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Thread: Cat Trailer Refit.

  1. #1

    Cat Trailer Refit.

    Hey Ausfishers,

    rather than posting into a couple of different threads I thought I'd put it all in one and maybe it helps out another Ausfisher.

    After hearing of Flex's story regarding the Al-Ko axles rusting out from the inside I stopped taking the word of the bloke I spoke to at Al-Ko and decided to repalce them as they were looking very sorry on the outside. I was going to replace them with Al-Ko's again but hafter hearing the news that a new set was going to set me back in the vacinity of $3750 and a full month's wait to receive them I decided to go with a leaf spring set up.

    A quick call to Port-O-Call boating on the sunshine coast gave me a ball park figure that I was happy with and he even offered to come round to my place to measure everything up gave me the confidence I would be boating the next week with only a 2 day delivery. That was my first mistake and with 5 trips to his yard and turning a two day refit into a two week refit and very little responsibility taken for the screw ups, I was very unhappy to say the least. I'll just leave it at that is the last time I'll be walking in that yard. If you are the owner of the Sailfish Cat there that's under consignment I'd also be moving that on very fast.

    With the extra time I had on my hands I thought i'd use it productively. I replaced all of the horizontal trailer skids on the trailer and replaced the ones on the tunnel guide with rope. The poly skids had become quite hard with age and had begun damaging the gelcoat on the bottom of the boat and in the tunnel. (gelcoat repairs the next project). I was a little uncertain at the time so ended up buying cheap bunnings 9mm nylon braided rope in 30m lengths and spliced it all together. For those wondering, it took 180m all up to finish the trailer and a lot of time (two person job). The local plasitics suplier assured me that black poly wouldn't mark gelcoat (he was out of white in that size and I wanted to get a move on).


    With this subject raised probably 500 times already on the forum, what is best to get longevity out of the gal axles/springs/brakes. I think we have all acknoweleged that even with great products like Tectyl 506 that the vast majority of the corrosion comes at the ramp while your trailer is covered in salt water for the 8-12-24 hours you are out boating and the damage is done before you get home. So to fix that I decided to install a small water tank watering system so that the steel parts could get a washdown after launching the boat. I still have to add a few extra sprayers and a much larger pump in the vicinity of an 18lpm wash down pump but I think it will be effective.

    A quick wetsand and buff the guards came back up like new.

    Still to come I have bought some shadcloth track from bunnings that will cover the hulls from the front of the wheels back ( will edit post once done). The hulls were very stained from road grime and the like so hoping this will cut this right down. Below is a set of boat stands i made for the boat while I worked on the trailer that someone asked pics of (forget which thread now).
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Democracy: Simply a system that allows the 51% to steal from the other 49%.

  2. #2

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Mate the whole trailer spare parts industry is a bloody sham. I built a trailer for my NC a couple of years ago, and proper heavy duty leaf springs is the only way to go.

    I lost a wheel last trip to 1770 due to wheel studs shearing off and the wheel went bush and was never found. I blamed myself thinking that I may have done them up too tight or loose (even though I am anal about that stuff and very careful) but when I went to replace the wheel studs I ran into a wall.

    I ordered, paid for, and thought I had received Alko hubs. As it turns out, I didnt. I received cheap shit Chinese rip off hubs, which after consultation with Alko confirmed that the wheel studs I was after had never been used by Alko and a bit of internet research I worked out where to buy the hubs with those studs in China. Very cheaply I might add....

    Pissed off does not even describe my rage. I have since replaced all five hubs that I use as I am not prepared to drive down the road with potentially snap happy studs, and I dont like the idea of not being able to replace parts if necessary.

    Just make sure you know what you are buying, I was not going to bitch about what happened but this gave me the perfect opportunity to do so without starting my own thread....

  3. #3

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    ShaneC. who did you buy your original hubs from and did they say they there were Alko hubs. If they did I would be having a quite word to them.
    Maturity is not when we start speaking BIG things,it is when we start understanding small things

  4. #4

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Hey Chris,
    I have a terrible feeling that Bunnings rope is not UV stable.... Hope I am wrong because it looked like a lot of work to wrap it, but in any case you will get to see if it performs how you want.

  5. #5

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    I thought of that, but considering that there will be no tension on it, it should last a while. If not I'll rope straight over the top of it.
    Democracy: Simply a system that allows the 51% to steal from the other 49%.

  6. #6

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Have had a quiet word to them, they claim they are absolutely positively Alko hubs that I bought, unfortunately the proof is in the pudding. I am not going to rag the shit out of them, but I have spent a lot of money there in the past and will not even put the keys in the car to spend another cent there. Just so happens I have three mates getting new boats that we will need to build trailers for in the next few months, they will not be getting our business.....

  7. #7

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    How do you tell the difference between Alco & the knockoffs Shane?

  8. #8

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    G'day
    Nice job
    I have a 2005 KC2400 with the alko axles. The trailer wasn't used much, apparently the boat lived on an airdock. Trailer is in good nic for age. But you have me wondering about the axles. I did notice they look rusty from the outside.
    A couple of questions
    Do you know if the leave springs setup made the trailer any higher or lower? I have minimal clearance in the shed, even had to take one hand rail off.
    How did you get the boat on the stands? I'm imagining well lubed skids and tied the boat to something?
    Cheers
    Rod
    When I got a few jobs done on the trailer I

  9. #9

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    G'day Fed. By looking at them you can't. I did not know until I snapped a couple of wheel studs off and tried to replace them. The wheel studs I have are a 13.8mm knurl, 50mm long and 1/2 inch thread. But Alko have never used that stud. I have the 2.25T hubs and the only stud Alko have used in those hubs are an 'industrial' stud with a 15.3mm knurl. Just so happens to be that the stud wkth the smaller knurl was the same as some Chinky knock offs I tracked down through my efforts to replace mine. Long story short after talking to Don (the boss) at Alko is that there was no way known that the wheel studs I had were ever put in an Alko hub. I can't get the spares for them which is my biggest problem so I am shit canning them and cutting my losses

  10. #10

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    How long did it take you to wrap the rope?? ive done it oce befor and never again. Nice job..

  11. #11

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cape Crusader View Post
    G'day
    Nice job
    I have a 2005 KC2400 with the alko axles. The trailer wasn't used much, apparently the boat lived on an airdock. Trailer is in good nic for age. But you have me wondering about the axles. I did notice they look rusty from the outside.
    A couple of questions
    Do you know if the leave springs setup made the trailer any higher or lower? I have minimal clearance in the shed, even had to take one hand rail off.
    How did you get the boat on the stands? I'm imagining well lubed skids and tied the boat to something?
    Cheers
    Rod
    When I got a few jobs done on the trailer I
    I simply backed the boat towards the corner of the shed, tied the pods to the bottom of the corner post with a heavy ratchet strap and pulled the trailer out a foot, jacked the back of the boat up a few inches and slid them under then did the same at the front. No lube on the skids as they were covered by boat where'd you'd lube. Once the first foot was done and the back was up it slid fine. The height is very similar, will measure it as I put it back under.

    How old is your trailer?

    P.S. If anyone is interested I have a set of gal Al-Ko/mud guard brackets off the old set up that are still in pretty good nick if anyone wants them.
    Democracy: Simply a system that allows the 51% to steal from the other 49%.

  12. #12

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Quote Originally Posted by PB View Post
    How long did it take you to wrap the rope?? ive done it oce befor and never again. Nice job..
    Far too long! I actually ran out of yellow rope as I didn't plan on doing the end part that already had rope, then couldn't find any yellow.
    Democracy: Simply a system that allows the 51% to steal from the other 49%.

  13. #13

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    G'day Lovely80
    Thanks for the info. I thought maybe some good lube prior while the boat was in the water. I meant to say in my unfinished comment that I was able to put my boat in a marina when I did a few jobs.
    My Sealink KC2400 trailer is the original 2005 model. Looks in good hadn't been in the water much, not sure how much difference that makes once it's been in the salt
    Cheers
    Rod

  14. #14

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lovey80 View Post
    I simply backed the boat towards the corner of the shed, tied the pods to the bottom of the corner post with a heavy ratchet strap and pulled the trailer out a foot, jacked the back of the boat up a few inches and slid them under then did the same at the front. No lube on the skids as they were covered by boat where'd you'd lube. Once the first foot was done and the back was up it slid fine. The height is very similar, will measure it as I put it back under.

    How old is your trailer?

    P.S. If anyone is interested I have a set of gal Al-Ko/mud guard brackets off the old set up that are still in pretty good nick if anyone wants them.
    Hi mate looks like your having some fun with the old girl. I rang alko about those axles just before you bought it and they told me to just keep greasing them they will never let you down. But after hearing about an alko axle snapping on my mates old 560 Sharkcat I think they are wrong! Those mudguard brackets/subframe was brand new when you bought it I custom made them myself, got them galvanised. The old ones rusted right through! I think you've made the right decision replacing axles as they would have failed eventually on the side of the highway as boats do!

  15. #15

    Re: Cat Trailer Refit.

    Update....... Finally got a chance to launch the boat for a sea trial a bit over a week ago.

    With the new skids and the bottom of the boat with a fresh couple of coats of gelcoat she is very slippery. I need to change the rear straps I use to secure the boat from the pods to the trailer to chains as the severe lack of friction on the new skids means the boat will slip back and forth from side to side.

    On launch there was no chance of getting the boat off without lowering the engines and putting it in gear as the boat just wanted to slide right off. Retrieving was a dream as well. The wash down needs a bigger pump but will do for now until I get my hands on a large LPM unit.

    The trailer towed straight as a gun barrel and it feels like the suspension has a lot more give in it over the rough roads than the old AL-KO axles which should mean it is a lot more forgiving on the boat. Once the weight went on it the height remained the same as the AL-Ko axles. For those that haven't tried out the Dura-hub bearing system I highly recommend it.

    For those with the AL-KO suspension on their 5.2KC there is still the mounting brackets for the glass guards here if anyone wants them.
    Democracy: Simply a system that allows the 51% to steal from the other 49%.

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