Nessy's trailer has been out of action for some time as I tried to get the wheels off to repack the bearings. I had convinced myself that it would be perfectly OK to launch the boat directly off the trailer as long as I never immersed the bearings in salt water.So the wheel nuts corroded onto the studs, and nothing I or the mechanic could do would get them undone. One of the hubs had to be replaced.
I have now sworn the trailer will never see salt water again, and Nessy will be launched on a dolly in future.
Unfortunately, the very expensive dolly I bought to launch Snarleyow with did not fit under Nessy - the wheels fouled the longitudinal skegs under the boat.
So I constructed a new dolly out of bits of wood that fell off a freighter and washed up in Bracklesham Bay a while back, plus a length of aluminium tubing and the wheels from the original dolly. And a clamcleat to hold the rope over the boat.
I'm rather proud of it. Total cost: £12.
5 comments:
Very nice Chris. I had those same wheels on my first light Trow trolley. The axel was untreated steel and although I never actually put it in the sea the dramatic rust activity soon clogged the wheels. I’m now using aluminium and bigger wheels and, like you, drift wood. It’s all strapped together with a ratchet strap and although it receives dirty looks it does the job a treat.
Ben
International Paints make an excellent product called Res-Q-Steel which can be smeared over wheel studs (before applying the nut), or any other mild steel exposed to water. It is paste-like, rather than a grease, and messy, but it stays on and works.
Regards,
Owen
Thanks for that, Owen - I will get some.
Chris
Hi Chris, sad about your trailer hubs. When I was a tyke I would "help" my dad (mumble mumble years ago) when we changed the snow tires. He started driving in the 'teens of the last century, and always added a smear of axle bearing grease to the wheel stud before putting on a nut, like the product that Anonymous mentioned above. I have followed this same practice, and for my boat trailer (has Bearing-Buddies on it) I also add a smear of water-proof lithium grease on the flange of the wheel that touches the hub (I guess plumber's silicon grease would work too). Where the hub is welded to the frame, and thus the galvanizing or paint was burned away, I initially steel-brushed the rust that accumulated from driving the trailer once on our salted roads, washed the steel with paint thinner to clean off the dust, and applied three coats of Raw Tung oil, leaving a week between each application, then a thin spray of silicon grease a couple of times a year.
And I can't understand that people think that I am somewhat anal.
Bless,
Rob (in British Columbia)
Ah, would that I had your attention to detail, Rob. I would be so much richer. At least now I know the theory.
Post a Comment