Posted 2009-04-26 10:45 AM (#103959) Subject: Would you buy this? ....
Veteran
Posts: 100 Location: Arkansas
I found a trailer about 70+ miles away from me in the paper (no pictures, so not for sure what it looks like). So lets just say it a nice trailer but has a broken spindle.
Here's the actual ad...
HORSE TRAILER, side by side, new floor, good lights, broke spindle, $450
Would it be worth it? I am not for sure what a spindle is or what type of work (if any) it would take to fix it?
What do you think?
Now if it's a POS then I would pass on it...but if it was pretty nice and this was the only thing wrong with it (depending on the labor of fixing it) I might take it....
Posted 2009-04-26 11:41 AM (#103962 - in reply to #103959) Subject: RE: Would you buy this? ....
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
If it is a spring mount axle, they can be bought at Tractor Supply. 3500lb. axles are under $200/ If that's all that is wrong with it, I'd buy it if I needed it.
Posted 2009-04-26 12:08 PM (#103965 - in reply to #103959) Subject: RE: Would you buy this? ....
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402 Location: Valentine, NE
I doubt it would that easy-just mounting a new axle and going. I would bet it has spring suspension, not torsion, so brakes, shakles, spings, u bolts, bearings, hubs, offset, width, rim, spindle diameters, etc, would all need to make sure they are the same as the new axle. If you pull up most web site trailer supply places, you will see more different types of axles than you could ever imagine.
If you just need cheap, use it once a year type trailer on a very short trip, you could just pull that axle off and, presto, a single axle trailer....If springs, probably would want to remove the equalizer somehow. I've seen it done!
Posted 2009-04-26 12:45 PM (#103968 - in reply to #103959) Subject: RE: Would you buy this? ....
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
I was assuming that you are a mechanical type person that would be able to do the work. If you are going to have to hire the work done then it may not be such a good idea.
Posted 2009-04-27 11:43 AM (#104024 - in reply to #103959) Subject: RE: Would you buy this? ....
New User
Posts: 1
Location: Boyds, MD
the spindle is a part of the axle. You may be able to get the trailer a short distance if it is empty, you simply pull the wheels from the axle that has the problem and drive on the single axle. Most likely, by the price of the trailer, the axle will be the least of your worries. And most likely it will require an entire new axle. Basically the hub that's supposed to be greased regularly blew and stripped the part that it spins on in the process (the spindle) - but since older horse trailers would have the axle as one unit (unlike some newer trailers that have "independent" sides to the axle) you would have to replace the entire axle not just the spindle. I just had to have a spindle and hub replaced on my boat trailer after I blew the hub coming home from a 1200 mile trip, but I was lucky and have a trailer that has separate sides to the axle so only had to repair one side.My general opinion - you get what you pay for - and you're not going to get much for $500. So unless you're very mechanically inclined, you may want to invest in a better trailer. Another thing to keep in mind - whatever you find wrong with the trailer, double it for what you didn't see.Nobody's going to sell a "nice" trailer that cheap just because the axle is broken, I'd put money on it!
Would you buy this? ....
