Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

[garrik]

Time to part with the old boat, and to do that I need to get the trailer rolling. It is a 60's vintage Sea King (Wards) trailer, and I have never seen anything like the hubs on these wheels.



They are 4.00/4.80 x 8.00 wheels, with no visible bolts. There is something hemispherical that I assumed was a dust cover over the end of the axle, with a zerk fitting mounted in the end of it. When I try to remove the zerk fitting, it comes right out. The "nut" that the zerk fitting is mounted in then comes loose, but it remains attached to what looks like a bolt that extends back into the thing that looks like a dust cover and remains captive - that "bolt" won't pull out and won't unscrew - it just turns.

The thing that looks like a dust cover appears to be very solid when tapped with a hammer, not sheet metal like a dust cover, and it won't pry off. There isn't any obvious way to unscrew the thing that looks like a dust cover either.

Anyone seen anything like this? I need help figuring out how to remove the wheel so I can either replace the entire wheel, or at least rebuild the hubs and bearings.

Thanks much!

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

That style of hub no longer is in use, You will be better off to replace the axle, hubs and tires.

 

[garrik]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

That style of hub no longer is in use, You will be better off to replace the axle, hubs and tires.

I would be extremely happy to replace the whole magilla. To do that, I have to get the old wheels off. Any idea how to do that?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

Welcome to iboats, garrik.

Leave the wheels on and undo the u-bolts that hold the axle to the springs. Pull the axle out, wheels and all. You do have leaf springs, don't you?

 

[garrik]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

Leaf springs, you bet. But the wheels appear to be mounted on to bolts/axles, which run through through the wheels into some kind of back bearing retainer and then into a housing that is welded onto the springs...



The "axle" that runs from wheel to wheel is a steel "U". Inside the U on either end appears to be welded some kind of cylinder. Into that cylinder runs whatever is holding the wheels onto the trailer, with some kind of bearing housing on the inside of the wheel.



The steel "U" is welded onto the mounts for the leaf springs. The first place that I could unbolt anything is where the leaf spring mounts to the chassis of the trailer.

Bottom line here is that I need to get the boat rolling.

I can either replace/repack/rebuild the wheels on this trailer, or I can just buy a new trailer. Obviously, I would prefer to remove these wheels and either replace them or rebuild/repack their bearings - but if that is impossible (it can't really be impossible, but maybe they are pressed in and it is a major hassle to remove them) then I will just buy a new trailer I guess.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

You have a transverse spring, which makes thing harder. I think all the axles today are set-up for two springs. Your seals are gone for sure seeing all the grease on the inside of the wheel.

When you try to loosen the wheel nut, is anything turning on the inside of the axle - the first pic in your last post. Hard to see with all the rust. What I'm thinking is maybe there is a long bolt through the center of the axle stub. Maybe a nut splitter could break the nut so you could get the wheel off.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I do believe you be a lot better off to find another trailer. The amount of work and the cost of retro fitting that one will be more than finding a used trailer

 

[garrik]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I do believe you be a lot better off to find another trailer. The amount of work and the cost of retro fitting that one will be more than finding a used trailer

I completely buy that, but there has to be a way to get into these hubs. If the bearings are ok, I just need new seals and some grease, and I can at least get the boat to its new owner's house...

The big question is how to remove the hemispherical end-caps. The guts of the hub has to be under there. I've tried going after it as if it was a dust cap, using a screwdriver and putty knife to pry it off, with zero luck...

 

[colbyt]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I have never seen something like that anywhere except on farm equipment.

But.

It has to come off, bearings are made to be packed. Using Liquid Wrench or like along with the straw thoroughly spray where the dark meets the white all around. Then tap lightly with a small hammer. Take a long break and then repeat the process. Then smack the cap with a rubber mallet near but not on the nipple. Repeated light blows should create a small gap where the dark meets the white.

When you can get a stiff putty knife between the white hub and dark cap you almost have it whipped. Work the knife around the circumference until it pops off. You may need to repeat the first steps a few more times as there should be about 1/1" of flange inserted into the hub.


Let us know how it works out.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I think the hemi cap is captured by the nut. Prying will probably destroy an part that can't be found. I still say a nut splitter is the way to go. I'm sure you can find a new nut.

When you try to un-do the nut, does the cap spin with it? And is there a pin or clip through the nut - like newer ones with a cotter key. Something has to be securing the nut so the wheel doesn't fall off?

 

[garrik]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I think the hemi cap is captured by the nut.

The hemi cap is not captured by the nut. I can, through a combination of unscrewing the zerk fitting and the nut, get about 1/4" of play between the back of the nut and the face of the hemi cap. The cap still doesn't move... The nut won't come off either, it is held captive by the bolt that disappears back into the hemi cap somehow - but I can get enough play to know that the hemi cap isn't held in place solely by the nut.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I'm about out of ideas without putting my fingers on it.

 

[garrik]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I gave up...

In the end, I unbolted the entire axle and spring assembly from the bottom of the trailer, and replaced it with a similar assembly from a Harbor Freight utility trailer. That allowed me to keep the custom upper part of the trailer (which was carefully designed for the catamaran that goes on it) while replacing the rolling stock with modern 4 bolt wheels, tires, etc.

Appreciate the help, sorry I can't provide the answer to the puzzle.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

I gave up...

In the end, I unbolted the entire axle and spring assembly from the bottom of the trailer, and replaced it with a similar assembly from a Harbor Freight utility trailer. That allowed me to keep the custom upper part of the trailer (which was carefully designed for the catamaran that goes on it) while replacing the rolling stock with modern 4 bolt wheels, tires, etc.

Appreciate the help, sorry I can't provide the answer to the puzzle.

Sometimes discretion IS the better part of valor! I'm sure no one would mind a picture of the finished product...

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

I think you made a wise decision, garrik. Even if you just pumped grease in the zerk and filled it up, what would you do for a flat? Pics please for reference in case another one pops up like yours.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

awww I want to know how it comes off. If you still have the old axle take a bfh to it and find out then we will at least know how it use to work. I think theres a big nut behind that cover and then 2 straight bearings with a spacer.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Help with old Sea King trailer hub please...

Since it has a transverse leaf spring, I was going to recommend an axle from an old Corvette.