trailer springs

[Jono_SS]

I decided to do some maintenance on the trailer this weekend (well decided to do it months ago, but am actually getting around to it this weekend!).

Decided to check the trailer springs, which are black (i.e. not galvanised), over a year old, and have been wrapped in denso tape as per advice from some helpful people on here and some others.

The attached photos show the condition of the springs. They're not too bad, i guess...what do ya reckon?

Anyway, does anyone have any advice on what to do. Should i just give these a bit of a touch up with a wire brush, spray with tectyl and wrap them up for another year? That's what I'm planning to do at this stage.

jono.

[Wayne_Red]

Hi Jono
They look pretty good to me, I would clean them up and do the same as you had, a few years in them yet. When you finally replace them I would suggest single leaf galvanised springs, @$60 a pair when I bought mine. Had them on for about 5 years now and never touched them, just a hose down with the trailer. Best spring I have ever had on a boat trailer.
Regards Wayne

[spears]

In that close up picture it shows normal for being in salt water use but..

I have been thru this quite a few times over the last 30 years and I can tell you that its not good to go another year without some maintenance now as it will get a lot worse over the next 12 months.

Pull the leafs apart and run an angle grinder over them,wash it clean with petrol and paint them.Use the correct paint and use a brush.Then reassemble them and it will last and look like new for the next 3 years.

When natural factory springs are supplied they are just a raw material and rust builds up between the leafs and if left for too long they lose there flex and may snap hitting a pot hole.

It will depend on how a heavy a boat its carrying.
Nothing worse having a break on the side of the road..
The job should only take 3-4 hours.Buying new ones will only give you a short life without extra sealer/paint over them.But you do have to paint the whole leaf spring and not too thick.

I have done a mates trailer for the first time years ago and the springs no longer flexed at all.And what a mess they were..He only traveled on city streets at 60kls PH and for 10kls.It would have been a different story at high speed on a rough surface

Springs are fairly tough until they stop flexing..
Mostly this problem is created when the salt water sits in between the leafs that fresh water flushing misses getting out the salt and it keeps on building up and then makes them go stiff..
After a while you will notice that the small gaps at the end of each leaf has no gaps and that’s a bad sign.Its up to you..cheers

[PADDLES]

jonno, they look frikken awesome. brush the surface rust off, re-install and treat them however you have been treating them before, it's working great

[Jono_SS]

thanks heaps guys...

spears.

what exactly is correct paint? can I just get some from you-know-where??

regards

jono

[dreemon]

a primer and paint heavy in zink oxide will slow corosion the most, I used to go through disk brake pads at least once a year cause they would swell with rust so bad that I couldn't move the trailer, then primed and painted and still no rust on the brake pad backing plates, it's been over 2 yrs now

[spears]

You can buy anti rust paint from local hardware store which is lacquer based paint.(gloss).
Just go with one heavy coat. Or a couple light coats.Other wise too many mm’s are added in thickness to each leaf.
You’ll probably need a new center bolt too which keeps the springs bolted together.
Just took this pic with the mobile camera,i refurbished this trailer 5 years ago.You can see that its still got a sheen on the paint,springs are showing signs for a redo.

I’ll just say this bit again..
You will need to angle grind the springs and get a clean surface until you can see shiny steel..
Just painting over the existing surface will be wasted money and time.

[skipalong]

looks like you have excellent maintenance skills jono those springs look great.

[FNQCairns]

You can buy anti rust paint from local hardware store which is lacquer based paint.(gloss).
Just go with one heavy coat. Or a couple light coats.Other wise too many mm’s are added in thickness to each leaf.
You’ll probably need a new center bolt too which keeps the springs bolted together.
Just took this pic with the mobile camera,i refurbished this trailer 5 years ago.You can see that its still got a sheen on the paint,springs are showing signs for a redo.

I’ll just say this bit again..
You will need to angle grind the springs and get a clean surface until you can see shiny steel..
Just painting over the existing surface will be wasted money and time.

Is that tyre rubbing on the trailer frame? I think I can see a ring around it if so any room to move the axle over and make space?

BTW the springs look good do you dunk it?

cheers fnq

[spears]

It looks like it rubs the tyre..it misses by about 15mm.The trailer is over 15 years old.
The springs go under every launch.

[FNQCairns]

It looks like it rubs the tyre..it misses by about 15mm.The trailer is over 15 years old.
The springs go under every launch.

If they go under every launch they are doing great! for 5 year olds, I use cold gal, the heaviest tin of it I can find and they are doing ok, sag is going to get me soon.

cheers fnq

[spears]

You had just reminded me of what I did from that far back.
I painted them with cold gal then a second coat was just a plain mineral based paint in gloss.
The reason was that the cold gal only lasted 18 months – 2 years where you could see the rust coming through.
The whole trailer was done in cold gal but the rear half had the gloss painted over it where it goes under.This is the best result I’ve had so far.

[Willow1]

JONO, looks like the fellas here have got you going in the right direction and there looks like some good life left in those springs yet. Wayne_Red mentioned the single leak springs he has used which is what I am using on both my axles. They may be a better option when yours give up the ghost . I chose them because there is nowhere for rust to build up being single leaf. Everything was sprayed liberally with tectol while assembling the axle,plate etc then coated everything entirely once assembled. Should see me through a good number of years. Cheers Shane

[Dean1]

Those springs are in gr8 nick. I use the supercheap spray i cant remember the name. In a green can has lanolin etc. in it. Spray it on wait till it drys then coat them in grease. No probs then

[oldboot]

If you are looking for a good paint for such things "Galmet Duragal" is very good.
It is better than many of the othere cold gals because it has more resins...you dont need to overcoat iot with any thing.

It is intended to go straight on.. spray or brush ( sprays better). I do like to put "Wattyl super etch " primer under it.

Did " a job" on the "boat trailer inlaw" 5 or 6 yeras ago and it still looks pretty damn fine.

ya do need to get right back to good shinny metal and realy scrub it clean with solvent .

we put a new axle in at the time & we didn't sand it bright... its the only thing looking dodgy after all this time.

lanolin helps too.

cheers