How can I stop trailer spring rust?

[Castaway]

I have rusty leaf springs on my trailer. I am planing on cleaning them up over my holidays and applying rust converter but thought there might be some sort product/idea on how to prevent this occurring and allowing them a longer life?

Thanks for any advice,

Mike

[Eagle]

If your springs are not galvanized then pull the leaves apart and clean them up with a disk sander (NOT A DISK GRINDER) and paint them with cold-gal paint. When totally dry, reassemble the springs and spray with WD40. The paint will help a bit with the rust between the leaves and the WD40 will help to lubricate the leaves. If you slap on lots of grease between the leaves, you will have springs that will bounce too much. The leaves need some small amount of friction within them to control the bounce. This can be obtained from the cold-gal paint. The paint will wear off fairly quickly but the zinc particles will help to slow the rust and also lube the leaves to the extent you want.
My own trailer has galvanized leaves but I'm not real happy about these things. Do a search for galvanised springs and check out my own comments. I have no doubt that you will get all sorts of replies that will comment on this answer so read them all and make your own decision as to what to do. What I have offered (above) is what I do for my box trailer but of course its not in the salt water.
The worst enemy of leaf springs is rust. Once the rust takes a good hold, the leaves will lock together and then snap. Because rust is actually Iron Oxide, the rust can also grind away the steel itself as the leaves flex. This is because the oxide of metals in infinitely harder than the original metal. It is most unusual for the leaves to be affected in this way because they usually lock up and break first. So just sand them, paint them and lube them, this will work ok. but its a regular job depending on how much you dunk the trailer.
Joe

[Roughasguts]

Buy some galvanised ones.
They don't last forever but but your going to get a few more years out of them if you wash them off after dunking.

[Far side]

Mike

Try this Clean the springs up if you want or you think they need it then buy some lannox grease smear it on the springs then get a gas bottle and melt the grease onto the springs. you will see the grease run in between the springs as well. not too much heat just enough to melt the grease and allow it to run. You can also buy the lannox in a 5 litre container. use a spray gun on a compressor and do all of the box section of the trailer inside and out . Take the boat off the trailer to do this best done in your back yard with a few tyers for support. this job is best done dry. While you are there grease all of the rollers slides etc

[PADDLES]

you can never stop rust fully, just slow it down. i just give the whole spring assembly a good thick coat of blackjack. a good painting with grease over the outside will do the trick as well.

[STUIE63]

I use tectyl product give the trailer and springs a paint once a year when the rego is due.
Stuie

[alleycat]

Sump oilworks just fine, next time you change your oil just save a bit.

[rayken1938]

The problem using sump oil and grease is that when you dunk the springs it floats off and pollutes the water.
I greased mine with chassis grease and had to clean it all off because every time I launched I could see the oil film on top of the water.
I then went galvanised they are only around $80 for the pair for 1000kg 5 leaf ones.
It isnt worth the time and effort to disassemble and clean up your old ones and the odds are that the centre bolt will be rusted and snap off anyhow.
You can also buy thick single leaf galvanised ones but i am unaware of the costs.
I have also seen what I think is fibreglass ones.
Cheers
Ray

[jack20000]

I put bearing grease on mine. BCF has 2.5kg tin for $20.

[Dirtysanchez]

Good old fashioned ormanoid paint, from the plumbing section in Bunnings etc.
It is bitumen based and sets. I used it on mine and once the smell wore off they were pretty well sealed. Up side is there is no oil slick.
About $25 for a tin

Rub them back with a disc sander or similar, you'll get some more mileage from them

[2DKnBJ]

Clean the springs up and give them a few coats of bitumen paint.This should see them last a fair while longer.

Cheers Dazza

[marco]

there is a product at super cheap called knock out . a blend of fish oil and other shit and it works well on the effected areas . 15 bucks for a aerosol can .

[dfox]

Wrap grease tape around the springs and theyll last forevever. I fished commercially (almost daily use) so i smeared grease over the springs (& axle) and then wrapped them in grease tape. After several years i checked them and they were as good as the day i wrapped them, still had the blue paint and all. I had that trailer for eleven years and when i sold it the springs were still like new, i never washed them or did anything to maintain them ...foxy

[trueblue]

Denso tape (grease tape) as mentioned above works great.

Alternatively, use waterproof bearing grease and mix it with petrol to get it paintable. Then paint it on and the petrol will evaporate off leaving the grease on the springs in a thin film. Doesn't seem to come off in the water.

Cheers

Mick

[Roughasguts]

Guess you could try motor cycle chain lube under your grease tape.
That won't come off in a hurry

[Roughasguts]

Denso tape is recomended for use between dis similar metals.
Maybe the tape could solve some of the problems with Ally boats and Stainless steel fittings with galvanic corosion.

But which one, the grease, the bitumen, or the rubber.

[mini696]

+1 for the Denso-tape... On my old boat, I greased up the springs and wrapped them, I also did the axle, and they were like new when I sold it.

If done properly it is the only way to keep the from ever rusting.

[Mr__Bean]

If people here are looking to get a new trailer or are looking to renew the springs on a current trailer then I recommend that you have a good look at the single leaf galvanised parabolic boat trailer springs.

They are not overly expensive but they last.

As you will see in the photo below mine are still well protected by their galvanising as the surrounding non-galvanised parts rust away.

These have been in and out of salt water for nearly 4 years now and they are only just starting to show surface corrosion on the sliding surfaces.

They are holding up a combined weight of around 3 ton.

- Darren

[suzygs1000]

Couldn't agree more - my last two trailers have had galvanised parabolic springs fitted, and the look like they last forever.

The 1000kg ones fitted to my current trailer were only about $70 the pair from BCF.

Dave.

[suzygs1000]

PS.

I also had my axle galvanised - they wrapped some sort of heat resistant tape around the bearing surface which was a prick to get off, but worked fine. I even had the discs and hubs galvanised. This will probably wear off in time, but the brakes seem to work ok.

Dave.

[tunaticer]

I just replace them every 2 or 3 yrs when they are showing moderate signs of pitting. They are cheap as chips for slipper 3 leaf springs so why bother trying to get 1 more yr out of something that is degrading itself with rust and fatigue.

Jack.

[Feral]

Mine are all covered in grease, no sign of rust yet. But those spings look like a good idea (easier to cover in grease to!)

[oldboot]

We put single leaf springs on southern bro'inlaws trailer several yeras ago......sorayed em with duragal........ still look fine.


Of BTW we did most of the trailer in galmet duragal....... wonderful stuff..... plenty of zink, more resin than cold gal.... stays flexible..... thinners based & sprays realy well...... goes a long way too.

cheers

[captain rednut]

tectyl 506 available from repco brush or spray

[ozscott]

Resurrecting an old thread...where is the best place to buy the grease tape and how do wrap the leaf springs...also wouldn't the tape stretch and either brake or go slack when the spring flexed? Do you wrap before putting them on?

Cheers

[ozscott]

Which one is best fellas and how do you apply it to stop it ripping or loosening up and letting water in?

http://densoaustralia.com.au/product-categories/denso-pipeline-coatings/denso-bitumenbutyl-tape-product-range/


Cheers

[TheRealAndy]

I had taped up springs once. Little did I know, that the tape was hiding a cracked spring that I could not see... Now, I would never tape springs, and would never recommend anyone else do so. Tectyl 506 or anytype of rust preventer painted on the springs on a regular basis will prevent them from rusting...

The key with corrosion prevension is maintenance. Done properly, you will never see rust.

[johncar]

Mine were originally wrapped in the tape, axles as well by the trailer manufacturer, but maybe wasn't done all that well because when it was removed to check what was going on underneath, there was some nasty stuff going on, water was being trapped in there, so it was all removed.
I just stick to the old INOX, give them a light spray 3 or 4 times a year. Seems to soak into the leaves well, never had one rust or break yet. I hope it doesn't pollute the water, that is a consideration for sure, but I rarely dunk the springs these days anyway. Parabolics seem good though although possibly a bit bouncier on the road.