PT snuiser 2004-2009 RIP

[wlooper89]

The axles were 2000lb sold by Century wheel here in Portland area, they are built in Texas and I suspect by the same co that builds Dexter.

John mentioned earlier the axle brand name is Quality, and as he said quite possibly built by the company that builds Dexter axles. Looking at the close-up photo again one can see the letter "Q" stamped on the trailing arm and under that "2.0". It caught my eye that the right arm is trailing but the left is forward, surely a result of the accident.

Bill

[emiller]

Bill the way the picture is it looks like that but both spindles are trailing it just looks like one spindle is inline with the axle in the back ground.

[CAJUN LADY]

John,
I am just reading about this today. I'm really glad you came out of that without injury and I'm sorry about your loss. That was a beautiful Teardrop you built.

[wlooper89]

Bill the way the picture is it looks like that but both spindles are trailing it just looks like one spindle is inline with the axle in the back ground.

You are right. Sorry, my mistake. Glad you got me sorted out on that. I am still trying to understand how rubber can support the weight of the trailer on the trailing arms. It must have taken a smart person to think of that.

Bill

[4123]

John,
I feel your pain.

After looking at your photos and reading your story, I've decided to carry my Harbor Freight digital 'point and shoot' infrared thermometer http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93984 with me at all times and every time we stop, I'm going to aim it at the both hub spindles and take a temperature reading. Its only $25 and I think its a worthwhile investment for sure.
In the meantime, you've got all Fall, Winter and Spring to rebuild or start anew....I fully expect to see something purple waiting in line at the gate of the IRG in July 2010!

[kennyrayandersen]

I hadn’t checked the board in a while since I’ve been buried at work. WOW, condolences. I really appreciate all of your post-‘incidence’ suggestion and comments; they are likely to say someone else a lot of grief should something similar happen to them.

I do structural analysis for a living. I would venture to say that there are some ‘issues’ with the axle. Whether or not you intend on pursuing something is up to you, but I would at least alert the manufacturer about possible problems since:
1) You weren’t loading the axle anywhere near to capacity
2) There appears to be some fatigue issues (grease in the crack)
a. Which could be a problem in the manufacturing process (hole not deburred etc.)
b. Improper heat treat or other materials issue
3) The manufacturer will really want to know because they frankly don’t want the liability issues and they have every interest in getting it right.
4) Nobody wants to go through what you did, and there is a chance that whatever caused the problem can be identified and the folks who had defective axles installed can be alerted and their axles checked before something goes seriously wrong (as in you were fortunate and the next guy might not be…).
I hope you can get it back together (the manufacturer may at least be willing to replace the axle, preferably one without the stress concentration hole).

[S. Heisley]

KennyrayAnderson wrote:

3) The manufacturer will really want to know because they frankly don’t want the liability issues and they have every interest in getting it right.

The manufacturer may already know. They do not have to notify the purchaser directly. After all, some units may have changed hand 2 and 3 times already. They do have to post recalls and they usually have a website where you can find those.

I had a charger that failed on a battery-operated electric lawnmower. When I called the company about it, I found out that it had been recalled a year previously. When I asked what the problem was, I was told it was causing fires. I could have had my whole house burn down because I never knew to check their website for recalls. I was told that it is the consumer's responsibility to check for recalls and call the company.

On the plus side, a recalled part is usually given for free(sometimes even the installation and service is free); so, you might at least be able to get some new parts out of this, whether you keep them or resell them and use something else is up to you.

[dh]

6,000 miles between greasing is ridicules. Would you have the front wheels of your car done that often? Have you ever had it done? ( Don't ask me )

Personally, I'm in a grey area on this one.

I repack my wheel bearings on any vehicle when I change the break pads.

On a utility trailer, it takes me a long long time to rack up 6,000 miles, so 6,000 miles is pretty understandable based on time spent exposed to the elements.

On a camping trailer, where long trips are the norm, not short trips to the hardware store, a lot of heat can be generated, especially if running 8" trailer tires, so again, 6,000 miles is understandable.

Personally, I prefer a full synthetic grease and larger tire/wheel combos.

[glassice]

Wow sorry about the crash But looking at the pix I think it can be rebuilt very easy that is a foam glass shell right no plywood.If you do decide let me know there some trick that will make it Very ease to do are if you don't want to and you want to sell the shell let me know I am set up a training class at the high school and that be a good training . but I think you can do it

[Evil Skippy]