Trailer draging

mjones47 · Newbie Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 21 City: Knoxville

As you know the protective braces that are in place on inboard trailers, to protect the prop, are low. I was wondering if anyone has devised a way to overcome this problem. I have seen a few new trailers with thin rollers underneth. Has anyone developed a neat inexpensive way to fix this problem on older trailers? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

03Belmont · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 4656

weld a little weel underneeth

darty · Addict Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 522 City: Lexington

yea, some sort of little wheel seems like it would be about the only answer without some major work on the trailer

Ruune · Posted: Feb 12, 2004 11:13 am Post subject:

if you have a receiver hitch, get drawbar with 2-4 inches of drop, so the nose of the trailer sits lower. this will raise the tail end. Works like a see-saw.

noneya · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 796 City: Roxboro, NC

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=6534&highlight=prop+guard

Hangtime · Outlaw Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 160 City: Concord

If you add a wheel to the prop guard, the wheel and the guard will be supporting a large portion of the boat and trailer weight when the prop guard high-centers. If the guard isn't strong enough, you could do some painful damage.

Runne's suggestion of using a drop down receiver hitch makes a lot of sense.

Ruune · Posted: Feb 12, 2004 11:38 am Post subject:

03Belmont · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 4656

i Think rune is blushing right now Wink

he finally had a good idea Laughing

*sorry Ruune, I had to say it*

Jk Man

Ruune · Posted: Feb 12, 2004 11:59 am Post subject:

haha thx.

SuprAir · Outlaw Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 180 City: Columbus

Ruune · Posted: Feb 12, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

I'm running a 3/4 ton crew cab with quite a bit of quite a bit of weight. Also, I'm going to need a 4-6" of drop to level mine anyways. I've got a couple of 4-inchers right now, and I'm gonna stop by uhaul on the way home today and get a 6 or 8 inch drop. The reasoning is that I'm mainly concerned about going from the garage to the waterline, which right now is about 75 yards, but it is pretty rocky. So, that's not going to be as much of an issue. I'll be running less of a drop during highway use, just for ease of trailering though. Man... 5 weeks till delivery! Shocked

eldorett · Criminal Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 96 City: Massachusetts

If the trailer is at the correct height, that guard shouldn't drag (unless you're talking some serious grade differences between the trailer and the tow vehicle). A drop for the hitch ball is definitely the way to go there...

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

try an adjustable drop.

Bluesman · Posted: Feb 13, 2004 5:54 pm Post subject:

I took my trailer back to the manufacturer (DHM in Sacramento). They installed the wheels on the prop guard. There's a bit of difference in driveway approach with the prop-guard wheels. Before I used to enter & exit the driveway at the sharpest angle possible. With the prop guard wheels it seems best to enter/exit the driveway straight-on, so both wheels hit the driveway evenly.

wakejunky · Outlaw Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 147 City: Cal.

You actually have a third option.

1) lower drop height
2) casters on prop guard
and
3) lift your trailer. I know it sound funny but, I've seen where somebody who had a trailer that was about 2" too low put 2" lift blocks under the leaf springs and got the trailer lifted. Wouldn't even notice unless you knew. Also adds a bit more tire to fender spacing.

Chris

skeprico · Newbie Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 19

I have the same problem with my driveway and trailer. The draging seems to happen mainly when the trailer wheels drop off the curb at the bottom of the driveway. I went to home depot and bought a 2x10x8 piece of wood. Cut it into two 4 foot sections. When you pull out of the driveway wait till your trailer wheels come close to the curb then stop, put the two pieces of wood in front of the wheels (laying across the curb) and drive over. It seems like a lot to go through but it works and it's cheap. I usually just leave the two boards in the bed of my truck so that they are always there when I need them.

pjdave · Posted: Feb 15, 2004 10:59 pm Post subject:

standard ausie trailor

Ruune · Posted: Feb 15, 2004 11:47 pm Post subject:

wakejunky, I would think that this would increase the tension on the springs, and make the boat jump around a bit more. dont you think?

MrBlean · Posted: Feb 16, 2004 9:34 am Post subject: Increase spring tension?

Ruune - curious to know why you think mounting the trailer 2 inches higher from the springs using spacers on each side will change the spring tension? The trailer and boat still weigh the same, they're just mounted 2 inches higher. Hence the springs will undergo the same amount of compression

Sounds like a neat solution to me!

Ruune · Posted: Feb 16, 2004 9:54 am Post subject:

it just seems that the blocks would bow out the leafspring more, causing more load to put on the spring, since the resistance of a leafspring increases with flex.

MrBlean · Posted: Feb 16, 2004 10:06 am Post subject: Clarification

Ruune · Posted: Feb 16, 2004 10:08 am Post subject:

my bad... I was thinking that the block spaces the spring out as well.

mjones47 · Newbie Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 21 City: Knoxville

Jacking the trailer up. I had thought of that. My dad did the same thing to his camper. He rewelded the brackets and fliped the springs placing them on top of the axle. He got several inches of lift that way. The diffrence I see with the boat is loading and unloading the actual boat from the trailer. I don't know what that might do. I guess you would just haft to back a little deeper in the water. What do you guys think.

WakeNup · Outlaw Joined: 11 Jun 2003 Posts: 171 City: South Carolina

here is the latest from boatmate trailers

Ruune · Posted: Feb 17, 2004 7:41 am Post subject: