Has anyone ever had to replace the axles on their trailer??  I have a 1978 Haynes trailer that is excellent in every way except the axles are converted trailer house axles with split rims.  Would I be foolish to replace them with regular axles with regular rims, and any idea how much this may cost??  The trailer is 8500 gross.

It depends what you will need to replace.  Wheels & Tires, Axles, probably springs

Here is one website that gives some prices.  It will give you an idea.  You may want to stop by a local company that deals in trailers and get a bid for the labor and materials

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.catalog&categoryID=247

I had to change an axle on an old 2H BP trailer we had. Away from home, gravel road side, borrowed, minimal tools, only a propane torch for heat, and it had to start raining. In addition to changing the axle, I also changed religions a few times.

I've changed and placed quite a few axles on boat trailers. This is a frequent experience with new trailers, when balancing out the different loads that they carry. The center of gravity will vary depending on what type of boat and motor is being carried. The old axles frequently had burnt spindles and were trashed. This was a common malady, until Bearing Buddies and synthetic grease became available.

There are a couple of adds on Ebay for axles. Don't know if they have electric brakes. Older house trailer axles were hung with leaf springs. A torch and pneumatic impact gun will make quick work of the removal.

When you are changing the axles, I would recommend that you also change the springs. The new ones may be of a different length and stacked with a different number of leaves. You may be able to use one set of the original mounts. It will take some welding to set up the new spring shackle mounts for the other end. Make sure your diagonal measurements are dead on. Any axle misalignment will cause your tires to be quickly damaged.

Many wheel hubs use the Ford pattern, and used truck rims can be obtained from wreck yards at decent pricing. The cost would depend on how much work you plan to do, or if you farm out the whole job. The parts should be less than $1k.

Gard