Brocraft Boat Launching Wheels/Boat Launching Dolly 12" Wheels for Inflatable Boats & Aluminum Boats
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Yes, after launch, the wheels can be taken off. The wheels can easily be removed from the transom brackets by simply releasing the spring button and pulling the pin.
It's difficult to say without seeing your boat. The majority of the force and weight will be directed straight down on the wheels, so the transom is unlikely to be warped. To distribute the force along the transom, I would suggest putting some metal plating pieces as wide as you can get away with. You could also use marine silicone instead of welding it, which should prevent leaks at the drill holes and reduce vibrations. Before even considering reinforcement, I would drill and mount directly to the transom. It is unlikely that it will be required, and you can still use the holes with the addition of a plate or other items. I hope this makes sense and is of assistance. As I mentioned in my review, these have performed admirably on my boat, and I cannot recommend them highly enough in terms of quality, appearance, price, and functionality.
Hardware is included in the package. We didn't have any instructions to use a sealant, but we went ahead and did it anyway.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but the largest piece of metal that will fit in the hole. I used a grip of marine silicone to cover the holes on the back and front of the transome, as well as between the transom and the bracket.
Selected User Reviews For Brocraft Boat Launching Wheels/Boat Launching Dolly 12" Wheels for Inflatable Boats & Aluminum Boats
I bought these wheels primarily because of the positive reviews, but I wasn't impressed by the product photos on Amazon; I assumed the brackets and wheel mounting arms were just heavy gauge chromed steel, and I thought the price was too high for that. Nonetheless, I couldn't find any other boat wheels on Amazon with a higher rating than these, so I bit the bullet and purchased them. I noticed right away when I opened the box that the extruded aluminum parts were very substantial and finely machined, and while they were still a little pricey, they are extremely well made, and I am completely satisfied with my purchase. They took about 15 minutes to install on the back of my aluminum rowboat. Simply clamp them in place, make sure they're square, drill the proper diameter through hole for the bottom screw, install the stainless steel hardware, and repeat for the top screw. I launched my boat by myself yesterday, and they worked perfectly; I simply snapped them up and went fishing with them in place. Pulling the pin and leaving them in your vehicle is a simple way to remove them. You won't lose the pins because they're tethered by a stainless steel cable, so they won't fall in the water or get lost. Overall, it's a good design.
These are extremely well-made. The photos don't do justice to how well the metal pieces are finished. The design and production took a lot of time and effort. The mounting screws were a little short for the transom of my boat, but I got the job done. I put these on a 13' jon boat to do some adventure fishing, and the result is really nice. One thing to bear in mind is that When you try to swing the locks up and down, they bind up a little. It's bare metal with no lube, and it binds incredibly well. You must swing the buttons while holding them in place with your fingers. However, there is a simple solution to this problem. A little grease on the buttons and the metal where the buttons slide fixed the problem completely, and they now swing and lock with ease. Because the wheels float, it takes a lot of hand strength to bend over the back of the boat, reach down under water, unclip them, and swing them up because the wheels' flotation works against the lock a little. This would not be an issue for me if I were outside the boat. Overall, the build quality and material quality appear to be of the highest caliber, and the boat is easy to maneuver. My son rolling the boat into the canal, as seen in the attached photo.
This is incredible! On my touring motorcycle, I carry an intentionally overkill 10ft inflatable SIB with a 6HP motor. Don't make the same mistakes as some of the reviews' knuckleheads: 1. br>br> If you're lucky, the included nuts and bolts for mounting the brackets to your transom will work, but if not, you'll need to replace them. The manufacturer is unable to provide high-quality hardware for all possible applications. Note that for RIBS and SIBS (inflatable boats), toss that hardware and replace it with appropriate length bolts and rounded nuts that look like a bolt screwing into a bolt (available at West Marine and elsewhere, I'm sure). ) Larger transom holes, sealed with a high-quality sealant, but no worries about piercing your rubber or pvc tubes. (The brackets are also silky smooth and won't irritate the tubes. ) )br>br>2. )br>br>3. )br>br>4. ) Install them as far apart as possible without causing a blockage, up, down, or in-between. between. Mine barely scrape the backs of the cones as they pass, which is exactly what I wanted (small boat, limited space). 3. )br>br>4. )br>br>5. )br>br>6. Ignore the idiots who mounted them in the down position with the bend facing out the back (LMAO). ) The further forward you mount the fulcrum, the less weight you must lift. Bonus: Water drips into the ocean, lake, or river when it is in the up position. rather than into your boat On my rig, I start by blowing up the boat and putting the wheels down, then mounting the motor and gas tank, and finally loading the heavy stuff as far back as possible. I can lift the "tongue weight" with just one finger because it's so close to neutral. br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br> Don't worry if you did it backwards because you're one of the dingbats. Simply mount each one on the opposite side of what you're currently doing. br>br>The 500-pound capacity appears to be accurate, and when combined with the helpful bend and large neumatic tires, it's well worth the extra cash.
The aluminum is substantial and of high quality. It's simple to install; simply clamp them in place and check to see if there's enough room for them to swing up and down. Because proper bolts were not provided, I had to purchase SS hardware from Lowe's for $6. Another $12 was not provided for the Marine 5200 sealant that is required to prevent transom leaks. Installed a 6hp outboard and took it for a spin around the yard; one of the plastic wheels broke; these are made in China and should only be used for children's toys. A trip to HF resulted in the acquisition of two good HD wheels for the sum of ten dollars. I had to slightly widen the holes around the push buttons. When the tires were submerged and the buoyancy of the tires exerted pressure on the pins, the push button releases were too tight, making them difficult to release even with two hands. With a little work, these turned out to be fantastic. 3 stars because you shouldn't have to go out and buy new parts every time you need something.
These are well-made, but for my 9-foot-long, 60-pound inflatable, they're a little too much. br>br>The box contains ZERO pieces of paper, no instructions, no warranty, and no means of contacting the manufacturer. There isn't much of a problem here. The majority of the time, installation is obvious. Simply find a position in which the wheels do not collide with anything while moving up or down or in between. br>br>I believe the wheels should be outboard of the supports, but I have no way of knowing for sure, and I'm not sure it matters. br>br>The length of the 8mm mounting screws is my only gripe. I spent an additional $5 at Home Depot to replace the 55mm long ones with 40mm long ones. The ones that were 55mm long protruded into the interior, posing a safety hazard in my opinion.