Learned a new skill today...

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Mac66
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Learned a new skill today...

Post by Mac66 »

How to build and replace an axle on my utility trailer. I have a flat utility trailer that I've been using to haul totes up to my woods house. It's a dual axle and will hold 7K lbs. A load of 5 empty totes weigh about 675 lbs. A double load as shown below.. 1350 lbs.

Better days....

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So I was hauling it home yesterday from the woods house empty. Driving a 2 lane highway and came up on an old lady driving about 40. I went to pass her and she inexplicably turned left and hit my trailer. It bent the axle and I would guess totaled her car. No one was hurt but she was towed I had to get the trailer home. Fortunately I took off the wheel/tire and drove it home on three wheels.

Crunched the fender as well
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So I didn't know the first thing about replacing an axle so I called different trailer repair shops. No one had any axle in stock but one guy said If I bring it it he can measure it and order a new one. So I took it in this morning and as he was measuring it his tech guy walked by and said, I think I may have an axle that will match that. He comes back a few minutes later with the axle. He had to weld on stops and then showed me how to swap out the hubs from the old to the new. $365 later I was on my way. It took me awhile to remove the old, swap the hubs from the old to the new but I got er' done. Of course I had to take it apart 3 times to get it right but eventually I got back in business.

Old axle...

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So there is a learning curve to swapping an axle but I'm pretty sure I could do it again in 1/3 of the time it took to do the first one. Not to mention I'm getting friggin old. But I'm proud of myself.

I know...cool story bro 8-)
Last edited by Mac66 on Tue Jun 21, 2022 3:20 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Erich
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by Erich »

Yoiks. Nice work.
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tom mac
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by tom mac »

good job, BUT, there goes your profit :(
You can't fix stupid !
JDH
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by JDH »

What happened to cause it to bend like that?
Mac66
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by Mac66 »

JDH wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 11:13 am What happened to cause it to bend like that?
A car running into it.
Mac66
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by Mac66 »

tom mac wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:17 am good job, BUT, there goes your profit :(
Uh, Yeahhhhhhh. Kind of re-evaluating my exposure. On one hand I've done pretty well recently. On the other hand, it's always something. The more you're out there the more you're exposed to stuff. Flat tires, accidents, gas prices. Just doing it because it offsets the cost of gas going back and forth to the woods house. I'm thinking one more load and I'm done. We'll see. :roll:
JDH
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Re: Learned a new skill today...

Post by JDH »

Mac66 wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:28 pm A car running into it.
Yeah, that'll do it.
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