Stuck at Boulder Harbor... Oh the joy.

[wolfs4evr]

So I lost the wheel bearings on one side of the trailer this morning. I guess lucky. Another mile and betting the wheel and hub would of came off. I have a spare set of bearings and the wife is driving out with some additional tools and a grease gun. But... The inner race is seized on the shaft. Dunno... Easy enough if home with the air compressor and a die grinder. Also had the wife grab a pipe wrench for me. About the only thing I can think of being here that might work.

Anyone have some ideas for me?

If I can't get this inner race off anyone have a recommendation/preference for a flatbed tow or emergency road side repair company?
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[StarsnStripers]

Did u get it handled wolfs? I can bring my coleman stove and heat it up then throw a wet rag on the axle. Done that before in a blizzard on the side of a hiway up hunting.
Or if you want other help let me know
Good luck bro!
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[Erawk]

No!....


I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you've made it home by now. Let us know when you can.
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[wolfs4evr]

Home

Will post something up later about all the fun.

Bottom line managed to replace the bearings on the hub and limp home slowly with checks every 5 or so miles. Spindle was damaged so that was the tricky part.

Essentially a duck tape limp home. Took 5 hours... Sucked but home...
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[wolfs4evr]

Showered, fed and a cold one in hand. What a fiasco. So glad this happened here verse some long trip to Utah or something like that. Also happy I launched out of Boulder. Echo is one heck of a lot longer haul.

Anyways... Pulled into Boulder this morning at 5:30am got out and was woooa. I could see the mess on the rim from the truck in the "semi" dark. Grabbed a flashlight to look at it and what a mess. ZERO bearings. Just a couple races. The tire/hub was just being held on by a hand tightened nut and a cotter key.

Didn't ponder too long. What am I going to do at this time of the day. Better make the most of it and go fishing for a couple hours [blush] (The wife was not so thrilled with me and that decision...)

So I launched the boat. Madi tripped hard walking the dock with the ropes to the boat when that 200 degree or so hub/spindle hit the water. Scared her half to death with it hissing and steaming up. Yelling stop, stop, stop. I just said I know and kept on backing up.

So fished till 10 or so and called it (seperate post on fishing eventually). Put everything away and back at the ramp and out of the water by 11. By now I had called the wife and told her what happened, called BPS and several other places thinking I might need a hub and had done lots of pondering on the situation (like checking out a few youtube vids since I had never replaced bearings on a trailer before). Steph (my wife) was at least now in the loop and knew more than likely a call was to come to bring this and that to me at the lake eventually.

Initially I thought about just leaving the boat at the dock and working on the trailer empty but if I start tearing stuff apart and if I found no way to fix it I would of been screwed. So I pulled the boat up the ramp and all the way towards the oooooold parking lot next to Northshore road grinding all the way. Figured more room, flatter and easy for the wife to find me since I can see the main road from there. I started looking at it and I was fairly semi foggy on even wear to begin (not looking forward to it...). I knew I had a mess... Pulled the cotter key and main nut and just pulled everything off in one shot. Figured I could take the tire off the hub later on. Once off and wiped down I could see some damage to sprindle. Makes sense seeing as how there was zero bearings. Everything was rubbing/grinding. It couldn't of been that way too many miles. I'd think if too long everything would of been red glow in the dark hot and I would of just burnt the spindle off.

I put a list together in my head and called the wife. Talked her around the garage for hammer, punches, grease gun, rags, cleaners, etc. Got of the phone and then noticed the inner race was on there solid. Called back quickly and caught her just as she was opening the garage door. Had her go back in for a large set of adjustable pliars and a pipe wrench. Only thing I thought might work. The air compressor and a cut off wheel came to mind... W/o electricity not happening but thought about how nice that would of been.

It took her an hour to get out there. She has never been to the lake. So that was fun enough direction wise. Goooood call on the pipe wrench. I was able to get enough grip to spin the inner race and eventually work it off. One issue down. About this time is the first time I looked at the under side of the spindle. UGGGG. Where the outer race seats is all chewed up and folded over from the grinding. Glad she just grabbed the whole pile of punches. There was several chisel punches in the box. So used one of those to start to reshape the area folded over and "chisel" off the metal folded over the edge/area the outer race has to seat up against. Then I needed a file to semi fine tune... Lucky I had a good old Leatherman in the boat. The only file on me. (Yes, the girls did bring up the topic of a nail file... Not the right file. lol) With that cleaned up now to getting the races punched out of the hub. Another fun one but not bad. They came out easier than I thought they would. Back in was another story... I took the tire off the hub for this and started on the rear race. After watching me beat on it for some time the wife asked about the hub kit I mentioned earlier that I didn't have. So called BPS and the only hub they had in stock is the spare tire carrier that doubles as a complete spare hub. 80 some odd bucks. Soo off the wife goes to BPS. About the time she got there (BPS/~40 minute drive) I had managed to get that race seated. The front race just fell in (going to have to replace the hub for sure). Also I had the hub back on the trailer spindle, greased up and the tire on. (I figured I had a 50/50 chance of making the 40 mile drive home in the NW end of town.) I was just picking up the pile of tools everywhere and starting to clean up. We decided we can always return what she bought if not needed and she went in and got it. I told her to hit the casino for a bit and that I would call once on the road since if my "duck tape" repair job failed north bound for Lake Mead BLVD by Nellis she would have to come to me with the new hub from a different direction from the way she left.

I hit the road and pulled over every 5 miles or so initially. About all I could do is touch the hub and see if it is hot. Not much else I could do other than jack the trailer up and see if there is any wobble/grinding/etc...

Home by 5pm. Zero issues. So +/- 5 hours of screwing with it, waiting for the wife to get there, staring at it... No cussing. Only a few new cuts and no smashed fingers.

All I care about... It is in the garage. Worry about it later on.

I might have to replace the entire axle. The spindles appear to be welded on. At least what I think the little amount of time I spent looking at that specifically. Something to investigate on later on. I might be able to clean it up now home with the proper tools. TBD.









The box of stuff the wife brought... Between these, the "basic" tools in the truck and the tools in the boat I got it done. (There will be a whole different loadout of tools in the bed of the truck from here on... after this fiasco) So happy the wife was home and willing...



Redneck bearing buddy to get me home.


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[Shogunofthecity]

Well as unfortunate as it is to hear of this problem... All I can say is you deserve a big ol' That-A-Boy for getting er' done! And once again, thank your for sharing!
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[Erawk]

I love working on stuff in parking lots! Haha. Glad it turned out ok. I'm going to check my trailer bearings before the next trip. Thanks for sharing.
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[wolfs4evr]

Kind of gets me. I grease them often, etc. Everytime I get to the lake/home I put a hand on the rim closest to the hub and feel for temps. Not really sure why the failure. Almost 3 1/2 years old and 98% of all fishing trips is Mead so not really long hauls by any means. I suppose besides greasing them often I am going to have to pull the hubs and really give them a good looksie/repacking once a year. About all I can think of. Plus being better prepared tool wise... Grease gun, hammer, punches, pipe wrench, spare hub kit, etc. I had the bearings in the boat misc box but really they do me zero good there w/o all the other stuff mentioned above.

Spare hub!!! It sucks to have to punch out races, etc roadside. Totally worth it to have a spare hub assy all ready to drop in... Looking at Bass Pro it is mid $20s for the bearing kit I had on hand. Two bearings, a seal and a cotter pin. Add another $20 to that for a spare hub kit in a nice box and everything is there! Bearings, seals, hub, lug nuts, dust cover and a tube of grease. Doooh, dunno what I was thinking to buy a spare bearing set over just spending another $20... I know better now and hopefully my pain and this post will help someone out there in forum land make a great decision to buy a spare hub kit!!!!!!!!
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[wolfs4evr]

So I think I am fine on the spindle. I cleaned it up more with some proper tools at home and will look at it more this upcoming weekend and make a decision. The only way to replace the spindle/stub axle part is take it to a shop. It has to be cut out and another one welded on. Or just buy a complete new axle assy. and not bother with that. I haven't checked local places but a quick online search reveals that either option isn't very expensive. PITA but not overly expensive.

I did order two new hubs! A hair under $100 for a set off Amazon Prime. Bearings, seal, dust cap, lug nuts, cotter key, already pre-greased, etc. Ready to drop in units. The one side has to be replaced for sure since the outer race wobbles in its seat due to grinding/wobbling in there once the bearings departed. Going to put new hubs on both sides and keep the one "good" side old hub as an emergency spare.

I have learned my lesson of the year. Will be 100% prepared if there is ever another time!
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[reellittlephish]

After this post I went out and checked my bearings. Seem OK. On this EZ Loader I have never had them apart. I keep the bearing buddies lubed and cleaned is all. Couple weeks ago I jacked the trailer up and checked for play. All good. I thought I had the surge brakes rubbing.

My launch drama happened Monday3/9 at Callville.

Loading the Skeeter at the end of the day I hit the roller bracket and sheared the side plates of the front roller mount. It was strange as I did not do anything I wouldn't normally do loading. Maybe metal fatigue; could have been my oversight mistake as the Front support stand had been pushed forward as far as it could go. Trailer is 7 years old now. That's a lot of power loads.

So a careful lash down and very slow but uneventful return trip. Tuesday I called EZ Loader back in Arkansas and part is $300 and 2 weeks for delivery. I opted to take it to Las Vegas Marine Propeller Works on Sunset and got Adam to weld the plates back into position. He had to lift the Skeeter to work on it.. However Propellor Works did the job the same day. Cost: $250. Tuesday afternoon I had to take the rig to Boulder Harbor and launch to reset the Skeeter properly on the bunks. Moved the front stand into it's original position and tightened it down.

If you have needed repairs on a prop, skeg or are looking to re-prop your rig I recommend Propeller Works. Fast, reasonable cost and they really know how to tune and balance a prop. They are the only shop I trust in Vegas to repair my skeg without overheating my lower unit.
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[wolfs4evr]

I really need to remove/drop about 1 pitch on my 3 blade SS prop or change it completely to a 4 blade but seeing as how this boat isn't really a big go 70mph across the lake rig a tough item to chomp on $$ wise for what I would gain on a little tin can deep V. Going to 2 huge azz group 31 AGM 1105cca/205 minutes RC batteries for the TM was the best thing ever for one that lives on the TM but did have it's downside.. 150lbs worth of downside. Lost close to 3mph on my top speed with those suckers just forward of the driver/passenger seat area and no option to put them anywhere else.

Good to know about a reliable place. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to it.

Loved my SS 3 blade prop prior to the addition of the big batterys but been driving me nuts ever since I put them in there over 2 years ago.
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[reellittlephish]

Sometime go see Adam. Tell him you know me from the forums: Tom Beck. Once he gets a sense of you he will let you take props out of the shop (with a deposit) to test drive them on your rig. He might have some suggestions about your current prop also. .
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[cvcrash]

We were out last weekend with the boat and trailer at Las Vegas Bay Campground Friday through Monday.

Pulled the boat out of Boulder early afternoon Saturday and seen your boat with the wheel off. My wife and I stopped to see if you needed a hand and got the all good. Wasn't sure your boat and truck combo at the time otherwise we would have just stopped and said hello. Also didn't read this post till last night.

Red Dodge Ram 2500 and Blue Manta Ray..

Just replaced my bearings last week and bought a new hub in order to have a spare one ready to go. Was headed to the lake Sunday the 1st and had them go out just after the 215 and Decatur exit. Not a good place to be working on the drivers side wheel about 5 feet off the highway. Had to call a flat bed and get her home. Same thing with the inner race. Had to torch it and tap it off. Spindle just needed a little file work and the new ones went on. Got a new hub, bearing buddies and two new sets of bearings at Trailer Tech for just about $115. Going set the old hub up as a back up.

Not fun stuff, but better here in town and not on a major trip. Definitely recommend a back up hub kit for any long trips.

Good to hear you made it back.
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[wolfs4evr]

Yup, I remember ya. Not much an extra hand could do at the time. Moral support yes... lol Not fun, but better than being on the side of the road with traffic playing chicken with one constantly. Actually the job itself was ok to do the not fun part was not having the right tools for the job and making do with what one had on hand. Right after my wife had left the house I thought about the Mapp gas torch I had in my tool box... Sure glad I was able to work off that inner bearing with a pipe wrench.

What did it cost to have your boat flatbedded home? At one point I was almost ready to do that just so I had the right "stuff" to do the repair but just wasn't feeling spending the $$ to do it.

The outer race in my hub must of spun for a while. When I put the new race in out there in the parking lot it just dropped in. No tapping it in at all. Not really a noticable wobble/sloppy fit with that race but don't trust it just falling in like that. Will call that one a gone'r and toss it on a shelf. With two new hubs coming will replace both sides and re-pack the one side and save it for a emergency spare hub. Plus the spare tire holder combo with a hub my wife ended up picking up at Bass Pro I ended up keeping verse returning. I like it since it holds my spare a couple inches higher. No more dragging of the spare tire going out of the garage down the angled driveway. Two spare hubs will be with me for now on...

Tom
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[cvcrash]

$120 to come do the tow and then 4 bucks a mile first five miles free. think it was 16 miles back home, so $164...

We called around and got quoted much much hire. Took a couple hours of calling and got it to a price that was well worth not playing chicken.




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[wolfs4evr]

Good to know info just in case needed someday. I was actually thinking more but those figures are not "unrealistic" to me. Would of been 40 miles from Boulder Harbor so under $300. Nothing I would of been happy to pay but one does what one has to do when things are not going their way.
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[fishrdan]

[quote wolfs4evr] Would of been 40 miles from Boulder Harbor so under $300. Nothing I would of been happy to pay but one does what one has to do when things are not going their way.[/quote]

Check with your insurance agent as that tow might have been covered, (maybe not too). I had my truck towed from Cal-Nev-Ari several years ago and the tow back home was reimbursed by my auto insurance.
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[wolfs4evr]

Pondered that and called. Nope. My last vehicle I did but I removed that part since the truck is new and under factory warranty, tow, etc not needed. Thought about my boat insurance and still no idea if it would of been. That department isn't open on the weekends and I never got around to calling this past week to check. Might have to see if I can figure out how to check online if I can remember my log in...
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[wolfs4evr]

So all back together and ready. Took a bit Friday with the air tools cleaning up the spindle some more and debating on replacing or going with it. Got it looking good enough to me and felt good enough about it to not replace. The one edge I was most concerned about actually was zero concern. After slipping on bearings and understanding exactly where they sit/seat without the hub blocking the visual arena the one really rough spot isn't touched by anything. Just a no where zone between the bearings.

(Note... If one wanted to replace the spindle you essentially have to replace the entire axle since I never found anyone in town that does spindle replacement. Replacement isn't a DIY item. You need jigs, welders, etc to get it on there perfect and square. To replace the entire axle one has to order it since square tube axles like mine have too many variables to be a stocked item. At least what Trailer Tech told me. They carry lots of round tube axle stuff but nothing for the square tube variants.)

New hubs, bearings, seals, dust covers, lug nuts, etc on both sides and ready for action. All purty and clean.

Nice having the wife's car out of the garage... Lots of room to mess around.



Should work... Lots of cleaning up needed to get the bearings to slip back on correctly.



IMO $100 well spent. Two new hubs ready for action installed.



I should of installed/had this one installed when I bought the boat 3 1/2 years ago verse a "normal" spare tire carrier. Great concept. Spare tire holder plus a spare hub all tied into one package. Only issue... I step on the tire at the ramp to get to the of the boat to connect the front strap on the trailer. Tire now spins freely. Going to have to keep that in mind next time out. I have a small length cable lock ordered to lock it down plus more importantly keep it from freely spinning so I can still step on it.





I took the other sides hub and cleaned it all up. Looks like new. New bearings for it will be here today and installed, greased, bagged and tagged. Something to toss in the back of the truck along with the new tool bag I set up with the tools I used last weekend to get back on the road. I will be prepared!



If anyone needs a spare tire holder I have one laying in the garage that isn't being used anymore...
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[wolfs4evr]

Thought about going today but Madi had signed up to do a Cancer walk thing at the high school thinking the boat was going to be out of action longer than what it was. No biggie need to save some $$ to cover all this recent spending. Bummer to spend the $$ on something like this verse fishing equipment but how it goes being a boat owner. One has to pay if they want to play I guess.
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