Dexter 3,500 lb Galvanized Boat Trailer Axle - 87-1/4" Hub Face, Brake Flange, 5-Lug

A 3,500 lb capacity straight trailer axle in 2-inch square galvanized tube, with brake flanges welded at the spindles and stainless steel wear sleeves. Built for boat trailers, where the axle spends its life being dunked in water.

Before you order - two things that catch people out

There are no spring holes. This axle ships undrilled. You will need to drill 9/16" holes to match your spring centers, or use adjustable spring mounts. This is normal for a replacement axle - it lets one part fit many trailers - but it means the job needs either a drill press and careful measurement or a set of weld-on adjustable mounts.

Measure your hub face, not your old axle's total length. Hub face is the distance between the outer faces of the two hubs, and it is the measurement that determines whether your wheels end up in the right place. This axle is 87-1/4" hub face with 71.75" spring centers. If your spring centers differ, adjustable mounts solve it; if your hub face differs, this is not your axle.

Why galvanized matters on a boat trailer

A boat trailer axle is submerged every time you launch, then driven down a salted road in the off season. Painted axles fail from the inside out where you cannot see it. Galvanizing puts a sacrificial zinc layer over the whole tube, and the stainless steel wear sleeve on each spindle protects the sealing surface the grease seal rides on - the spot where a corroded axle usually starts leaking and eats its bearings.

Features

• 3,500 lb capacity
• 2" x 2" square tube, galvanized finish
• Brake flange welded at each spindle
• Straight spindle, 5-lug hub pattern
• Stainless steel wear sleeve on spindles
• 1.0° camber per side, welded at the spindles
• 87-1/4" hub face, 71.75" spring centers
• Bearing sizes 1-3/8" and 1-1/16"
• No spring holes - drilling or adjustable mounts required

What is included

• Axle with welded brake flanges and straight spindles
• Washers
• Castle nuts
• Cotter pins

Hubs, bearings, seals and brake assemblies are not included and are ordered separately to match your setup.

Shipping

This axle is 92 inches long and weighs 70 lb, so it ships by freight rather than parcel. Freight deliveries are scheduled with you and are curbside - plan to have a second person or a way to move a 70 lb, 7-1/2 foot item from the truck.

Specifications

Questions

Does this come with hubs and bearings?
No. The axle includes washers, castle nuts and cotter pins only. Hubs, bearings, seals and brake assemblies are ordered separately. Match hubs to the 1-3/8" and 1-1/16" bearing sizes and the 5-lug pattern.

What does "no spring holes" mean for the install?
The axle tube is undrilled where it sits on your leaf springs. You either measure and drill 9/16" holes to match your spring centers, or fit adjustable spring mounts that clamp to the tube and let you set the position. Adjustable mounts are the safer route if your measurements are uncertain.

How do I measure my existing axle?
Measure hub face to hub face - the outer face of one hub to the outer face of the other. Then measure spring center to spring center. Those two numbers identify the axle. Overall tube length alone will not.

Why does it have camber?
The 1.0° camber per side is built in so the spindles run level once the axle is loaded to capacity. An unloaded axle will look slightly bowed - that is correct.

Do I need brakes on a 3,500 lb axle?
That depends on your state's trailer brake requirements and your loaded weight. This axle has brake flanges so brakes can be fitted, whether or not you fit them now.