NHTSA Complaint #10284476 — 1996 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

PULLING BOAT AND TRAILER HOME FROM SUMMER HOME. HAD GONE ABOUT 170 MILES WHEN WE CAME ACROSS BRIDGE AND THEN SUDDENLY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM REAR LEFT WHEEL AND TIRE TILTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COME OFF. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF ROAD AND THOUGHT A BEARING HAD BROKE. UNHOOKED TRAILER AND THEN CAME BACK WITH JACK AND TOOLS.WHEN TIRE WAS REMOVED WE NOTICED IT WAS NOT THE BEARING. THE SPINDLE THAT WAS WELDED TO THE BRAKE PLATE THAT IS WELDED TO THE AXLE WAS BROKE CLEAN OFF. WHEN INSPECTING THE PART IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS A COLD WELD PROBLEM - THERE WAS NO PENETRATION OF THE WELD ON THE SPINDLE TO THE AXLE. WE ONLY PULL OUR TRAILER TWICE A YEAR - TO SUMMER HOME AND BACK. OTHER TIMES TRAILER IS STORED IN CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON BUSY HIGHWAY OR THAT WHEEL DID NOT COME OFF. WE TOOK AXLE TO CERTIFIED WELDER AND HE CONFIRMED MY FINDINGS THAT IT WAS A COLD WELD THAT FAILED. HE WELDED AND INSPECTED OTHER SIDE TO MAKE SURE THE WELD HAD PENETRATED PROPERLY HAD TO PUT ON NEW BRAKE SHOES BECAUSE WHEN SPINDLE BROKE IT DUG INTO BRAKE SHOE. TRAILER IS A FOUR WINNS TRAILER, BUT I DID NOT SEE THAT LISTED - ONLY SHOWED FOUR WINDS. WAS NOT SURE WHAT COMPONENT TO LIST AS IT WAS AXLE WELD SO WE CALLED IT STRUCTURE FRAME. ALSO, IN RESEARCHING TO SEE IF ANY OTHER PROBLEMS, THIS IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED ON RECALL REFERENCE #00V296000 IN 1999. WE DID CONTACT RALPH HOSKINS AT FOUR WINNS TO SEE IF THIS INCLUDED OUR TRAILER AND BASICALLY HE BRUSHED US OFF SAYING IT WAS NOT THE SAME THING. IT WAS CLEARLY A FAULTY WELD AND NOT DUE TO FATIGUE. THIS WAS EVEN CONFIRMED BY CERTIFIED WELDER. WE TOOK PICTURES SHOWING THE SPINDLE AND THE BRAKE FLANGE IF INTERESTED. *TR