Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

[meantobe63]

I have a 1964 Aristocraft Funliner I/O and with it on the trailer it is next to impossible to get in and out of it. The tires are little like 12" or something like that and they actually sit under the boat. I want to widen the axle to get the tires next to the boat and do a flip on the axle to on top of the springs to get the trailer to sit about 12" lower. Or just buy an axle the right width. I have a brand new car trailer axle with brakes and a 4" drop but it is too wide to use and waste on this for now (I plan on building a new trailer once boat is finished).
From what I've been told, this trailer sits so high because my boat didn't have hydraulic tilt so the outdrive sits very low. I am fine with that and will make sure that's not a problem. My biggest concern is that it might make it harder to load/unload at a dock because the boat would be ready to float in shallower water???? Am I over thinking it?

Thanks!!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

pics man pics

 

[NYBo]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

Flipping the axle won't get you 12".

Floating off in shallower water is usually seen as a good thing. But if your main concern is getting in and out of the boat when it's on the trailer. a step stool should do the trick. I use a 3-step one to access my boat.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

Be careful lowering the trailer or you may have issues on steep driveways. I did the opposite by going to bigger tires on my trailer and its nice not scraping anymore.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

A drop spindle axle will not likely work with the small wheels.
Flipping the axle is not recommended either IF it is a cambered axle. If it is you will need to cut the spring perches off and move them 180 degrees around the axle. Cambered axles are bowed UP slightly in the middle.
Regardless what you do, you won't likely drop 12 inches.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

I can't believe nobody else caught this..
You CAN"T widen the axle without widening the trailer... the axle is designed to support weight with the springs very close to the spindles... If you move the spindles and springs apart you will bend or break the axle..... example... puck up a cinder block right next to your chest and hold it there.... now extend your arms straight out in front of you... now what was easy is MUCH more difficult.... works the same on your axle

 

[meantobe63]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

Ok, after reading some responses I had to go back and read my original post. I was rushing out the door for work. I meant like 12" wider, not lower, that would lay it on the ground. And when I wrote "flip axle" I meant "flip it to on top of the springs", like a flip kit for a truck. Doing a flip will get me like 3". And a 4" drop axle will get me, you guessed it, another 4". As far as it being a cambered axle, it most likely is not. It is a piece of 1x1" square tubing. Which brings me to the last response about widening it and it being too much leverage. First off, I'll probably make a new axle out of 2x2" 3/16" wall and if I decide to put a drop in it, there will be a triangle shaped gusset going from the hub to the axle all the way over above the leaf springs. And that will be overkill, but everything I build I do overkill. If a piece of 1x1" has lasted 50 years under that boat, I'm pretty sure thicker wall 2x2" will be fine, especially with the lake being 6 miles away. And I think I read somewhere that the boat weighs like 700 lbs, but that doesn't sound right. It IS extremely light though, that's for sure.
Thanks for all the responses, I think for now I'm going to just flip it and leave the width alone until I get newer style hubs with a more common bolt pattern and bigger wheels and tires.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

I agree with Kevin, you can't lengthen the axle without moving the springs out with it. You can't have the springs inboard that far from the wheels.

 

[meantobe63]

Re: Lowered trailer bad for putting boat in water????

It's not ideal but with a gusset it will be plent fine. I build custom frames for cars and have a little idea of what is possible with metal. I wouldn't do this with a 30' boat, but this thing weighs next to nothing.
Either way, for now, I just flipped the axle and got 3.5" lower and made a huge difference. Boat looks more aggressive now to.