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I have a 2006 loatrite and I am replacing my keel rollers (which are worn out & cracked) and the roller shafts are rusted. My question is re: the roller shafts - im trying to replace the OEM 5/8X11.5 shaft for the 8” keel rollers and I can’t find them in Galvy. OEM they are zinc plated. I would rather have galvy since mine are rusted out and I think it would last longer. I know they make galvy unthreaded shafts w/ caps, but I would rather have threaded w/ nuts because Im thinking it would be more secure and that is the OEM set up.

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These would last even longer, and they are available.
http://www.boattrailerparts.com/Stain...p_522.html

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They probably don't offer galvy threaded because the surface coating would screw up the threads.

Spike

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Rather than pall nuts (hate them). Drill a center hole and use a washer and cotter pin.

These are also great:
http://www.amazon.com/Seasense-Roller...mp;sr=1-12

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Galvi threaded rod but stainless is forever

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I'll second that. That's how my Stoltz rollers are set up w / stainless. Hopefully they will be worry free for many years.

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Do you think stainless may be too soft? Would galvy be stronger? A lot of the weight is on the keel roller shafts.
Thank you all for this input - its very helpful

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No, I don't think that, obviously. I recommended stainless steel.

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For the most successful use of keel rollers, you only want to use STOLTZ rollers, SS shafts with a hole drilled in each end (most come this way) and SS cotter pins. I have carried a 25 Outrage on this setup for 25 years now.

The Stoltz roller has a metal, non-SS sleeve in it, giving the roller great strength so that it will not deflect under load. Those worthless black rubber rollers do not have this (hollow in the middle), and bend under load. However, because of the inside sleeve, even Stoltz rollers will FREEZE to the SS shaft, so they do need annual grease service once a year if you are in salt water. I learned the expensive way that once they seize up, and the roller will not turn on the shaft, the whole assembly is a throw-away, with the SS shaft impossible to remove from the roller.

Twenty six years ago I met Stoltz himself at a Marine Trade show, and he told me that a properly working keel roller set up has the roller freely rotating on the SS shaft, NOT the shaft rotating on the bracket. So keep them well greased, which is easy to do with the cotter pin detail. Pal nuts DO NOT work on an SS shaft.

Here is the Stoltz/SS rigged Continental keel roller trailer under my Montauk:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...0122848977

All of the Stoltz rollers are now orange, to distinguish them from the other yellow knock-offs, which should be avoided.

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Did Mr. Stoltz elaborate on the problem of the frozen roller with the shaft rotating in the bracket?

I ask because my Stoltz rollers have been stuck to the SS shafts for at least 10-years but the shafts do spin freely in the brackets and I do lubricate them. The 1996 Outrage 21 will roll off the trailer once the stiction releases.

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Modern Stoltz rollers use an aluminum pipe insert inside them. This aluminum is the only contact there is to the stainless steel shaft. I have never seen one of these freeze to a stainless steel shaft. Are you sure you have genuine Stoltz rollers and stainless steel shafts on that trailer Tmann?
There are many cheaper rollers that look like Stoltz, but are actually manufactured by others, with inferior metal inserts. Most trailer manufacturers use cheaper shafts that are not stainless steel. Even on the trailer the OP is asking about here, the OEM trailer was equipped with "zinc plated". They have rusted. Rust, or oxidation, is what causes the rollers to freeze to the shafts.

I have never seen this myself, but I have been part of barroom-type discussions where electrolysis between dissimilar metal trailer components could happen, and create a corrosion problem even with Stoltz rollers on SS shafts. This electrolysis was blamed on poor wiring techniques that used the trailer frame as part, or all, of the negative side of the lighting circuit.

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I am not sure of the chemistry of electrolysis but I have seen it in all types of "mixed metals" in work. I do not believe it is grounding issue with wiring because it occurs minus a battery charge. Incompatible pipes, steel to copper, aluminum to stainless, will ultimately corrode when attached/rubbing together. May come out as a weld. For pipes the use of dielectric unions supposedly prevents (you will see corrosion of steel pipe attached to copper despite the dielectric union, it jumps the flimsy plastic piece in the union). The equalizer is brass for some reason. Inspectors for pipe fitting will pass copper to steel minus the dielectric union with 6" of brass between them.

Applied to the rollers, maintenance with grease and movement would prevent the "corrosion weld". Or finding a roller with a brass insert bushing would allow for free movement. The brass would wear like a bearing being the softer metal. Even stainless on stainless, or stainless on aluminum, would freeze without proper maintenance.

Garris

For Tmann, the roller could still work with a frozen insert by having the shaft roll inside the mount. All the friction an heat would be in a confined area. Check for and be wary of excessive wear on the bolt/shaft itself. The interior bushing being free spreads out the work load.

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I never used anything but Stoltz rollers. However, before I met Stoltz at the trade show, back in 1988, I was using them on the standard electro-plated shafts. I was complaining to him that his rollers quickly bonded to the shafts. That is when he told me about the need for SS shafts, which at the time were not available at all in marine outlets. He told me he had made an arrangement with a Continental Trailer dealer across the street from his factory in Ft Lauderdale (Ames Trailer) to make them. When I came down in the Fall, I then started using them.

The Stoltz rollers still work with a seized shaft. but loose about 50% or more of their intended efficiency, making the boat much harder to launch and retrieve.

I was not aware of a change to an aluminum sleeve. I know the early rollers had a metal sleeve.
This may help with bonding, but as any saltwater boater knows, aluminum and SS can form a wicked bond through galvanic action anyway. Keep the rollers well greased on the shaft.

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Seems like grease would be a magnet for road dust, grit, etc. but I'm not going to argue with sucess and obviously you'd be dealing with corrosion if you don't grease them.

Finnegan how often would you clean and re-grease the SS shafts?

I think its time to design, patent and manufacture a keel roller that uses a stainless shaft, a integral zerk fitting and two seals to keep the grease in and water/gunk out.

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VA, I use pins and bearings in dust/dirt all the time. Yes grease is a magnet for dust/dirt. However, it is very rare when an some dirt works it way into the fitting. An annual maintenance would be fine. Just clean the pieces before you grease and wipe away excess. Better grease with some debri than metal on metal. I got some sort of marine grade grease from Bob's Machine when I purchased my hydraulic jack plate. Might be a good product for the pins.

I have zerc fittings on some pins. Drilled in the center of pin for the zerc fitting with grease releasing in the center. A very pricey pin. The grease generally picks a side and a mess to get oozing from both sides.

Garris

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Thanks Larry, if my boat was any easier it would launch and retrieve itself!

Since I don't see ever needing to replace the rollers I will live with them siezed to the shafts and do my yearly shaft to bracket lubrication. They actually feel like they are on bearings when you spin them.

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Thanks Garris. I will keep an eye out for some marine grade grease. Anyone know if that would be similar to "spline grease" that you would use on lower unit shafts? That was obviously a metal on metal application. I think I have some of that stuff still left over in one of my storage bins. The reason I ask is that I'm probably going to need to grease the pins on my new keel rollers. I took one apart and did not see any evidence of grease. Unfortunately I did not have time to fix them at the time. This will give me a good excuse to put the boat in the water when I'm off next week. :) Hopefully it will warm up some before then.