Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 23

Thread: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

  1. #1

    Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    I made a new boating milestone yesterday. My trailer winch locked up solid on retrieve and I broke a world record for the most number of four letter words screamed out in a short space of time. Autopsy shows that one of the shitbox metal "bushes" bound up on a driveshaft and galled the crap out of it until everything stopped solid. Is there such a thing as a decent ball bearing winch or at least something with decent bushes instead of recycled soup cans or whatever crap this one was made of?

    Cheers
    Craig

  2. #2

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    I doubt it, most winches I have seen have bushes but it isn't something I have looked into. Probably due to the saltwater on the line dripping onto the bearings it would probably seize them much, much quicker.

  3. #3

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Dunno about three speed winches. I have a fulton on my trailer and it seems pretty good. Mind you I also drive on/off so don't have to use it much. If 2 speed was enough, then maybe something like this? https://www.fultonperformance.com/pr...MhXM4Da3pBWz4=

  4. #4

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    you won't find a ball bearing model trailer winch full stop.
    I'd just pull the old bushings out and lathe up some new teflon bushings and it will be right to go for another 20 years.
    Jack.

  5. #5

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Teflon will most likely deform over time and allow the gears to bind. Seen it happen on production winches that use synthetic bushes. Bronze would be the pick - it's what all the tug winches use. Like any bearing or bush they need a bit of TLC periodically.

  6. #6

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Thanks Lads, I was thinking some bronze ones would be sweet so will have a google. Also not confident in teflon. Delrin or a really hard poly maybe but the galling on this was unreal and its nearly brand new!

  7. #7
    Ausfish Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    A bit of lubrication, just oil from a good old fashioned oilcan , applied to the shafts where they go through the bushes a few times a year will see them last forever. At least the ones I've owned. The 3-speed Jarret was always good to me, owned a few. Usually go for $140-150. As someone said above, see if you can drive on. I do now, saves an awful lot of work. of course, not all trailers are really suited to it.

  8. #8

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Quote Originally Posted by ranmar850 View Post
    A bit of lubrication, just oil from a good old fashioned oilcan , applied to the shafts where they go through the bushes a few times a year will see them last forever. At least the ones I've owned. The 3-speed Jarret was always good to me, owned a few. Usually go for $140-150. As someone said above, see if you can drive on. I do now, saves an awful lot of work. of course, not all trailers are really suited to it.
    It doesn't take that much longer to winch on. Also you must consider maintenance. You don't have to dunk so much of the trailer if you winch on. Much less maintenance therefore with regards to bearings, rust in frame axles, springs etc.

  9. #9

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Still working towards drive on. The trailer is set up reasonably well for it. I'm still getting used to piloting the new rig around at low speed and winch on takes all the stress out of retrieve compared to dinging up my new hull.

  10. #10
    Ausfish Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Quote Originally Posted by billfisher View Post
    It doesn't take that much longer to winch on. Also you must consider maintenance. You don't have to dunk so much of the trailer if you winch on. Much less maintenance therefore with regards to bearings, rust in frame axles, springs etc.

    Well, if you can winch it on without getting anything wet, your ramps are very different to the ones we have. You'd basically be dry loading to manage that.. Maintenance? Just something that needs to be done, good wash underneath, check the bearings and brake pads. And, as I said above, not all trailers are suited to it. But if you can do it, just so quick and easy. I was never a fan until I bought the new, much heavier boat and a trailer that suited drive-on--won't do anything else now. And don't even get me started on those Powerwinches, even slower than handwinching. Some of the home-made ones are certainly quick.

    It was really bought home to me when i was in a billfish comp out of Exmouth last year--everyone getting back to the ramp at the same time. Everyone drives on. You go to the finger jetty, drop the deckie, he goes up and gets in the queue. You mill around off the ramp, chatting to other boats, until you see him backing in, you are lined up on your approach before he even has it fully in the water. Get the bow on, power on, boat latch catches, clip on the safety chain and winch strap because it is just not a good idea to rely on the catches completely., and up the ramp as the next one is ready to back down.

    Then the three blokes in the Quintrex roll up. Do it "old school", unlke every single other boat before and after them, and it is just so slow.

  11. #11
    Ausfish Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Quote Originally Posted by CT View Post
    Still working towards drive on. The trailer is set up reasonably well for it. I'm still getting used to piloting the new rig around at low speed and winch on takes all the stress out of retrieve compared to dinging up my new hull.
    It really is just a case of technique and confidence. Strong crosswinds are the hardest obviously. And boats ain't cars, they steer on forward movement and power. You need to get the confidence up to approach at a speed which will enable you to have some steering--this is probably the hardest part. Get it lined up well out keep the power on, then neutral just before you hit. If your trailer is set up for drive on, you should be able to place that bow pretty well anywhere between the rear bunks and it will just slide down and centre. Let it settle, then you can use steering input and power to straighten it then power up.
    Now, fully rollered trailers--not a fan, been there, done that. Too easy to get one of those wobble rollers wrong side of a strake, then you are screwed. I have no advice to offer on them

  12. #12

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Quote Originally Posted by ranmar850 View Post
    Well, if you can winch it on without getting anything wet, your ramps are very different to the ones we have. You'd basically be dry loading to manage that.. Maintenance? Just something that needs to be done, good wash underneath, check the bearings and brake pads. And, as I said above, not all trailers are suited to it. But if you can do it, just so quick and easy. I was never a fan until I bought the new, much heavier boat and a trailer that suited drive-on--won't do anything else now. And don't even get me started on those Powerwinches, even slower than handwinching. Some of the home-made ones are certainly quick.

    It was really bought home to me when i was in a billfish comp out of Exmouth last year--everyone getting back to the ramp at the same time. Everyone drives on. You go to the finger jetty, drop the deckie, he goes up and gets in the queue. You mill around off the ramp, chatting to other boats, until you see him backing in, you are lined up on your approach before he even has it fully in the water. Get the bow on, power on, boat latch catches, clip on the safety chain and winch strap because it is just not a good idea to rely on the catches completely., and up the ramp as the next one is ready to back down.

    Then the three blokes in the Quintrex roll up. Do it "old school", unlke every single other boat before and after them, and it is just so slow.
    Well I don't doubt it will take a few seconds less. But I'd rather not be repacking wheel bearings too often (and given I have two boats), It's a messy slow job - especially if you have trailer brakes that have to be be removed as well. I don't dunk my wheel bearings on either boat and one is a 5.4m glass boat, on a variety of boat ramps. The trailer on my big boat is a 1999 model and has no rust - except on the bottom of the rear cross member, which is the only bit that gets dunked. I didn't say anything about 'without getting anything wet', it's just that far less gets wet. If it gets dunked in saltwater glavanised steel will rust eventually and washing doesn't seem to prevent it. It's a real pain (and an expense) to have rust in the frame and it just accelerates when it gets a hold.

  13. #13
    Ausfish Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    I agree there is some work in it--I've taken to putting the boat in the water, makes all the access so much easier. I have EOH brakes. Pads were stuffed in a little over 12 months. You can't really listen to your bearings with the calipers fitted. I'll pull them apart and wash out and do a visual inspection every 12 months, and replace every two years , whether they need it or not. Before anyone bothers to chip in about how they have gotten 5 years out of their last set, I don't care--for under $80 for a set of 4Timkens with marine seals, it's hardly worth washing them out and repacking the second time. I do long trips, up to 2000k's return, between the one kilometre runs to the local ramp. I refuse to be the bloke stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bearing failure, just too easy to avoid.
    As for corrosion, I wash down well after every dunking. Stay away from SHS and RHS section in trailer construction, and , should corrosion surface, it can be treated, or just blasted and re-galvanised. You can do it with hot rolled channel and angle construction--with hollow section, well, once it starts inside, that's it.
    I've just finished a trailer wash-down set up, after talking about it for years. Doing a good job of washing springs and brakes with a hose, as well as the frame, takes a fair bit of time. Just sticking a lawn sprinkler under it doesn't really work, IMO. So I have three of the big stainless head sprinklers set into the driveway, connected to the bore. Bore water is good, potable, slightly higher dissolved calcium than the town water. I back it in to where the transom is over the sprinklers, turn on the bore, slowly back over it. Washes all the way to the rear of the ute tray. I've also put three sprinlklers overhead in the carport, on town water which wash the topsides starting from the rocket launcher and going forward. I'm looking for an inline dispenser of some type I can fill with Saltaway or white vinegar for that one.

  14. #14

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Ct's biggest problem is that he is trying to winch onto this monstrosity.

    I've winched it on a couple of times and the power from my right arm has probably led to premature failure of said winch. I think if he changes the tyres to 16 inch low profile it will roll on much easier and reduce the load on the winch.



    Cheers MattCT trailer.jpg

  15. #15

    Re: Decent bearing three speed trailer winch?

    Well it did lead to premature failure of the bow eye on the cruise craft. With a very large bang from memory!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Join us