2 year axle.

Fish Assassin

Fish Assassin

Crew Member
Put new complete axle in less then two years ago. Yearly serviced and now blown. New axle being installed as I type. What a joke. So frustrating..........
 
Bearings went.... Spindle wrecked. I used to get 6-10 years out of bearings. Thankfully I have BCAA package that includes my boat and travel trailer.

Really happy the guys at Courtenay Spring and Welding can do it this morning.
 
I think in large part it has to do with the cheap Chinese bearings that have flooded the market-you can get them almost anywhere-princess auto etc etc. At one time all we put in were Timkins (u.s) or Koyo(JPN) and they were good-I still use them. Maintenance is the key-doesn't matter how good the bearings are- if you don't spend the money and put on a good DOUBLE lipped rear seal to prevent leaks. Salt water intrusion through the rear seal will quickly doom any bearing or spindle and no amount of greasing a bearing buddy will prevent it. Check the spindle surface that the rear seal rides on-if it is pitted then the seal will not work.Best bet is to put on a stainless steel speedy sleeve -you will probably never lose a bearing again. I do 6000 km a year on my tandem axle (very heavy boat) and I have 6 years on the same KOYO bearings and races-checked and reset every season.
 
Used to buy Timkens and SKF's now every shop seems to sell Long Runs bearing kits. They are under $20 per side and they promise they are good or they wouldnt carry them. Sorry but I think they are garbage. The three sets I have blown on two different boats have been Long Runs. I think they will be the last set I ever buy. They have now cost me 2 axles in two years.

Wish BC Bearing in Cambell River never closed.......
 
I feel for you FA-went thru 1 axle and a set of bearings every year til I finally put in speedy sleeves. It's very frustrating and makes for a nerve wracking tow. We check the bearings for heat every 100 km on a tow or before every major hill.
 
Now I am even more worried.... Just had a 2000lb axle put in today and the boat alone is 1400 dry. Add a motor (90hp) and a T8, fuel and gear I am thinking this axle is two small. Should I not have a 3500lb axle under my boat?

1400 boat
362 motors
80 gas
45 lead

equals 1887 pounds

Do I include trailer weight?

add gear,ice,fish, traps
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes, you include the trailer.

I don't know what boat you have, but my previous boat a 17' Malibu Tyee and this is what it weighed fully loaded.

[TABLE="width: 350"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 5"]Boat with 115hp Merc, no fuel and hooked up to the truck.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Basic weight[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]2,580[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD]per scale[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]130 litres fuel main tank[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]260[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD]estimated[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]22 litres fuel kicker[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]40[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD]estimated[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8 hp HT Yamaha kicker[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]100[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD]actual[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cannon balls, D. riggers, etc[/TD]
[TD]=[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]150[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD]estimated[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Total weight[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]3,130[/TD]
[TD]lbs[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
To my knowledge the bearings on a 2000lb axle are the same size for both the inner and outer, while on a 3500lb axle the inner one is somewhat larger. The material that the axle is made from is also thicker for a 3500lb axle. I replaced my 2000lb axle with a 3500lb one last winter. It came with hubs with the larger bearings, stainless speedi-sleeves, double lip seals and a set of stainless bearing buddies. Because my trailer is an older model, it was necessary to have it custom made, as there was no listing for a 3500lb axle for it. I waited three weeks for it, but it fit perfectly. I sometimes tow behind a small motorhome and was always worried that I would not notice an axle or bearing failure while towing. I feel considerably more assured now.
 
yeah FA you are boarder line for that axel...I had a trailer shop tell me when calculating weight of your trailer/tow vehicle you subtract the toung weight from the trailer and add it to the tow vehicle...makes sense and in your case may give you a couple hundred pound cussion??
 
skf for the win.... repack every season!!!!
 
I think you're borderline, FA - you might be in for another replacement in a couple of years. Go for the 3500lb'er then. Or talk nice to Kevin now and maybe he'll do an upgrade before you get too many miles on the 2000lb.
 
bigbruce said:
I think you're borderline, FA - you might be in for another replacement in a couple of years. Go for the 3500lb'er then. Or talk nice to Kevin now and maybe he'll do an upgrade before you get too many miles on the 2000lb.
Click to expand...
And if you go that route they will put on some stainless speedi sleeves at the same time-then you'll be good for a long time!!
 
I've got oil bath hubs, after 5 years everything looked new, replaced the seals added fresh oil and good to go.
 
Canso said:
I've got oil bath hubs, after 5 years everything looked new, replaced the seals added fresh oil and good to go.
Click to expand...
That's what I have with stainless speedi sleeves, pull them every year' new seals bit of a brake job, flush the brake fluid, same bearings for 6 years-good to go!!
 
This is a timely thread. I was just getting ready to repack the trailer bearings for the season - when I took things apart, there was water in there and the inside bearing was damaged (3500 lb axle with 2 bearings on each side) - these Made in China bearings are less than 2 years old and have about 800 km on them. I never paid attention to where the bearings came from, but after reading this thread I went to BC Bearings and got a set of Timken bearings and Timken seals for $78 incl tax. Hopefully they will last a bit longer.
 
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