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Nubs on stabilizer rod worn down. Can these be replaced?

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Does anyone know if the threaded rods in stabilisers can be replaced? The nubs (or whatever they're called) on the rods that my crank slides over are worn down so far that the crank keeps slipping over it and I'm afraid one day I'm going to be stranded one day because I can't retract my stabilisers.
27 REPLIES 27

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Yep, I thought that I had the right thread, until I tried putting them on further, and at that point I was at the welders so I kind of didn't have a choice at that point.

Gdetrailer wrote:
TheLostBoy wrote:
I ended up welding a nut onto the end. Seems to work well (though the only acme nuts I found didn't fit quite right and threaded on crooked which causes quite the wobble on the drill).


Which is what I expected to happen and why I suggested this route..

Gdetrailer wrote:
The nut only has to be a "close fit", it most likely will not screw on due to different threads and might be better to find a nut that is slightly smaller diameter hole than the shaft and then drill the nut to fit tightly on the screw (slide over screw shaft) then weld in place.

Too large of a nut opening and it will be difficult to center the nut on the shaft for welding and you will end up with a wobbly out of center nut.

Once welded, get some grease or oil on the screw shaft, dry shaft is most likely why the nubs worn out.. Takes more effort to turn the screw without some lubrication and that extra effort wears out the nubs..


While ACME threads have "standards", the issue is not all of them interchange with each other easily..

SEE HERE

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Ahhhh.......I wish I had read this first. Yeah, that would have worked better. Too late now. Maybe on the next trailer.

CharlesinGA wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
The nut only has to be a "close fit", it most likely will not screw on due to different threads and might be better to find a nut that is slightly smaller diameter hole than the shaft and then drill the nut to fit tightly on the screw (slide over screw shaft) then weld in place.

Too large of a nut opening and it will be difficult to center the nut on the shaft for welding and you will end up with a wobbly out of center nut.

Once welded, get some grease or oil on the screw shaft, dry shaft is most likely why the nubs worn out.. Takes more effort to turn the screw without some lubrication and that extra effort wears out the nubs..


This is the best idea. Use a nut that is 3/4 hex and drill out the threads till it just slides over and weld it on the end. 3/4 is the size commonly used on stabilizers and you can buy hand cranks and drill adapter sockets in that size. Camco makes a couple of them.

Charles

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
TheLostBoy wrote:
I ended up welding a nut onto the end. Seems to work well (though the only acme nuts I found didn't fit quite right and threaded on crooked which causes quite the wobble on the drill).


Which is what I expected to happen and why I suggested this route..

Gdetrailer wrote:
The nut only has to be a "close fit", it most likely will not screw on due to different threads and might be better to find a nut that is slightly smaller diameter hole than the shaft and then drill the nut to fit tightly on the screw (slide over screw shaft) then weld in place.

Too large of a nut opening and it will be difficult to center the nut on the shaft for welding and you will end up with a wobbly out of center nut.

Once welded, get some grease or oil on the screw shaft, dry shaft is most likely why the nubs worn out.. Takes more effort to turn the screw without some lubrication and that extra effort wears out the nubs..


While ACME threads have "standards", the issue is not all of them interchange with each other easily..

SEE HERE

CharlesinGA
Explorer
Explorer
Gdetrailer wrote:
The nut only has to be a "close fit", it most likely will not screw on due to different threads and might be better to find a nut that is slightly smaller diameter hole than the shaft and then drill the nut to fit tightly on the screw (slide over screw shaft) then weld in place.

Too large of a nut opening and it will be difficult to center the nut on the shaft for welding and you will end up with a wobbly out of center nut.

Once welded, get some grease or oil on the screw shaft, dry shaft is most likely why the nubs worn out.. Takes more effort to turn the screw without some lubrication and that extra effort wears out the nubs..


This is the best idea. Use a nut that is 3/4 hex and drill out the threads till it just slides over and weld it on the end. 3/4 is the size commonly used on stabilizers and you can buy hand cranks and drill adapter sockets in that size. Camco makes a couple of them.

Charles
'03 Ram 2500 CTD, 5.9HO six speed, PacBrake Exh Brake, std cab, long bed, Leer top and 2008 Bigfoot 25B21RB.. previously (both gone) 2008 Thor/Dutchman Freedom Spirit 180 & 2007 Winnebago View 23H Motorhome.

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
I ended up welding a nut onto the end. Seems to work well (though the only acme nuts I found didn't fit quite right and threaded on crooked which causes quite the wobble on the drill).

canoe_on_top
Explorer
Explorer
A dry lube like bicycle chain lube is better than grease. Grease will collect dirt.

Bobbo
Explorer II
Explorer II
My preference would be white lithium grease, but any grease is better than no grease.
Bobbo and Lin
2017 F-150 XLT 4x4 SuperCab w/Max Tow Package 3.5l EcoBoost V6
2017 Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Microlite Mike wrote:
JRscooby wrote:
If you have enough thread there, screw on 2 nuts, then jam them together. Work same as welding, but if you need to take it apart you can


Shaft has acme threads on it. Standard nuts won't fit however oversized nut s can be welded on.


Thank you! Acme was what I was looking for. I've ordered four of them up and will try the welding option.

For lubrication, what should I use? Would standard grease be fine?

JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
I use center drills for starting a drilled hole in round stock.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
JRscooby wrote:
profdant139 wrote:
JRScooby, that is a great tip about grinding a flat so the drill won't walk -- I will remember that the next time I have to drill through a rounded piece of metal.


Drill will walk on flat, that is why god invented center punch. But center punch is also sometimes a problem on round stuff


X2!

One of my favorite "go to" tools is a automatic spring loaded center punch..





No hammer needed, just press hard once point is in place and the spring loaded internal hammer drives the point home..

Even with that punch, a small flat spot on anything round makes life much easier :B

One of the possible problems not addressed with drilling round material is keeping the drill hole centered.. Real easy for a hand held drill to drill off center at an angle..

JRscooby
Explorer II
Explorer II
profdant139 wrote:
JRScooby, that is a great tip about grinding a flat so the drill won't walk -- I will remember that the next time I have to drill through a rounded piece of metal.


Drill will walk on flat, that is why god invented center punch. But center punch is also sometimes a problem on round stuff

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
JRScooby, that is a great tip about grinding a flat so the drill won't walk -- I will remember that the next time I have to drill through a rounded piece of metal.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
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Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
The nut only has to be a "close fit", it most likely will not screw on due to different threads and might be better to find a nut that is slightly smaller diameter hole than the shaft and then drill the nut to fit tightly on the screw (slide over screw shaft) then weld in place.

Too large of a nut opening and it will be difficult to center the nut on the shaft for welding and you will end up with a wobbly out of center nut.

Once welded, get some grease or oil on the screw shaft, dry shaft is most likely why the nubs worn out.. Takes more effort to turn the screw without some lubrication and that extra effort wears out the nubs..

TheLostBoy
Explorer
Explorer
Yeah, I'm going to see if I can find a nut that will fit first (that seems to be the hardest part) and find someone who can weld as I'd much rather have a socket to lift and lower these than the flimsy peg crank I have now, but my second option will be drilling a hole with a pin. Thanks for all the tips!