Trailer parts

[bruce]

It was time to face the fact that our trailer needed work, rust had taken its toll. I'd used eTrailer in the past, they have a good website with lots of videos/tutorials. Customer Service had always been helpful when problems arose, and unfortunately they did.

I planned to replace the axle, hubs, and springs. The shortest galvanized CE Smith axle with 46 1/2" spring-to-spring spacing was just right. One advantage to the CE Smith axles is they can be mounted above or below the spring without modification if I wanted to adjust the height of the boat on the trailer. The boat came with 4 on 4" wheels, that didn't owe me anything but still had some life in them, so I first tried to get 4 on 4" galvanized hubs. Those were backordered in late March, still are, but then I saw the same hubs in a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt pattern bundled with the axle I wanted, in stock, so I went with that. That required new 8" wheels, which I added to the order. An added expense, but everything would be new, what could go wrong.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Axles/CE-Smith/CE33201GA.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hubs-and-Drums/etrailer/AKIHUB-440-2-G-2K.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Axles/CE_Smith/CE33201GA-HUB.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Leaf_Spring_Suspension/CE_Smith/CE23102.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Tires_and_Wheels/Kenda/AM30030.html

They had springs that would fit. The only issue there was the bolts they recommended for mounting were too long, and only partially threaded, so I made 3/8" spacers out of 1/2" galvanized pipe.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Leaf_Spring_Suspension/Universal_Group/SP-178275.html
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Leaf_Spring_Suspension/Redline/166079.html

The axle was damaged in shipment. The stout cardboard tube it was packed is was fine, but the axle had burst through both ends. The zerk grease fittings were damaged, as were the spindle threads to some degree. I went to check the threads with the castle nuts, and found that they, the washers, and cotter pins were missing. Customer Service didn't know if they stocked those parts, that they may have to come from the manufacturer. I found them on the eTrailer site, in stock, and called them back so I wouldn't be waiting for them to sort it out. Replacement hardware arrived, I got my own zerk fittings from elsewhere

I was able to get the lug nuts off with a pneumatic impact wrench and lots of penetrating oil, a 4' pipe extension on a socket wrench or lug nut 4-way wouldn't budge them. With the frame on jack stands, I cut or sheared the hanger bolts off. I did play with mounting the axle on top of the springs, to help with overhead clearance in the garage, but mounting the fenders looked problematic, and at some point road clearance becomes an issue, so I stuck with the axle under the spring as it had been. With the bearings installed and packed, and the hubs installed, I went to mount the wheels. They don't fit. The diameter of the hub flange is too big to seat properly on the back of the wheel. Only about 1/4" of the wheel studs pass through the wheels, enough for a couple of turns on the lug nuts but not road worthy.

At first I suspected the wheel, and couldn't find any dimensions listed for this wheel, or other 8" wheels offered by eTrailer, so new wheels might not fix things. I knew the 4 on 4" and 5 on 4 1/2" hubs were suppose to work with 8-15" wheels, so I considered bigger wheels. After some searching, I was able to find that eTrailer offers the 5 on 4 1/2" hub in two flange sizes, 5 1/2" and 6 1/2". The later will only fit 13-15" wheels, and is what I'd received. Why they'd include that size in their smallest axle kit is beyond me. The 4 on 4 1/2" hub flange is 5 1/2" as well, and will work with the full range of wheel sizes.

Customer Service took the position that since they hadn't specifically advised me to buy that hub, or warn me that the incompatibility existed because I'd spec'd it myself, even though I'd ordered 8" wheels at the same time, they wouldn't exchange the hubs for free. I got them to agree to expedited shipping as compensation. I was so relieved to have found the answer, I was more flexible than I would normally have been. Plus, it was worth something not to have to try remove the grease I'd already packed the larger hubs with before returning them!

The hub you'd want is:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hubs-and-Drums/etrailer/AKIHUB-545-2-G-EZ-2K.html

The larger hub is:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hubs-and-Drums/Dexter-Axle/8-258-50UC1-EZ.html

Anyway, long story, but it may help someone. I forgot to add that the trailer is a 2010 Magic Tilt. I don't know what fits a Precision, that Com-Pac used earlier, or other brands.