Prestige torsion trailer
 

So over the summer I have had my fair share of issues with my Prestige trailer. It came with the 2000 Shabah 250, a 4500 lb boat (give or take a few, thats what the brochure claims). I can tell you that so far I have not particularly enjoyed this trailer. Maybe it is because it is a torsion axle or the PITA Attwood surge brake/hitch assembly or the fact the surge drums have not worked that well and about caught on fire outside of Lake Powell...
I started working on it today for one of my winter projects. I have the wheels and drums off. Come to find out this is not the first time this trailer has had a brake/hub issue. The previous owner fixed it for short term use or just did a half ass job, I have not come to a conclusion yet. So here it the perplexing issue. The brakes dont work. More to the point- they dont work because the inner hub seals blew out getting grease all over the shoes/drums. Further inspection shows the seal mating surface on the spindle is sub par. The spindle surface has some "speed sleeve" on it. Those puppies are pricey and apparently they dont work very well. I need to get a good seal on the inner side, that is my ordeal. Oh, and one of the spindles does not really have any decent thread left. Im thinking buy 4 new drum plates($70 with all needed parts), have the drums turned and cleaned up, find bigger inner hub seals to fit direct to the spindle minus the speed sleeve AND call it a day. But.... The spindle with crappy castle nut threads... So far I have not found a fix for this.
Replacing the spindle is not easy with this particular torsion axle Im finding. Looks like the whole axle needs replacing which means the front axle prob needs replacing to make the trailer even which means Im $$$$ into a trailer I do not really like other than the fact it matches the boat.

Any input on how to remedy this single spindle issue? I would like to just throw a new spindle in there but I dont think that is an option with this particular torsion axle.

Im not 100% sure but this is the spindle that would replace my bad one...

EZ Lube Spindle 1.75" RD x 3" STUB Redline Trailer Spindles R20384EZ

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Have you thought about welding Moto?
A mig/tig weld on the splines and then a rethread might be a option , although not the best fix.

Just a thought.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Just my 2 cents, i wouldn't bother putting drum brakes back on. I would convert over to discs. I used a Tie Down Engineering disc brake kit years ago and have been trouble free since. Also, I converted the brake lines to stainless. I don't even give them any thought anymore.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Colorado- I had not thought about that. I will get a photo an post. Where the speed sleeve exist I may see if I can find a larger inside diameter bearing the fit direct to the spindle and not fit to the .005" speed sleeve. (Not that the .005 is accurate it is just a measurement I threw out there.)
Hudson- I would like to do the disc conversion. Priced the Kodiak set at $250 per axle plus a new master cylinder with the disc brake check valve at maybe $70. The 10" discs are only rated to 3500lbs. I don't think doing only one axle is a good option, or is it?

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

I would put brakes on both axles...in a panic stop situation...better to have too much braking than not enough. It's a whole lot cheaper to add some brakes than replace your truck, trailer and beloved boat. Again...just my 2 cents.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Looks like I found a place to spend my tax return on. Let ya know how it pans out.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Here is a photo of the surface the hub seals meet with. The arrow points to the removable sleeve. Any thoughts or info of where to find replacements?
I may just find a seal that will fit direct to the spindle without the sleeve on it and eliminate the sleeve all together. The reason the drum brakes on this are shot is because the seals leaked grease out onto the braking surface.

The other photo shows the threads on the spindle and how the tip is messed up. I put the hub back on it and put the nut on. The nut has plenty of thread to hold on to. I probably wont even mess with it now that I got to see it without grease in the way.

The last photo is what the spindles are suppose to look like. Only one of them is in this great condition.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

That seal surface looks kinda nasty Moto.
I'm not sure you can get it cleaned up enough to seal properly. Might be able to use a epoxy like JB Weld on it , then sand and polish to smooth , but it is going to be a bear to get it round again.
Maybe some of the other members got a idea or two for ya!

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

I was poking around google and after searching for #84 spindles I stumbled on something called a "wear ring"... It is the exact part I have been looking for. Hopefully this will help out other people with this issue. Just to give you an idea the Speedy Sleeves are about 60$ each. They were not quite right for what I needed and I would have not been able to install them. Follow this link to a wear sleeve. They are under 2$ and are designed as an exact replacement.

UFP Stainless Steel Spindle Wear Ring 2900-3700 lb. Axles #33522

This is not the exact size for the #84 spindle but I will measure it one of these days to figure out what I need to get.

Re: Prestige torsion trailer
 

Nice find Moto!:wink_thumbup:
That should solve the issue fine. Reminds me of a repair sleeve for a harmonic balancer on a engine.
Make sure you update us on the outcome.

As they say "Where there is a will , there is a way":yes_grin: