Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

[Jake007]

I have a tandem axle trailer for my 20' Cobalt. The trailer has two sets of two bunks near the rear (total 4) and one keel triple roller near the bow. How do I know what height to set the front roller? Raise it up until it barely touches? Keep raising with jack one more inch? etc?

One of the reasons that I am asking is that the last couple of times out, the front triple roller has been coming out of its bracket on the trailer frame and I was thinking that maybe it is too high and it is hitting with too much pressure causing it to pop out.

 

[Jake007]

Re: Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

posted photos

 

[81_chapparel194]

Re: Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

if its coming out of the bracket then something is damaged/broken. when I bought my boat (used) the keel rollers weren't even touching the keel, so I decided to adjust them with the boat off the trailer, my estimation or error reading a tape was wrong and I had actually went too much in the up position and I was picking the boat up off the rear bunks as far back as about 2/3 from the front of the bunks. and my 20 ft boat is heavy.. never popped the rollers out. they are designed to hold the full weight of the boat. (not good on the keel to do that) so if its popping out maybe you have busted/bad rollers. or broke shafts inside the rollers. and yes my roller/bunk set up is the same as yours with exception my front rollers aren't triple stacked. all single rollers..

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

it looks like its set correctly to me but if its popping out then something is broken on the roller bracket and that's your issue not the adjustment of it.

cant tell a lot by those photos but there is supposed to be something to keep it fixed in the bracket, you may need to replace the bar and whatever means there is that holds it in place

 

[Jake007]

Re: Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

OK let me clarify. There is one bar that connects through the center roller approx half inch in size and goes into the left and right brackets. The length of the bar is only a smidge past the holding bracket bars. When I power the boat up, it shifts the roller to the right or left and depending upon the force, it pops it out.

It looks like there should be something preventing the roller assembly from shifting right to left while in the bracket. I am planning to add 4 large washer on the bar on both sides of the roller which should limit the left /right shifting and hopefully solve this problem.

As far as the height adjustment, sounds like I should bring it up to touch and then maybe another 0.5 - 1" higher so it is holding weight but not lifting off of the wood bunks?

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailer Front Keel Roller setup height

It looks like there should be something preventing the roller assembly from shifting right to left while in the bracket. I am planning to add 4 large washer on the bar on both sides of the roller which should limit the left /right shifting and hopefully solve this problem.

you are correct there are little caps that are press fit onto each side to hold it in place

the bar should stick out of each side about 3/4" to 1" on each side, if not then you need a longer one.

this is what those caps look like: Rollers & Accessories - Roller Pins - Champion Trailers

when it says its for a 4" roller it means its long enough to fit that roller and have enough sticking out for the caps to fit on it so its really about 5 1/4" total length. so measure the outside edge to edge for your bracket and find the size you need, its best to not cut them if they are a little too long so the rust protection isn't compromised. if you have trouble relying on the caps and don't want to trust them you can use galvanized washers and drill a hole in it for cotter pins to secure it