broken leaf spring hanger

[sailor1]

got a new to me 84' macgregor 22, put it in slip last month. Looked at the trailer more closely yesterday and found that the rear leaf spring hanger on both sides are broken due to rust. Is it a pretty easy job, to weld on new hangers ? I have never welded before but I am fairly handy. Will an entry level Mig/Stick welding machine from Amazon work?

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[Hamin' X]

More likely than not is the probability of the rest of the trailer being riddled with rust cancer. You can see the telltale flaking above the area you circled. Without seeing it in person, it is impossible for me to judge. If it were me, I would be looking for a new trailer.

[Be Free]

got a new to me 84' macgregor 22, put it in slip last month. Looked at the trailer more closely yesterday and found that the rear leaf spring hanger on both sides are broken due to rust. Is it a pretty easy job, to weld on new hangers ? I have never welded before but I am fairly handy. Will an entry level Mig/Stick welding machine from Amazon work?

It is not hard to weld on new hangers but it is not the project I'd choose to learn on. The consequences that may arise from doing it wrong are at the very least likely to be expensive and quite possibly deadly. You cannot weld rust and you must not weld galvanized metal without proper safety gear. Welding is not hard, but it is harder than it looks and it is much harder than the people selling entry-level welders make it look.

As Hamin' X pointed out, it is possible that there are other issues with the trailer that are worse than a rusted off hanger. Examine the entire trailer thoroughly and make sure that it is worth fixing. Tap every part of the trailer with a hammer and listen for changes in the sound. It is not uncommon for the hollow steel members that make up a trailer to rust from the inside. Examine every nut and bolt for rust and wear. There is probably a lot more to be done on the trailer than just those hangers.

Look at it with a critical eye, like someone is trying to sell it to you. Realistically estimate what is it going to cost you (in time and money) to make it right. Realistically estimate what it is going to cost you to replace it.

If after all that you still choose to go forward, the welder you posted will probably work in stick welding mode. I can't find a manual so I can't tell you for sure.

Once again, I don't recommend learning how to weld on a project that may allow a ton or more of metal and fiberglass to go sliding down the highway out of control if it fails.

[OverEasy]

Hi Sailor1!

Be Free and Hamin X have good points.
Old steel tube trailers offer rust from the inside out and provide little warning …
Be cautious!
Check out the rest of the trailer very throughly as Be Free and Hamin X have suggested. There will probably be more issues to contend with. Its a mild steel ungalvanized painted trailer that has gone swimming several times, sat out in the weather and been around a good while without much TLC.
It may well be found that it’s just realistically not worth repairing and the time/effort/expense is better spent on finding a good condition used or new trailer.

If the metal is sound you will need to remove ALL the rust at least an inch away from any area you are going to attempt to weld down to bare clean parent metal. All grease, oil, metal scale, paint or debris needs to throughly removed.
Particularly any Iron oxide (rust) inclusions into a weld will dramatically weaken the weld.

I think you’ll find that the trailer frame tubing is gonna be thinner than you think and the replacement bracket is gonna be the thicker of the two. That generally poses a problem when welding that has to be accounted for during the welding process due to the differential heating that will occur. Experience, practice and technique are key to getting it right. Practice is key. It’s not like drilling a hole.

While a skilled welder can weld nearly anything with even a low powered welder I’d suggest that you make SEVERAL practice pieces of the same thickness metals that are to be joined. I’d also highly recommend that after achieving what you ‘think’ is a good weld that you cut it into two pieces across the weld. On one piece place one side in a vice and beat on it with a hammer to bend it over to see if it breaks. It shouldn’t. On the other piece make several additional across the weld section cuts. There should be full adequate penetration of the weld into both metal pieces evenly. NOT JUST TO ONE SIDE.

AFTER you get to that point successfully I’d then suggest you get set up into the actual positional orientation you are going to be welding on the trailer with your test pieces and do it all over again including the bending and sectioning until you have an acceptable even sided full penetration weld before you try welding on the actual trailer. Why? Because you will only get one chance on the trailer to get it right. A failed suspension while on the road at speed is not only a hazard to you it is a hazard to everyone else including that new Mom with her kids in the oncoming traffic….. Yeah one needs to think like that.. not only for you but also for those that are around you now AND in the future.

If you don’t think your up to it thee is no fault or embarrassment to worry about. Actually there is something to be proud of for being reasonable and responsible. There are experienced capable welders out there that can do this type of thing for a reasonable price. They have the experience and skills to do it right. Take advantage of that. One does not need to do everything oneself nor does everything have to be done a ‘cheaply’ as possible. Some things are worth paying for.

Now I’m not saying you can’t do something. Far from it! It’s just that it appears that welding is something new or novel for you. We all have to start somewhere. But what you are wanting to do is actually a critical high stress high consequence area that should be approached with respect and caution even by an accomplished experienced welder. An inadequate or bad weld at this location can have consequences. Please be cautious, realistic and pragmatic about this…. There’s nothing to prove. Remember, It’s just a trailer.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[sailor1]

thanks for all the info. I'll probably get another trailer. welding is something I've been wanting to add to my hobby skillset, so I'll probably get a starter kit and practice on something else first.

[Be Free]

I think you've made a wise choice. I also think that the welder you posted would be a good one to learn on.

Good luck with your trailer search.

[OverEasy]

Ditto!
What Be Free said…

Best Regards
Over Easy

[sailor1]

for future reference, any preventive maintenance I can do after putting the trailer in saltwater (besides rinsing with water.) I've heard of fluidfilm but that's on the expensive side.

[SteveH]

Without seeing the rest of the trailer, I bet you can get a mobile welder to fix that up in no time. I just broke a shackle on my hunter trailer. I hit a hole on the boat ramp and pulled a 3k lb boat out in 4whdr. Moving the axle back 3 inches jamming it nicely into the tire.
Things happen, a little grinding a little rust paint.

110 buzz box though is tough. I just fixed mine. 70 bucks to rent a gas welder.

[Be Free]

for future reference, any preventive maintenance I can do after putting the trailer in saltwater (besides rinsing with water.) I've heard of fluidfilm but that's on the expensive side.

Rinsing the trailer with fresh water is #1 on the list. If possible, rinse it as soon as you pull it out. The longer you leave the salt water on the trailer the worse it will rust. Rinse everywhere, not just where it's easy. If you can get water inside of the railings, do so. The majority of the unexpected trailer failures I've seen were from rust that started inside a frame member.

Service your bearings, hubs, and seals annually. Bad grease seals let water in. Water causes rust where you can't see it if you don't service the hub.

If water gets into the hub it will rust your spindle and bearings. If you have zerk (grease) fittings on your hubs refill them with grease regularly. If the hub is full of grease then there won't be room for water. If water does get in, refilling with grease will force the water out. Win-Win.

Keep your suspension pivot points lubricated. Springs, bolts, and shackles are wear items so they are going to be replaced relatively often but a little bit of grease will help them last. If it squeaks it's wearing out. If it won't move it's not doing its job.

If you have brakes, keep them lubricated and rinsed. I've seen a new set of brakes disintegrate in one season of salt water when they were not maintained.

If you have drum brakes try to get water inside the drum when you are rinsing. In any case, service them at least once a year, more often if you are not sure about how effective your rising is. There are some small parts in there that like to rust solid and stop moving when they are ignored too long. You will have a very bad day if they do so.

If you think fluidfilm is expensive you are going to hate my last recommendation: get an aluminum trailer. It won't answer all of your saltwater problems but it eliminates a whole bunch of them.

[OverEasy]

Ditto on the aluminum trailer!
If I had to get a new trailer and had a choice it would be an aluminum dual axle with surge brakes

[Be Free]

That is exactly what I have.

The trailer did not have brakes on it when I bought the boat but a couple of years ago I had a spindle break. Since I was replacing the axles anyway I changed the coupler out for surge brakes, ran brake lines, and installed brakes on all four wheels. It made a world of difference and I highly recommend it.