Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

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LI_Sailor

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My trailor has the solid black rigid rollers. I am looking to replace some/ possibly all the rollers. What would be the best type to get?

Ive seen smooth ones, different color ones, some with rubber wheel and plastic core.

I would just like to know which ones would last longer, and which ones are better for a boat.
 
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HT32BSX115

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

Is that a 211?


I have bunks on mine. I don't know if I would want rollers on a boat that heavy.

I would rather be floating it off instead of rolling it off the trailer.


I'm not sure it matters much what type of rollers you have.

Rollers sometimes stick and you end up floating the boat off anyway.
 
JimS123

JimS123

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

Black rubber ones are soft, thus they wear the fastest. They put black marks on the boat at times. As they wear they get a little "sticky", meaninmg that there is friction against the hull and the boat doesn't roll off as easily. They are also cheep.

The yellow thermo-plastic rollers are a step up, both in price and service life.

The Stoltz polyurethane rollers are extremely hard and last a very long time. What I personally find best about them are the hardness, which makes my boat load and launch like greased lightnin! No marks on the boat at all.

I replaced the OEM black rubber on my little boat after only 5 years. The Stoltz on my big boat are about 10 years old and still OK.

I don't know if the poly rollers are cost effective or not - depends on how long you intend to keep the boat. Regadless, I would buy them anyway just because of performance.
 
JimS123

JimS123

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

HT32BSX115 said:
Is that a 211?


I have bunks on mine. I don't know if I would want rollers on a boat that heavy.

I would rather be floating it off instead of rolling it off the trailer.


I'm not sure it matters much what type of rollers you have.

Rollers sometimes stick and you end up floating the boat off anyway.
Click to expand...

Everybody has their own opinion. IMHO, the heavier the boat, the more likely I would want all rollers. Just have to have enough of them so distribute the weight. There are roller trailers, then there are good roller trailers. Every one of my rollers can be turned by hand with the boat on them! While the guy next to me is bubbling his car's exhaust under water trying to float the boat off, mine is rolling down all by itself with just a little push.

Once or twice a season, after I launch the boat, I go around and spray all the roller shafts with lube. Never had one stick yet. Of course, I do boat in fresh water.
 
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HT32BSX115

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

JimS123 said:
Everybody has their own opinion. IMHO, the heavier the boat, the more likely I would want all rollers. Just have to have enough of them so distribute the weight. There are roller trailers, then there are good roller trailers. Every one of my rollers can be turned by hand with the boat on them! While the guy next to me is bubbling his car's exhaust under water trying to float the boat off, mine is rolling down all by itself with just a little push.

Once or twice a season, after I launch the boat, I go around and spray all the roller shafts with lube. Never had one stick yet. Of course, I do boat in fresh water.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't disagree with you at all...

Although I don't have to put my trailer in the water far enough to "bubble the exhaust" My rear tires just touch the water and the boat floats right off.....


If you can turn every roller by hand with the boat on it, you have REALLY good weight distribution!!
 
JimS123

JimS123

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

HT32BSX115 said:
Yeah, I don't disagree with you at all...

Although I don't have to put my trailer in the water far enough to "bubble the exhaust" My rear tires just touch the water and the boat floats right off.....


If you can turn every roller by hand with the boat on it, you have REALLY good weight distribution!!
Click to expand...

My local ramps are a bit greasy at the water's edge this time of year. My tow vehicle is rear wheel drive so if I backed in that far I could get stuck.

When I launch, my winch and bow stop are out of the water. I never get my feet wet. I have long lines. Unhook the winch and bow tie down, then give her a little push and I step up on the dock. She rolls off nice and easy and by the time I walk to the end of the dock the boat meets me there.

Getting back to the OP's question, that's why I like Stoltz so much. When I had rubber ones I often had to walk down the walk ramp on the trailer to get her off the last few feet. Now she launches almost automatically.
 
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LI_Sailor

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

My boat is a 1986 211 Liberator.

Im not sure of the differnet rollers. Is there a way you could post a picture so i know what im looking for? Ive seen yellow ones that are smooth and solid, nubby and solid, also the ones that are half yellow with a white core.
 
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LI_Sailor

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

Also should I get A V-Bow stop or go for the bow rollers/stop?
 
tboltmike

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

the cheap black ones only have plastic bearing bushings at the ends. Thus there is not full load distribution along the bore length. If there is too much clearance between the roller and the bracket, the bushings can pop of the roller.
 
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HT32BSX115

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

JimS123 said:
My local ramps are a bit greasy at the water's edge this time of year. My tow vehicle is rear wheel drive so if I backed in that far I could get stuck.

When I launch, my winch and bow stop are out of the water. I never get my feet wet. I have long lines. Unhook the winch and bow tie down, then give her a little push and I step up on the dock. She rolls off nice and easy and by the time I walk to the end of the dock the boat meets me there.

Getting back to the OP's question, that's why I like Stoltz so much. When I had rubber ones I often had to walk down the walk ramp on the trailer to get her off the last few feet. Now she launches almost automatically.
Click to expand...


We might be talking about different size boats.......


The 211 Liberator weighs about 5000 lbs and is 21' long.

I don't think I could winch it on even if I did have rollers.....
 
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LI_Sailor

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

im not exactly sure of the weight but I do know it is 21' long. Idk if that helps.

My trailor has 16 rollers on it. 8 on each side. and its a dual axel trailor (4 tires)
 
dingbat

dingbat

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

HT32BSX115 said:
We might be talking about different size boats.......


The 211 Liberator weighs about 5000 lbs and is 21' long.

I don't think I could winch it on even if I did have rollers.....
Click to expand...
The factory specification for your 211 Liberator is #2900. Should be no problems at all winching that much weight on a roller trailer.
 
JimS123

JimS123

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

OOOhh, that's not a lot of rollers. I've read a lot about trailer design and the "experts" (whoever they are) recommend no more than about 150 pounds per roller. So, if you boat weighs 5000 lbs, you're loading your rollers pretty hard.

Tha's one of the reasons I think mine launches so easy and the rollers turn by hand. I'm only about 100 lbs per roller. And yes, it's only half the weight.

Anyway, back to the original question - I'll stick with the poly roller suggestion. The more weight the harder they need to be. Plus, they fully encapsulate the shaft - no plastic bearings.
 
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Fl_Richard

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Re: Opinion - What is the best type of rollers

Let's see then... two bunk boards and a couple of keel rollers or 58 individual rollers....

My bunk boards are getting nicer and nicer.
 
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