Marine Master Trailer spindle castle nut

jneeley1970 · Post by **jneeley1970** » Sat Mar 02, 2024 3:01 pm

Need some help on this one. Previous owner failed to mention this when I bought the boat and trailer, among other things. Found this spindle nut to be welded on. What are my options here? It is a Marine Master Trailer hauls a 2013 Phoenix 721 ProXP. There is repairs that need to be done for sure. New brakes installed.....missing when purchased. Tongue is rusted up also, no brake lines. I'm thinking it all got ripped off when the previous owner lost a wheel. Is it better to try and replace everything or buy a new trailer? Springs are pretty worn also.

TonyM · Post by **TonyM** » Sat Mar 02, 2024 5:06 pm

Man, that sucks. Sorry for you.

highlander · Post by **highlander** » Sun Mar 03, 2024 9:03 am

Cold chisel and a hammer may get lucky welds don't look very good .

Whoopbass · Post by **Whoopbass** » Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:12 am

The threads are stripped so they set and welded that sucker.

You would have to price compare everything and make a decision. Trailer parts are 2-3 X higher then they were before Covid.
Personally if it was me, I would run it till a good used trailer came along, wrecked donor trailer, or until I had all the parts setting in the garage to repair the one you got.
Call marine shops, storage facilites, salvage yards, etc and see if they have anything sitting around.
That trailer could last years the way it is.
If you want parts/repair and you're near Modesto check out Sierra Trailers.
Just make sure you have some decent tow insurance for the boat for peace of mind until you get it fixed.

Mark-C · Post by **Mark-C** » Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:34 pm

I wouldn't run it like that. What would you do if you had to change the hub on a road trip? I would look into replacing the whole axle, its not that bad of a DIY job. Trailer shop could possibly weld on a new spindle, not sure on the cost comparison between the two. I agree it could last a long time just like it is, but it could also bite you at a bad time.

Mark-C · Post by **Mark-C** » Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:45 pm

Forgot to mention, I was in a similar position with my bass boat trailer. Bent axle, rusted surge brake actuator, rusted springs, etc. I just basically gutted it and rebuilt it myself. Then you know everything is done right with quality parts and if something goes wrong you know exactly what is there. Its still going strong after 15 years. Just went through the same thing with my saltwater boat trailer a few months ago. Upgraded many of the components and now feel pretty confident I am not likely to have something unexpected happen on the road. If you buy a used trailer, then you don't really know the condition of all the components.