Trailer castle nut with no cotter pin or washer

[4Winns24]

Hello Everyone,

I was trying to pack my boat trailer bearings today but noticed there is no cotter pin or washer. I tried turning it loose but it won’t budge.

Does anyone know what kind of castle nuts I am dealing with and how they can be opened?

 

[Scott Danforth]

start by cleaning the grease off it.

it looks like someone has used an old nut as a jamb nut. there appear to be two nuts there, the one on the vary outer end, and one buried in the grease clocked about 15 degrees from the other.

 

[GA_Boater]

Pop off the grease cup on the another hub and compare. If this an EZ lube axle, a nut retainer fits over the hub nut and a cotter key can't be used because of the drilling for grease from the zerk fitting.

 

[dingbat]

If it’s like mine, it takes a special "spindle tang washer"


https://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/p-7217-spindle-nut-kit-1-d-flat-tang-washers.aspx

 

[4Winns24]

Thank you all. I used an 18 inch pipe wrench to open it up. Someone had put a second castle nut on the first one. I removed the hub and what I saw was not pretty at all. I am attaching pictures. Any advice on what my options are at this point?

 

[dingbat]

Thank you all. I used an 18 inch pipe wrench to open it up. Someone had put a second castle nut on the first one. I removed the hub and what I saw was not pretty at all. I am attaching pictures. Any advice on what my options are at this point?

Looks like your only option is where you buy a new axle

 

[GA_Boater]

How in the world does someone rip the threads off an axle? Wow!

 

[JimS123]

How in the world does someone rip the threads off an axle? Wow!

Some people call them shade tree mechanics. My Grandpa use to call them a shoemaker.

(no offense to people in the shoe trade)

 

[racerone]

Be OK if you only need to go 1 mile to launch ramp.-------It would be a new axle for me.

 

[ahicks]

Somebody smoked a bearing on that spindle, then buggered it up to get by on. Another vote for a new axle here. Not the disaster you might think. They're not near as expensive as you would think. Go to Dexter Axle web site. Customer service is easy to deal with. They are normally anyway....

 

[4Winns24]

I am hoping this is something I can do myself. I was expecting a 10 minute job to put in a new hub and call it a day. Every time I touch this boat for anything, it turns into something much bigger than I expected.

I learned my lesson: Never buy anything from anyone with thick Russian accent. Should have known better!

 

[Lou C]

A true hatchet mechanic. Let’s hope this genius did not touch the engine and outdrive. New axle time. Pick up a De Walt rechargeable impact gun and make your life easier.

 

[harringtondav]

I am hoping this is something I can do myself. I was expecting a 10 minute job to put in a new hub and call it a day.

Don't throw in the towel yet. Unbolt the spindle and see how it's attached to the axle. You may get lucky.

 

[4Winns24]

Just out of curiosity, what are my risks if I change the bearings and racings and seals and put the whole thing back together just as it was?

I have driven this trailer for more than 300 miles since I got it and the hubs never got hot or anything. I inspected the bearings and racings and they do have some minor pits but nothing major. So I am wondering what would be my risks if I change those and put the hub back on as if I didn’t even see the spindle...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Just out of curiosity, what are my risks if I change the bearings and racings and seals and put the whole thing back together just as it was?

I have driven this trailer for more than 300 miles since I got it and the hubs never got hot or anything. I inspected the bearings and racings and they do have some minor pits but nothing major. So I am wondering what would be my risks if I change those and put the hub back on as if I didn’t even see the spindle...

you got lucky on your 300 miles.

it may last a year, it may last a week, it may last a day. think of it as playing with dynamite in one hand and a road flare in the other and you are juggling....... eventually its going to go boom.

when it does, you will be away from home, and if you are lucky, no-one is injured. or when it goes, the hub comes off and your trailer swerves violently into on-coming traffic and someone gets injured

the two choices are pick up new axle stubs and weld them in, or spend money on a new axle.

 

[ahicks]

2 things I saw were it will be near impossible for the rear seal to hold grease in and water out. Second, this is because the area of the spindle that's supposed to keep the outer bearing in alignment is pretty much gone. That spindle is toast, no way around it.

And I've never seen a spindle that was replaceable by anyone that wasn't a very good welder able to hold the spindle in alignment while laying a weld strong enough to trust.

Look into what's involved in replacing the whole axle, the whole thing, including a new pair of hubs. I think you're going to find it's not as bad as you think.

 

[4Winns24]

A true hatchet mechanic. Let’s hope this genius did not touch the engine and outdrive. New axle time. Pick up a De Walt rechargeable impact gun and make your life easier.

Well, interesting that you said this because I saw something in the engine compartment the other day that I seriously doubt is the way it is supposed to be. I’ll take some pics and start a post this weekend...

 

[4Winns24]

2 things I saw were it will be near impossible for the rear seal to hold grease in and water out. Second, this is because the area of the spindle that's supposed to keep the outer bearing in alignment is pretty much gone. That spindle is toast, no way around it.

And I've never seen a spindle that was replaceable by anyone that wasn't a very good welder able to hold the spindle in alignment while laying a weld strong enough to trust.

Look into what's involved in replacing the whole axle, the whole thing, including a new pair of hubs. I think you're going to find it's not as bad as you think.

You are correct. I was always wondering why I get water in there. The seal looked perfectly fine yesterday so it must be the spindle shape letting water in.

The only reason I opened it up was because I got four new tires and thought it would be nice to check bearing and seals before putting on the new tires. Otherwise, I would not have known.

Ignorance is a sweet bliss...

 

[Scott Danforth]

if this is the axle without the brakes, its about a 45 minute job to change.

the key is to buy all new hardware and use either a torch or cut-off wheel.