Short or wider replacement axle

[soarksi]

I have a 20 ft sweetwater toon and have a galvanized trailer with a single axle that pretty much grenaded this weekend. Believe it is a 2000lb axle. it is a bunk style trailer with a appox. 5ft axle that tucks the short wide pontoon tires between the frame and toons. The boat rocks back and forth real bad and figured this might have somthing to do with my axle having the bearings go early. Would a 75" axle help with the sway better? The only thing is I will have to "lift " the suspension to make the tires clear the pontoons but would ride better. Should I have another identical axle put in but a 3500lbs one, or up to a 3500lbs wider axle???? the shorter one would swap back easier and the longer one would require some fab work but thats ok. I am just thinking about long term reliability. Thanks for any suggestions.

[rancherlee]

If it's a 2000# axle then it's definitely not enough. My 20' is pretty light and with a 70hp 4 stroke I was over 2000# when it was loaded with cooler, a pair of 20# anchors, and 2 deep cycle batteries. To make matters worse the short wide tires are only good for ~1050# each and would also need to be upsized which with a bunk trailer adds unwanted height for those shallow launches. PERSONALLY I'd add another 2000# axle and run 4 shorty tires which is exactly what I did with mine. Twin axles fix sway pretty well, but too much or too little weight on the tongue is usually the primary cause. Also your 2000# axle overloaded will flex quite a bit and can induce sway OR it may be bent from overloading. A local shop was selling "Value" package 22' pontoons that came with single 2000# rated axles under them and basketball tires...... And happened to see one on the side of the road a few weeks later with a spindle snapped off!

[Bamaman]

Trailers are not normally equipped with axles and tires that don't do the job the trailer's designed for. 20' boats often have single axle trailers with 3500 lb. axles, even if they're using the low profile 10" tires.

Is there a tag on the trailer going over the weight carrying capabilities?

What size tires do you currently have?

How many lugs are there in your wheels?

[HandymanHerb]

The tires are rated from A to E, get E rated tires, they hold the most weight

[rancherlee]

Trailers are not normally equipped with axles and tires that don't do the job the trailer's designed for. 20' boats often have single axle trailers with 3500 lb. axles, even if they're using the low profile 10" tires.

Is there a tag on the trailer going over the weight carrying capabilities?

What size tires do you currently have?

How many lugs are there in your wheels?

Unfortunately I've personally seen it too many times on Toon and regular boat trailers. Unless the trailer came from the factory under the boat there are quite a few shady dealers that will put the boat on a trailer that BARELY meets the requirements. Technically they didn't sell you an "Illegal" setup and they usually set the axle for a lot of tongue weight which takes load off the axle an places it on the tow vehicle (and can induce sway as the poster is suffering from). 400# tongue weight on a 2000# rated axle/trailer is "technically" and "legally" good for 2400# as there will only be 2000# on the axle and would only show 2000# on a scale. Toss an extra 70# deep cycle in the back of the toon and you just added OVER 100# of weight to the axle because instead of just adding the 70# battery you just took 30#+ off the tongue. Like in my previous post, the Dealer that was selling these "value" packages and I had to use all my might to pick up on the tongue of the trailer as the axle was placed SO far back to take weight off the axle which WAS a 2000# axle. It was a legal setup as you pulled it off the lot but as soon as you gas it up, tossed a cooler on, added another battery, trolling motor you are well past the trailer rating. If you have low pro 10" then you can probably get them in a high enough, but uncommon, rating for a 3500# axle match but if they are 8" low pros like mine the max I've seen is ~1100# each tire but usually a special order.

[soarksi]

I am having a 3500# axle built, Im sure the trailer was built for an older lighter barge. Ive got a 79 evinrude 100hp (300lbs), 3 batteries, 22 gal gas tank, full seating, usually 2 full ice chests , seats full of misc stuff, anchor, hand tools , bimimi top, so im sure im wayyyyyy over what the 2k axle was designed for, im going to put bearing buddies on this axle and check after each trip for any issues to see if i need to go to a double axle setup. I am eventally going to buy a new tritoon trailer and sell this one so one day down the road when i do my 3rd toon i will already be set up for a bunk and weight