Screw adjust bunk adjustment

[JHornsby3]

I have the bunks now adjusted. But I don't want them to move going down the road as they have done before. When I got the keel sitting on the bunks, I adjusted the bunks to the hull and hammered them tight. But I did that before and they vibrate down in no time.

How would you lock them so as to not move or vibrate loose? I was thinking of cutting some PVC to fit tight and zip tie them to stay in place. Or a heavy duty tape.

 

[Nater Potater]

Stainless safety wire to the vertical post.

 

[JHornsby3]

I looked at that hard and can't for the life of me figure out to keep it from spinning. Went through about 6' of wire trying to get it. Even to the frame on the ones that are attached to it and not a cross member.

 

[Nater Potater]

I wish I could draw pictures on your image! Let's try verbal; good luck getting what I'm trying to say. Maybe we can get it to work with the attached image.

Envision the left image is your wingnut on the left, and the vertical next to the "Three turns minimum". However, instead of having a hole drilled in the end of your wingnut, you'll be dropping the wire down close to the screw. Let's try this:
1) Three feet of wire bent in the middle
2) In your picture, reach the loop over the top of the wing nut and pull the ends toward you.
3) Pulling the ends tightly toward you, set the loop in the wire down close to the screw
4) Twist the two ends together, starting next to the wing nut
5) Continue until you have enough twisted wire to come close to the vertical (1 inch?)
6) Take the two ends and reach them around the vertical; one front, one back of the vertical
7) Wrap the two ends together at least 7 full turns
8) Snip the excess, and bend the sharp end of the wires back on themselves.

 

[hughespat57]

I have the bunks now adjusted. But I don't want them to move going down the road as they have done before. When I got the keel sitting on the bunks, I adjusted the bunks to the hull and hammered them tight. But I did that before and they vibrate down in no time.

How would you lock them so as to not move or vibrate loose? I was thinking of cutting some PVC to fit tight and zip tie them to stay in place. Or a heavy duty tape.

Best way would be Jam nuts above the tee handle, if you can get a handful. Measure and record the current setting of each now. Next time boat is in the water add Jam nuts and reset.
An alternate for the lock wire for now would be like @Nater Potater has. Or just loop around handle and frame there as tight as possible about three times. Finish off by seizing around those between the handle and frame.

similar to this,

 

[JHornsby3]

I have looked for jam nuts. I have even tried to contact the trailer manufacturer and they dont respond to emails or have any claims to this trailer. I have seen these adjustable screw on heavy trailers before but just can't locate the t-handles.

I will look into the safety wire again. Someone "borrowed" my plyers, so I will pick up another pair today, if I can find some. I tried it before and there just wasn't a way to do it properly. And I will have to wire the handles up in both directions to get it to work. Most I will have to try to find something to wire to as there is no real spot to tie off to. And maybe some thicker wire. Everything I have is the small aviation type wire.

 

[Lazy Daze]

So that handle is coming off the locking notch? There must be a lot of flex in the bunk to allow that kind of movement. Are you sure you had them spun tight? Try a bigger hammer?

In addition to the above, some other thoughts to throw out there:

Aside from that, is there a hole in the end of the handle? If not, drill a hole - it might make it easier to figure out a securing method. For example, you could pass heavy wire through the hole to a "backer" that won't slip back through the hole... a large nut, for example, would be a quick and dirty way to do it. You can get 1/8" or 3/16" cable/steel wire from Home Depot, along with steel wire clamps. Wrap the cable around the frame and use two wire clamps to secure it. You can get the cable pretty tight with the first clamp, then put the second clamp closer to the loop and it will tighten it more. You can use the clamps with the nut, too... or just pass the cable through the handle hole and around the frame to make a full loop.

You don't necessarily need to stop the handle from spinning... you just need to stop it from rattling up and off the notch. Meaning, you might be able to do something with an eye bolt through the hole in the end of the handle, an eye bolt through the trailer frame like above, and a turnbuckle between the two.

Don't get the vinyl coated cable - it's more likely to rust than the non-coated stuff.

 

[JHornsby3]

There is no locking notch. The handle is smooth on both sides and makes contact with the welded pipe, again smooth. If there was this locking notch, it wouldn't be a problem at all. Oh for the love of pete, why is there no locking notch!??!

I got some heavier safety wire today so I will be trying to find a way to get it wired up. I thought about getting some stainless U bolts and clamping the screw at the handle. But that might put things a little off with those heavy threads. I also thought about welding a bead to the screw to keep it where it needs to be. Or drilling a cotter hole where it needs to be.

Just a hinky design all together.

 

[Lazy Daze]

That little half-round cutout on the bottom of the handle looks to be caught on a notch on the tube... but maybe it's just the way the picture is showing.

I don't know if this would do it, but if you had a piece of flat stock (cut to the width of that notch in the handle), you could secure it in place with a stainless band clamp. I don't know how much pressure the handle will impose on the piece of flat stock, though. If it's just "jiggly" pressure when the boat rocks a bit and takes the load off the handle, it might work.

Did I mention this? Bigger hammer (3lb sledge).

 

[JHornsby3]

3lbs sledge? I used my 5lbs dead blow. Go big or go back to the dock!

That notch in the handle is sitting at the same diameter as the tube it sits on. So a welded button is what it would need. I don't see getting rid of the trailer in the future unless the boat goes too. So I might look at welding the handle or putting a bead on the screw to lock it up, down the road. So think the wire might be the best bet to make sure it's all set correctly.

Those mid bunks are the problem children. Sits fine at the keel bunks and the transom bunks. But those mid ones have been a pain. When I got it, it had the keel off the bunks by 2" and the only support was the transom and the winch rollers. Too bad we can't just live closer to a slip and just leave it in the water all the time. Being landlocked just sucks.

 

[Thornton69]

Can you cross drill them and run a bolt thru once adjusted? Most trailer are not designed to support weight there. They are just a guide to assist loading. Hulls are normally supported on the main bunks and winch post unless I am missing something. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[JHornsby3]

Can you cross drill them and run a bolt thru once adjusted? Most trailer are not designed to support weight there. They are just a guide to assist loading. Hulls are normally supported on the main bunks and winch post unless I am missing something. Wouldn't be the first time.

After climbing under the trailer and getting my fat butt stuck, again, they are what the boat is supported by. The notch is outside of the tube and the "nut" has a recess and is flat. I did get one handle safety wired but I will be redoing it tomorrow when I can sit under there with knee pad instead of my knees in the gravel.

As for cross drilling, I don't think that would be wise. With the screw being galvanized and the handle being cast, I don't think it would stand up to the riggers of being on the road much before cracking.

Main bunks? There is three bunks per side. Keel, mid and a short one at the transom. And from what I have read and seen, you want all three supporting the hull. The keel and the mids go from 1/3 from the winch post to about 4' from the transom. The transom bunks are 3' long and extend out by 1' past the transom. So if I had direct or V drives, the props would clear the bottom of the trailer. So the back 4' is only supported by the two bunks sitting on a sort of cantalever frame. This trailer was "custom" built by Metal Craft out of Utah.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Alright, pull out the 20 pounder!

Seriously, though, the only reason I can think of that it can loosen up is if there's slack in the system. But with that many bunks to adjust, I can see how this would be frustrating and having a secondary means is definitely a good idea.

 

[JHornsby3]

Alright, pull out the 20 pounder!

Seriously, though, the only reason I can think of that it can loosen up is if there's slack in the system. But with that many bunks to adjust, I can see how this would be frustrating and having a secondary means is definitely a good idea.

When I adjusted the rear bunks, the trailer was under some serious flex. Meaning with all the rear weight on the two bunks, the trailer was pushed down in the back. To the point of we blocked it up in the back and used the trailer to lift and lower the boat. When we got the keel down into the bunks, we still had two or more inches of travel before the weight was off the bunks and the frame of the trailer had returned to a neutral position. So with all of that, I think the trailer flexes a lot during travel down the road. That might not be so much of an issue now that the hull is even with the whole trailer. Before it was just the winch post and the two transom bunks. No weight in the keel or mid. It wasn't good at all. Even tied down, the boat moved three inches to the starboard going down the road. So that might be the slack in the system, the way it was before.

After all the work on the boat and just getting the pick up out of the shop for the third time, I might be able to pull it and see how it does. I have a big highway loop I can do. About 15 miles worth. It has hills, down slopes, curves and three stops. And with all of it being rough Oregon paved roads, it should get all the vibration.

 

[JHornsby3]

I meant to add above, that after adjusting the bunks and using the front jack, the keel was stuck on the blocks. All due to the flex in the trailer from the way it was.

How does this look? Out of the ten screws, only 6 would need safety wired. The two aft ones on the mid bunks are all the way down and the handles are resting on the mounts. So if they move, it's only going to be a couple millimeters of travel.

Got down and personal with the trailer and noticed tires are looking hinky. Looked further and the back tires on each side are bubbled. Center tires and front port tires are separated. 13 years on a set of Carlisle Trail HD's is pretty good mileage. Thank the Lord I found this now and not going down the road.