lowering trailer height

[jimmythegreek]

just wondering if anyone on here has ever swapped an axle to a drop axle to get lower trailer height. My last crestliner was a 1850 sportfish on a tennessee trailer and it had a drop axle and was wider and sat nice and low, great for shallow launches I loved it. New boat was a super deal 1750 fishhawk and its on a shorelander w brakes straight axle. Way too high for me and I need to lower it. Dont have the room to flip axle to underneath the springs and its narrower so putting drop axle the way it is prob wont work. Also have brakes on this trailer so Im thinking maybe goto a drop axle and transfer hubs and brakes over but get a wider axle and extend fenders out with spacers to clear. Looked all over the web but not much on this, also thought about selling trailer and replacing with a different style but thats a last resort. Lots of experience w boats and trailers but looking for thoughts......Any advice is appreciated

[REW]

Since the rig is reasonably new, trade in the trailer for the trailer that you want.

[Hot Runr Guy]

Jimmy,
I did a similar modification a few years ago, for the same reasons you mentioned.

I went with a wider straight axle, and had new spring pads welded-on so I could use an under-slung design (axle on top of the spring), and moved the fenders out to suit.

HRG

[rocket man]

I have never seen a trailer with springs above the axle.

[jimmythegreek]

HRG can you shed some light on the axle part of the swap? I looked online for a while and saw eastern marine sells OEM shorlander axles and drop axles. Gonna measure mine up and see what I need width wise and try to go for a drop axle and just shim out the fenders, OR change the spring height on existing or new springs and do an under mount like you did. What I do see is all the axles come bare, Im assuming since mine is only a few months old I can reuse the hubs, bearings, backers, brakes. Did you go all new or did u reuse existing? Im gonna pull a wheel and see what bolt pattern I have and what the replacements look like

[Hot Runr Guy]

Jimmy,
Send me the model # of your trailer, so I can retrieve the parts breakdown for it. Once we identify the width, bearing #'s and such, I start looking at parts lists for other versions, and try to find a suitable axle.

If you can, measure the center to center dimension for your spring mounts, in order to try to find a drop-axle style. Otherwise, on a straight-axle, the spring pads move further out with the width, hence why I had new ones welded on.

HRG

Just for kicks, I've pulled a couple of parts manuals to compare. Similar trailer, (1) is a SL30BL (3000#), the other a SL30BLW (wide). look at the parts lists, the 30BL uses a 74" axle, the BLW uses an 80". All the other part numbers, as far as bearings, hubs, calipers, etc., are the same. But, like I said, the spring pads will also be further apart on the wider axle.