bicycle racks are not fun

[68C15]

I was pulling my matched set home from a day at the lake. it's a '65 Johnson 17' runabout, 66 100HP V4 and single torsion axle trailer. in the dark i ran over a bicycle rack (one of those things you attach to your trailer hitch). I hit it with the pass. tires of my Blazer and then it swung up and smacked the right side tire of my trailer. it stabbed a 2" hole in the tire and snapped the spindle right off the torsion arm causing the thing to immediately drop to the ground and give people behind me a shower of sparks. thank God it didn't hit the hull and do any glass damage.

so, after an expensive Sunday night flatbed tow 5 miles home I get to find a 6.9-9 load range C tire and fix my axle.
how safe is it to have the spindle replaced. the welding shop says they can cut out the old stub and weld in the new one?
should i be concerned about pot holes in the future?

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

Personally I would replace the "snapped stuff" not repair it.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

how safe is it to have the spindle replaced. the welding shop says they can cut out the old stub and weld in the new one?
should i be concerned about pot holes in the future?

Things things are welded on when they are built and are fixed more often than you think.

As far as "How Safe" depends on the quality of the welds and the workmanship of the welder...

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

Thats horrible and really good that it did not hit the hull.

 

[yfzjim]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

if welded correctly the weld should be stronger than the metal itself. just make sure the idiot behind the arc is competent. that being said complete axles are not too expensive. let us know what you decide and how it turns out. sorry for your misfortune.

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

Why Do You Think Welders Are Idiots?

 

[yfzjim]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

I dont think welders are idiots, it was just an expression. There are a lot of people out there who buy welders and pull the trigger or strike an arc and can get two pieces of metal to stick together and magically think they can weld anything. I was just saying to be sure whoever does the welding actually knows what they are doing. I meant no offense to anyone who might actually be a welder. I have a mig and a ac/dc arc welder and have taken some welding classes but I wouldnt consider my self a welder.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

if welded correctly the weld should be stronger than the metal itself. just make sure the idiot behind the arc is competent. that being said complete axles are not too expensive. let us know what you decide and how it turns out. sorry for your misfortune.

He would only be an idiot if he thought he could do the job properly and didn't or couldn't. If he did a proper welding job, that would make him a skilled tradesman and someone you shouldn't call an idiot.

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

I would buy a new axle fully assembled, and bolt it on, save the salvage parts off the old one for spares, and the trailer will be set for the next boat even.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

You said you had a "torsion axle". The swing arms on a torsion axle I think are forgings. You might have a good look at how the spindle is attached. Some of those have replacement spindles available and no welding is needed. Welding on a forged or cast piece is not like welding on mild steel like a standard axle. Your welder needs to know what he's dealing with. He also needs to know the axle tube has a rubber insert (hence the torsion design) so that rubber cannot be heated or the spring action will be virtually zero after the repair.

 

[yfzjim]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

He would only be an idiot if he thought he could do the job properly and didn't or couldn't. If he did a proper welding job, that would make him a skilled tradesman and someone you shouldn't call an idiot.

if you read my last post, you will see that that is exactly the point I was making. I will apologize for the confusion. I meant no harm and should have worded it differently. I was simply trying to say make sure the person IS a skilled tradesmen. Again, I apologize if anyone took offense. I was not intending to upset anyone.

 

[68C15]

Re: bicycle racks are not fun

after a weeks worth of hunting for options and such I decided to have the spindle replaced. the welding shop comes highly recommended by other boaters locally, both trailer shops in town, and many other people I know.

I can't simply replace the axle as they don't make them with the same type of mounting any more. the frame is made of 6" I beams and the axle has a similar type of bracketry integral.
I guess I would consider it the "Tucker" of trailer designs. if ya know what I mean.