After spending the better part of the winter reading and making phone calls about possible solutions and products to get my trailer rolling safely I have it 90% completed. All I have left to do is touch up the new welds with white paint.
For those in a similar situation the fix was not too bad. It was however, very time consuming and fairly expensive IMO. Still, better than the price of a new or new to me trailer.
Do to the poor design Prestige utilized in making the era of trailer I have my axle fix was not so straight forward. The major flaw I am referring to involves the way they had cut square openings in the frame to get access to brake lines, wires, etc. These hole should have been round so that stress fractures did not develop over time. Fixing this issue was easy for the fabrication shop. They addressed two issues at once while fixing these cracks. By using 2x2 square tubing not only did they beef up the frame where the fractures were, they also provided some lift to the trailer which it desperately needed. Over the years the rubber in the axles lost its elasticity. It really pulled like crap. Plus a surge brake locked up on me this summer causing enough heat to blow out the tire. They heat transferred into the axle and basically had melted the spring factor out of that side of the axle. This made the ass end sag even more. (This issue was noticed after we got the axles off the trailer!) In the "before" photo you can see the heat discoloration on the wheel. Ill make it the spare when I find a matching wheel ("J blade" style?).
As for the replacement axles, I called around and emailed companies. The best product for the price came from Rockwell America. They made me two 3700lb axles with posi lube spindles and 10" electric drum brakes. I did not have to pay freight because they have a factory in Denver and I just picked them up from there. The axles were right under $1000. This was a smoking deal considering the price UFP or Dexter plus the freight. Takes around 3 weeks to have them made regardless of what company makes them. * I am aware the axles can be ordered with degrees of drop that would have lifted the ride height of the trailer BUT the frame needed work so the two inches I gained was my lift.
Not having any electric brake controller my vehicle meant it needed to be updated. Put in a prodigy II controller. It literally took ten min in the F150. Still have to put it in the Sierra. So far it has worked awesome. The controller along with connections, wiring and numerous other odds an ends came from eTrailer. Best prices and customer support I could find.
I also upgraded the tires from a load C to a load D. This was difficult to find in the 14" wheel. I am aware of the Kumo tires but opted for some Kenda I found good reviews on them and they were more affordable. Ordered from eTrailer and they were at my door in 48 hours... Free shipping.
HERE
I still have to put a wheel well back board on but waiting to paint. Cut them out of 1/2" plywood and primed with a marine primer then painted black like they were originally. Plus new carpet on the boat side.
After the brakes got hooked up and the new tires were installed this trailer does not tow anything like it did before! It rides and pulls night and day different. (I cant use that as an excuse to get a new truck now!)The suspension actually works! No sway either. Coming to a stop is no difficult feat which relieves a lot of stress. The trailer used to push me around. Definitely NOT safe without brakes. (If you are considering doing them dont wait for an accident to happen!) I am aware electric brakes may not sound like a great idea (electric, water, etc) but after talking to a bunch of other people with them I have plenty of confidence in them. Same for the posi lube spindles and their little rubber cap. Time will tell.
Fracture in plain view:
IMG_20131223_113611_710.jpg
Before the fix:
IMG_20140216_131713_871.jpg
After:
IMG_20140410_111624_249.jpg
Re: Prestige torsion trailer
