today...LOL
SaltyKayak haha you sure are like him..yeah melbourne is getting cold now but im hopefully taking my boat down to the south east part of Australia for some southern blue fin tuna..good luck with the toilet 😆
No. The hubs are sealed. the bearings are resting on the axle just as in the grease filled bearings. The outer part of the hub has a cap on it and oil is put in.
I am probably going to go to Home Depot and buy some indoor/outdoor carpet glue and cut some bunk material and glue it over the fenders.. And that will also make the trailer a bit less amateur plus protect the bottom of the boat from scraping them if I ever come in a bit sideways...
Do you have a PO box I was planning on trying to cast sinkers this spring again I have about 500 lbs of sailboat lead for bullets and fishing sinkers. I could send you some sinkers in the future.
SaltyKayak...It's very unsafe to use cinder block on their sides. Cinder block should only be used upright. In other words, the way they would be placed when building with them.
Would've been much easier to buy a pre-made axle spacer to space the axle down. Hence raising the trailer level & allowing the fenders to work how they are.... 🤔
Concrete blocks on ends is the weakest point.. there true strength is setting then correct as normal use dude.. you have the blocks set in there weakest setting.. not good..
It really is never as simple as it sounds. Just replaced the leaf springs on a similar trailer holding a KW1720 and quickly realized all the bolts needed to be grinded off. Will raising the front roller make it easier to winch up the boat to the eyelet? I have a similar issue.
Hi Steve, you may need to rise the rollers a bit. The bulk of the weight should be on your rollers and the bunks hold it steady. Too much weight on the bunks make it drag. Hope it helps.
Hi Steve, I had a 1720 many years before this 186 Key West and had it on this trailer. I think what you are 'supposed' to have is 10% of the weight on the tongue. I always estimate the weight by if I have to struggle a bit to lift the nose onto the ball. I am STILL adjusting this boat for that sweet spot. Since I had to raise the bunks about 2", now I am sliding the nose either a couple inches forward or back and raising the roller up a couple inches so that when I come IN from fishing, I can load the boat right up to the roller on the nose with minimal gunning of the motor. It takes patience to get it just right for each boat.
Hello RK, right next to the 'Subscribe' button is a bell. Click on that bell and it will become a ringing symbol. That means you will get email notification whenever i upload a new video. I am mentioning thins because I have put up one or 2 videos since the axle video and it looks like you weren't notified. I enjoy working on my boat but when it gets to the point where i need help, I do call on John to give me a hand. Since this was basically a slow 3 day project with lots of customizing.. it was a solo job.
Hi Jeff.. that would be great since I had to throw one of my non-functioning grease guns in the trash and had to use a back up barely limping along one to grease the hubs. Have you heard or are familiar with 'oil filled' bearings? I have never heard of them but a commentor said I should go that route. I need to look into those for future bearing changes.
not trying to be that guy but concrete blocks are not stronger tuned up right there strongest when laid flat as if you laying a foundation with them those particular blocks are not designed for side load.
Worked just fine and I am sure it would also 100 more times. But, if you have experience with this kind of load/weight ratio and it might help some of our viewers, PLEASE let everyone know the best but cheapest way to accomplish the task.
SaltyKayak he is right. Many people have been killed this way. Jackstands are the cheapest and safest way. When it has to do with life and death sometimes 25 dollar stands are worth it! Great video though
They are 'coated' aluminum and the trailer is also aluminum so there won't be much 'galvanic' action between the spacers and trailer frame. The corrosion will occur between the steel bolts and the aluminum and the aluminum spacers and the galvanized torsion axle. And even though it will take years to notice anything harmful, I am spraying both heavy duty silicone and cold galvanize on every exposed piece of metal to help slow the 'eating' action of the salt water. From what I have seen, there isn't much you can do to slow the action of springs rusting because they are constantly rubbing each other. That is another reason to go with torsion. Here's my experience over the decades with springs.. you will buy a set of axle springs every 2 years (if you go as often as do) and end up paying more than if you were to spend a little more now and get torsion and it last a decade or longer.
Don't have a hammer drill. Actually, this drill finally gave out (irreplaceable switch) when I was 1/2 way thru the 3rd hole on the last spacer. Had to finish with my ol trusty battery drill.
Rookie Mistake, the axle has an off set so you don't center it where the old axle was also your boat may be 2500 pounds 3500 pounds is too small 5k awesome. In salt water it won't last long.. lol you can loosen the torsion blind nut and physically move the arm. Murphys law is when your retired you don't recover as quickly. My grandfather built a jet plane from military surplus sure enough it worked but sure enough I can't build one because of him.
Hi JH, I trust your experience a lot more than my in-experience in these things. Fortunately for me, the year or so I have had this torsion axle on the trailer, it has worked perfectly. I took my time when installing and ordering it and of course got a heavier duty one than was called for.. I think I have a 3200 lb boat and a 3500 or 3700 lb rated axle. Been back and forth to the ramps hundreds of times since installing and not a problem.. love my torsion axle. One less thing to worry about.. compared to springs.
Hi George, I actually laid out the blocks at the back of the boat and was going to go that route. The back would have been a cinch to jack up and block but I would have had a series of cross members that I would have had to jack up the nose, brace, remove the jack, pull the trailer forward to the brace/cross member, jack the nose up again, move the brace to behind the cross member, lower the jack, move the trailer up to the axle, brace, jack up the nose again, move the trailer up to the back cross member/brace, jack the nose up one last time and move the brace behind the last cross member before I could pull the trailer out for the work. Truth is, when I lived in N. Carolina and had an old 20' Bayliner, I did it that way. But then, I would have to put the trailer BACK under the boat in the exact reverse order. And being retired and somewhat lazy (now) I chose the way I did it and I think it turned out better (for me) because the conversion took 2 days. Had I gone and dropped the boat at the closest ramp to free up the trailer, I would have been in trouble because I wasn't going to leave my boat at the ramp for 2 days and over night... it probably would have been stripped by morning.
It's all right gary.. I knew there would be many of DIYers that would have 'better' ways of doing things. And I actually look forward to their input as I am always WANTING to know how to do things better. For instance, Thomas said that he uses 'oil filled' bearings and I have never heard of oil filled. If they are not too expensive and will fit my spindles and hubs, I may order a set.
Don't be cheap and petty when you retire dude you buy crapy tools it's a drill God damnit man not a boring in wood use oil wtf dude... . OMG stop Back from home Depot where I bought cheap ass grade 5 bolts because Fastenal wanted 4.00 each to much. It was a 18' boat I beam 1/8" wall the dam trailer weighs 900 pounds the boat weighs 1500 plus 2400 he has 600 pounds tongue weight ... Hey everyone if your in this pickle message me if you watch this video read my comments message me on how to do it right
I actually need larger rating wheels. I now have C-load tires and need D-load which are 1" larger. Shouldn't be much of an issue for the fender/tire gap but I need beefier tires for the weight I have on the trailer.
tips: 1. add a spacer plate of aluminum between the metal axle and aluminum frame, replace the aluminum plate after a few years when it corrodes, or use a rubber spacer that will prevent the galvanic corrosion between the metal and aluminum. 2. drill with oil to reduce the heat, make bits last longer, and cut faster.
If it works, it works. I hope you are still having fun with your boat.
Well from all the negative comments I think you did one heck of a job with what you had to work with and how you accomplish the task awesome job
Might be crude and not as beautiful and sparkling as store bought but totally functional and gets the boat where it needs to go.
Thanks for showing the conversion. I want to do the same to my trailer. Great job figuring out the issues.
Hi DN.. Not knowing much about torsion axles and looking back now that I am done, if possible, I wish I could have gotten an adjustable torsion axle. That probably would have saves me some issues I needed to solve but I am thrilled that this project is now complete and with the boat roles down the road just fine..
Good morning a friendly reminder I think you know but I wanted to make sure that you triangulate between the ball and a spring so it runs straight down the road and gives you maximum Tire life. Awesome videos.Thank you
Hi Richard.. I actually indicated I did that in the 'description' of the video. Not only that but I measured also from the back of the frame to make sure all measurements were still square. It is an OLD aluminum trailer and upon close inspection, I will be needing to replace some of the cross beams in the future thanks to galvanic action of steel touching aluminum.
Also you need to center your torsion where the axle used to be,then your tires would have fit your fenders,now your load point is further back.
I've always used oil filled bearings because of the difference between oil and grease. In my experience I have learned that grease tends to draw in. Oil on the other hand pushes debris out. Also as the wheels turn with the oilfilled hubs the bearings are continually bathed in the oil allowing them to stay cooler when the trailer is moving.
Hi Thomas.. I have never heard of oil filled bearings. Can I 'simply' remove the old bearings and replace them with oil filled? Are oil filled 'sealed' bearings?
A lot of work but a great job, Lane! I have a torsion axle on my new trailer and I really like it! Better than changing springs every two years
Hi Danny, yes, I am finally out of the springs consumer business. But looks like I will be needing a pair of D-load tires. I did a quick calculation of the weight of the boat, engine, full tank of gas and the weight of the trailer PLUS 4 big batteries and I am over on weight for C-load tires.. yep, always something..!
i like how practical you are...nice work, and thanks for showing us the process!
Need a aluminum spacer between bolts on axle to trailer to prevent between axle and trailer. Corrosion will still occur just on the plate not the trailer. Wrote this before end of the video
Good job, Salty. That torsion axle should give you many years of trouble free trailering (axle and suspension wise).
Let's hope so Jim... But another tidbit I discovered was I am a little over the weight on my C-load tires and I need to get D's.. that will be waiting awhile...
Hey. Dude, I just bit the bulletin on a torsion axel for my 1984 17-1 Mako. The galvanized steel frame original trailer is intact. I was going to replace the springs yet again till I did the math. Thank you for this video. On Sex vs function? I’m with you.
nice video salty always very satisfying fixing your own stuff..greetings from Melbourne australia
Hello Robert.. My son Stewart and his family presently live in Melbourne, Australia.
My wife calls me MacGyver because I can fix just about anything. Gonna be working on a toilet today...LOL
SaltyKayak haha you sure are like him..yeah melbourne is getting cold now but im hopefully taking my boat down to the south east part of Australia for some southern blue fin tuna..good luck with the toilet 😆
Great vid!A man got to do what a man got do.Thank the lord for talents to do it.
No. The hubs are sealed. the bearings are resting on the axle just as in the grease filled bearings. The outer part of the hub has a cap on it and oil is put in.
I think you can adjust the height by taking the spindle part off the teeth turn it more downwards and you get more lift
You did good Salty. Mission accomplished and nobody shot their eye out. Hope you and Big John get on some hogs soon.
Exactly.. mission accomplished and for a first time doing this, it went fairly smooth.
good job on the project, you did a good job for how you approached it. again good for you.
Salty, you need to put some tar paper between the axle and the blocks as you have dissimilar metals and corrosion will be fast
I think you torsion axles are adjustable for height , just turn them on the splines
Love it. Can’t beat modifications to save some cash. Looks great
I am probably going to go to Home Depot and buy some indoor/outdoor carpet glue and cut some bunk material and glue it over the fenders.. And that will also make the trailer a bit less amateur plus protect the bottom of the boat from scraping them if I ever come in a bit sideways...
Great idea use the blue though not the green lol
Hehehe.. I have some scrap black bunk carpet and that should last a lot longer..
Do you have a PO box I was planning on trying to cast sinkers this spring again I have about 500 lbs of sailboat lead for bullets and fishing sinkers. I could send you some sinkers in the future.
I think the blocks will be fine to use if you fill the openings with cement
Another GREAT tip...! thanks.
I know Murphy very well. We go way back…
Using single cement block as a support stand is not goo idea. For your safety using metal jack stand. Good luck
SaltyKayak...It's very unsafe to use cinder block on their sides. Cinder block should only be used upright. In other words, the way they would be placed when building with them.
I could have used them 'sideways' but didn't think of it... That would have greater support...thanks.
Would've been much easier to buy a pre-made axle spacer to space the axle down. Hence raising the trailer level & allowing the fenders to work how they are.... 🤔
Concrete blocks on ends is the weakest point.. there true strength is setting then correct as normal use dude.. you have the blocks set in there weakest setting.. not good..
You also changed your tung weight of the trailer because your pivot point has changed future back on the trailer
You should make a proper video then and show us how OHSA does it.
It really is never as simple as it sounds. Just replaced the leaf springs on a similar trailer holding a KW1720 and quickly realized all the bolts needed to be grinded off. Will raising the front roller make it easier to winch up the boat to the eyelet? I have a similar issue.
Hi Steve, you may need to rise the rollers a bit. The bulk of the weight should be on your rollers and the bunks hold it steady. Too much weight on the bunks make it drag. Hope it helps.
Hi Steve, I had a 1720 many years before this 186 Key West and had it on this trailer. I think what you are 'supposed' to have is 10% of the weight on the tongue. I always estimate the weight by if I have to struggle a bit to lift the nose onto the ball. I am STILL adjusting this boat for that sweet spot. Since I had to raise the bunks about 2", now I am sliding the nose either a couple inches forward or back and raising the roller up a couple inches so that when I come IN from fishing, I can load the boat right up to the roller on the nose with minimal gunning of the motor. It takes patience to get it just right for each boat.
Like I said salty you did one heck of a good job !
so when are you and John going fishing ...grate to see you do a video on working on trailer big john dose not help you working on the boat....
Hello RK, right next to the 'Subscribe' button is a bell. Click on that bell and it will become a ringing symbol. That means you will get email notification whenever i upload a new video. I am mentioning thins because I have put up one or 2 videos since the axle video and it looks like you weren't notified.
I enjoy working on my boat but when it gets to the point where i need help, I do call on John to give me a hand. Since this was basically a slow 3 day project with lots of customizing.. it was a solo job.
I am very Happy the axel worked out for YOU. One day I will source you Fenders From Tractor Supply. I will send you some Marine Grease and a new Gun.
Hi Jeff.. that would be great since I had to throw one of my non-functioning grease guns in the trash and had to use a back up barely limping along one to grease the hubs.
Have you heard or are familiar with 'oil filled' bearings? I have never heard of them but a commentor said I should go that route. I need to look into those for future bearing changes.
I need to rephrase my description. The unit should be refered to as `oil filled hub ´ I apologize for the confusion of terms.
"Always Something" would be a good name for my boat. Or "Mr. Murphy".
That would be a great boat name.... it is so true for everyone who owns a boat.
Your supposed to move axel forward and let the wheel center up
Instead of the Ibeam style trailer I'd like to see the conversion for the box trailer frame
not trying to be that guy but concrete blocks are not stronger tuned up right there strongest when laid flat as if you laying a foundation with them those particular blocks are not designed for side load.
Did you get many shrimp ?
Cement block is not at maximum strength in fact that's its weakest stance !
Worked just fine and I am sure it would also 100 more times. But, if you have experience with this kind of load/weight ratio and it might help some of our viewers, PLEASE let everyone know the best but cheapest way to accomplish the task.
SaltyKayak he is right. Many people have been killed this way. Jackstands are the cheapest and safest way. When it has to do with life and death sometimes 25 dollar stands are worth it! Great video though
much better if you get a log instead of cement block,, much better strenght
Good to know...
yeah!!!!!!! I get my SaltyKayak fix!!!!!! its been a while
Too bad you did not have the axles with adjustable spline.
If that isn't a clear explanation, perhaps I could send you a picture.
Will salt eat the spacer?
They are 'coated' aluminum and the trailer is also aluminum so there won't be much 'galvanic' action between the spacers and trailer frame. The corrosion will occur between the steel bolts and the aluminum and the aluminum spacers and the galvanized torsion axle. And even though it will take years to notice anything harmful, I am spraying both heavy duty silicone and cold galvanize on every exposed piece of metal to help slow the 'eating' action of the salt water.
From what I have seen, there isn't much you can do to slow the action of springs rusting because they are constantly rubbing each other. That is another reason to go with torsion. Here's my experience over the decades with springs.. you will buy a set of axle springs every 2 years (if you go as often as do) and end up paying more than if you were to spend a little more now and get torsion and it last a decade or longer.
Why the hell would you put a snowmobile axle on a boat trailer
Shhhh don't tell it that it is a snowmobile axle. It thinks it's a boat trailer axle and has worked GREAT for years now.
That is actually the weakest way to use the cement block. Not very strong in that orientation.
You got the wrong angle on the torsion axle...
I believe you are correct and I need to figure out 'how' to adjust the axle on this particular brand..
@@SaltyKayak I don't think they are adjustable. They have to be ordered for a particular angle.
Make sure to grease all your lug nuts they will never rust
Probably be better drilling with the hammer action Off !!
Don't have a hammer drill. Actually, this drill finally gave out (irreplaceable switch) when I was 1/2 way thru the 3rd hole on the last spacer. Had to finish with my ol trusty battery drill.
in which case I can only say,sounding like that it was lucky to last that long !
Rookie Mistake, the axle has an off set so you don't center it where the old axle was also your boat may be 2500 pounds 3500 pounds is too small 5k awesome. In salt water it won't last long.. lol you can loosen the torsion blind nut and physically move the arm. Murphys law is when your retired you don't recover as quickly.
My grandfather built a jet plane from military surplus sure enough it worked but sure enough I can't build one because of him.
Hi JH, I trust your experience a lot more than my in-experience in these things. Fortunately for me, the year or so I have had this torsion axle on the trailer, it has worked perfectly. I took my time when installing and ordering it and of course got a heavier duty one than was called for.. I think I have a 3200 lb boat and a 3500 or 3700 lb rated axle. Been back and forth to the ramps hundreds of times since installing and not a problem.. love my torsion axle. One less thing to worry about.. compared to springs.
Would have been much easier to take boat off trailer and work with an empty trailer
Hi George, I actually laid out the blocks at the back of the boat and was going to go that route. The back would have been a cinch to jack up and block but I would have had a series of cross members that I would have had to jack up the nose, brace, remove the jack, pull the trailer forward to the brace/cross member, jack the nose up again, move the brace to behind the cross member, lower the jack, move the trailer up to the axle, brace, jack up the nose again, move the trailer up to the back cross member/brace, jack the nose up one last time and move the brace behind the last cross member before I could pull the trailer out for the work. Truth is, when I lived in N. Carolina and had an old 20' Bayliner, I did it that way. But then, I would have to put the trailer BACK under the boat in the exact reverse order. And being retired and somewhat lazy (now) I chose the way I did it and I think it turned out better (for me) because the conversion took 2 days. Had I gone and dropped the boat at the closest ramp to free up the trailer, I would have been in trouble because I wasn't going to leave my boat at the ramp for 2 days and over night... it probably would have been stripped by morning.
You forgot to center wheel 😂
wow isent it something how trying to do one thing turns into a federal case
It's all right gary.. I knew there would be many of DIYers that would have 'better' ways of doing things. And I actually look forward to their input as I am always WANTING to know how to do things better. For instance, Thomas said that he uses 'oil filled' bearings and I have never heard of oil filled. If they are not too expensive and will fit my spindles and hubs, I may order a set.
ya oil lubes better then grease, but once you loose oil its all over
Also l can send you a name brand. Then you could look it up
Cinder blocks??? Folks don’t do this
Guy spent to much time talking about how he jacked up the trailer.
Guy talks a lot.
Don't be cheap and petty when you retire dude you buy crapy tools it's a drill God damnit man not a boring in wood use oil wtf dude... .
OMG stop
Back from home Depot where I bought cheap ass grade 5 bolts because Fastenal wanted 4.00 each to much.
It was a 18' boat I beam 1/8" wall the dam trailer weighs 900 pounds the boat weighs 1500 plus 2400 he has 600 pounds tongue weight ...
Hey everyone if your in this pickle message me if you watch this video read my comments message me on how to do it right
get smaller wheels
lol
smaller wheels go around faster wearing out the bearings faster. I know this true by experience .. do the math.
I actually need larger rating wheels. I now have C-load tires and need D-load which are 1" larger. Shouldn't be much of an issue for the fender/tire gap but I need beefier tires for the weight I have on the trailer.