Making trailer road legal again

[ricky_s]

Hi all,

Just had a quote to get new bearings and brakes on my trailer including cables and a new coupling (£150) for £750. This is from a trailer speciallist near Chichester.

Does this seem expensive? Is it worth shopping around or is this the going rate?

Thanks

 

[MrCramp]

Estimate the bearings £30 total MAX, brakes £25, cables £50. Total with coupling £255. All easy jobs to do so I would not want to pay £495 for the labour. My estimates are guesses based on repairing my trailers over a 30 year period. Have managed to accumulate 5 road trailers and one launch trolley so have some experience!!

 

[ricky_s]

This is the quote

4 x bearings 30.00 ea
4 x cables 18.50 ea
2 x brake shoe sets 60.00 ea
1 x Coupling 175.00
Labour 150

 

[Lakesailor]

You'll have to tell me where you get you bearings from. I've replaced bearings on 4 trailers in the past 4 years and the last ones (1" stub axles") were £14 each bearing from Swan Bearings (that's £56 for a 2 wheel trailer).
Bearing prices seem to have rocketed in the past few years. There is also a quality issue. One set of bearings I was looking for were quoted at £90 each!
When I fell over they explained that the sizes I wanted which they had in stock matched the one they supply to BAE at Barrow for use on submarines, so they stock a high-spec bearing.
Rick-s doesn't say whether he has a 2 or 4 wheeled trailer, which will make a great deal of difference to the parts and labour costs.
However £750 is a lot to spend unless the trailer is in good knick otherwise or particularly large.

 

[ricky_s]

Hi, it is a four wheeled trailer but is quite old, the guy at the trailer place had a trailer I could have for £1000 so wondered if he bumped up the quote to get me to buy it. I wonder if he does this a lot, gets my trailer, sorts it out and then tells the next customer the same story.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

There is a bearing supplier on the trading estate where Hayling railway station used to be. I have bought trailer bearings there more than once. "This size" is my normal requiest, together with a quantity. UK made were £60 or so, Polish were £20 or so. Expected lifetimes very similar.

 

[PilotWolf]

PM sent.

 

[duncan]

simple answer is that this doesn't look silly for a large (highly rated coupling) 4 wheel trailer

you could no doubt do it cheaper yourself - or even get it done cheaper but with possibly cheaper components.

 

[damon]

I used Trailer-tek, they have a large selection of boat trailer bearings.

http://www.trailertek.com/acatalog/Wheel_Bearings.html

They were cheaper than SBS and indespension, my ALKO hubs take pricey bearings...

I have used the local bearing supplier on the industrial estate, not a huge amount in it.

 

[nyx2k]

ive used trailer-tek on several trailer projects and found them to be very good value for money and very helpful.