RE: [omc-boats] Hub & weight questions

Several people over the years have upgraded the axle and hub on the
otherwise excellent OMC trailer designs. I've even seen a conversion to
tandem axles, in an effort to keep the rolling diameter of the
tire/wheel combination smaller (and still positioned under the boat,
from a track/width perspective).
 
Probably the easiest solution is to have the new wheel center holes
enlarged. Another issue is the quirky rubber/torsion bar suspension/axle
that complicates replacing the axle/suspension with more modern
components.
 
Your suspicions about weight/load limitations are absolutely correct.
The OMC Manual
<http://hhscott.com/evinrude/images/Trailer/Untitled-2s.jpg> listed the
max gross load at 2550 lbs for the 16-ft trailer with 8-inch wheels.
Given the trailer with brakes was listed at 650 lbs, that leaves 1900
lbs for boat, gas, and all gear. Not much of a safety margin! Put any
gear in the boat and you are overloading those little 9-inch tires. Even
the 10-inch tires on the OMC/CC 19-ft boats are not much better but they
did have roughly 800 more lbs max load rating
<http://hhscott.com/evinrude/images/Trailer/Untitled-1s.jpg> .
 
 My loaded and fueled 1966 V8 Sportsman with a 1990 Escort trailer
<http://hhscott.com/evinrude/escort_trailers.htm> tips the scales at
3325 lbs. My unloaded trailer is also about 650 - 670 lbs (same as the
16 OMC) My boat is roughly 100-115 lbs heavier with the V8 vs. the 1966
V6, but your later 70's CC Gull Wing gained some added weight over my
66. But the GVWR of my trailer is 3995 lbs, which yields a rated load
capacity of 3345 lbs so I'm OK (barely).
 
Modern 14 or 15-inch trailer wheels/tires (positioned) outside the width
of the hull offer the best stability, launching and load capacity. I'm
not saying the OMC trailers are bad, they were light years ahead of
their time, but a lot progress and safety has been made in this area of
recreational boating.
 
Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

lee.shuster@...
801.585.5552
 

________________________________

From: owner-omc-boats@... [mailto:owner-omc-boats@...]
On Behalf Of mckeown
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 11:55 AM
To: omc-boats-digest@...
Subject: [omc-boats] Hub & weight questions

I just picked up my '71 Gull-Wing from Wisconsin, and I'm very pleased.
The boat needs some cosmetics but should look like a million with little
effort.

I had bought two tire and wheel assemblies from Northern Tool, but as I
suspected, the wheels wouldn't fit on the original hubs (center hole too
small). I was able to find a place that could swap the new tires onto
the original wheels, but I don't like the thought of having nonstandard
hubs.

Has anyone retrofitted later hubs to these early axles? I'm about to
experiment with a hub from my car trailer, but if anybody can shed any
light I'd appreciate the help.

One other question: has anybody ever actually weighed a Sportsman 16 I/O
with trailer? I'm hard pressed to believe that the entire rig is under
2500 lbs, which is the weight limit of those little 6.00-9 tires.

Bob McKeown, Nashville

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Received on Thursday, 17 May 2007