Cobra Trailer Fenders

2G wrote on 11/23/2019 8:40 AM:
On Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 8:12:43 AM UTC-8, Eric Greenwell wrote:
wrote on 11/23/2019 6:25 AM:
Patrick,

I replaced my trailer fenders with the Cobra product. The Cobra fenders include
the wheel chocks. They also use the existing mounting holes.

Also, use trailer tires; they are made for towing.

Be sure they are _radial_ trailer tires, and if you want to tow fast (70+, not
that I recommend it), use LT (Light Truck) tires, which have a much higher speed
rating than the 65 mph trailer tires.

LT tires aren't available for that size - use trailer (ST) tires.

Canada has the LT195/75R14 tires I use on my Cobra trailer. What size is he
looking for?

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Had a similar experience with the last ship I bought. Trailer tires looked great, almost new I thought! Found out later they were the original tires on the Cobra, some 15 years ago! I got about 300 miles on those tires when the right one threw a 12� hunk of tread with one end still attached...............bam, bam, bam, it sounded like a helicopter! Removed the fender as though it was never there! The ship had seldom left the gliderport and tire pressure was down when I got the bird. I figured that 15 long cold winters with tires partially deflated, had weakened the flat spot area. Always seems to happen when a ship is sold and the trailer sees the road for the first time in many years. Tire guy told me those were 2 ply auto tires, he recommended 6 ply trailer tires............no more tire problems!
Cheers,
JJ

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...of-your-tires#

You might want the seller to send you a photo of the tire sidewall and plan accordingly.

Then there's bearings and brake shoes.

Sometimes the local DOT runs a roadside check on trailers. Do all the lights work?

On Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 10:55:45 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Had a similar experience with the last ship I bought. Trailer tires looked great, almost new I thought! Found out later they were the original tires on the Cobra, some 15 years ago! I got about 300 miles on those tires when the right one threw a 12� hunk of tread with one end still attached..............bam, bam, bam, it sounded like a helicopter! Removed the fender as though it was never there! The ship had seldom left the gliderport and tire pressure was down when I got the bird. I figured that 15 long cold winters with tires partially deflated, had weakened the flat spot area. Always seems to happen when a ship is sold and the trailer sees the road for the first time in many years. Tire guy told me those were 2 ply auto tires, he recommended 6 ply trailer tires............no more tire problems!
Cheers,
JJ

When I bought my 8 year old ASH26e the first stop I made was at a tire store. No way I was going to use 8 year old tires while trailering across the empty expanses of Nevada. I also had to fix the butchered trailer wiring in a motel parking lot. Fortunately, I came prepared.

Tires deteriorate from the inside out from the compressed air (oxygen is an oxidizer). Much better results if you use nitrogen, but not many tire shops have it.
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

Tom

On Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 5:43:09 AM UTC-5, Patrick McMahon wrote:
Hey all, I trailered a (new to me and a partner) glider from Ontario to Alberta last week and through the trip blew out both trailer tires on the late-80's aluminum Cobra trailer and destroyed the fenders on the trailer through the event.

The first blowout (1:15am east of Madison, Wisconsin) contorted the right fender, the second (10:15pm north of St. Paul, Minnesota) cleared the left fender clean off - not recovered.

We've found the Cobra fenders on W&W, but at $135 per side, shipping and CAD conversion it seems fairly ridiculous. We've found some options on Amazon for off-brand fenders, has anyone used these? Or, are there any used Cobra fenders around? Or other suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Patrick (LS6-b EH)

Patrick,

I have one Cobra steel fender that came off of an 84 trailer that's in good condition. I'll let it go for cheep, shipping may be expensive. Let me know if you want some pictures. thomasorsini@gmail

Tom

On Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 2:00:28 AM UTC-6, 2G wrote:
On Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 10:55:45 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Had a similar experience with the last ship I bought. Trailer tires looked great, almost new I thought! Found out later they were the original tires on the Cobra, some 15 years ago! I got about 300 miles on those tires when the right one threw a 12� hunk of tread with one end still attached..............bam, bam, bam, it sounded like a helicopter! Removed the fender as though it was never there! The ship had seldom left the gliderport and tire pressure was down when I got the bird. I figured that 15 long cold winters with tires partially deflated, had weakened the flat spot area. Always seems to happen when a ship is sold and the trailer sees the road for the first time in many years. Tire guy told me those were 2 ply auto tires, he recommended 6 ply trailer tires............no more tire problems!
Cheers,
JJ

When I bought my 8 year old ASH26e the first stop I made was at a tire store. No way I was going to use 8 year old tires while trailering across the empty expanses of Nevada. I also had to fix the butchered trailer wiring in a motel parking lot. Fortunately, I came prepared.

Tires deteriorate from the inside out from the compressed air (oxygen is an oxidizer). Much better results if you use nitrogen, but not many tire shops have it.
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

Tom

Considering that sun exposure is such an important negative factor, I can't explain why so few trailers in our gliderports have wheel covers on. I have a second set now and they seem to work very well. The cost is about $20-30/pair.

Contractor garbage bags work very well as tire (with wheel chocks) and hitch covers (you don't want to have to replace the rubber bellows) for a very good price.

Go to a RV trailer supply buy a pair of steel fenders about $35 each have them power coated attach them the same way. I did it to a 1989 Cobra trailer worked great.

A few items, the tires were considered in the purchase, I think 5 years old, pressure checked, sat on concrete patio stones with UV covered when not in heated storage. They were replaced as blown with 155/80/R13's to ensure I maintained a spare - which, will also be upgraded as we get to work with the ship.

The fenders were metal, did have the Cobra mudguard but did not have the wheel chock holder.

This is our most promising solution which would be an upgrade from the rounded metal fenders, and save us some cash toward neo wingtips - https://www.amazon.ca/Mudguard-Trail...omotive&sr=1-5

The trailer has been updated to LED lights, although my vehicle detected a fault which I could not immediately location (both side markers on both sides and all functions of the taillights worked). Now that I think about it, maybe the bulb for the license plate...

T8 - your math is bad, and your comment is insulting
Thanks Tom, but we'll be looking to replace both for less than the shipping of the one you have
Dan, 5J - seems like it, not much value on the juice:squeeze ratio
Thanks glidergeek, that's the kind of sense I'm aligned with

Sorry I asked.

2G wrote on 11/24/2019 12:00 AM:
On Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 10:55:45 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Had a similar experience with the last ship I bought. Trailer tires looked great, almost new I thought! Found out later they were the original tires on the Cobra, some 15 years ago! I got about 300 miles on those tires when the right one threw a 12� hunk of tread with one end still attached..............bam, bam, bam, it sounded like a helicopter! Removed the fender as though it was never there! The ship had seldom left the gliderport and tire pressure was down when I got the bird. I figured that 15 long cold winters with tires partially deflated, had weakened the flat spot area. Always seems to happen when a ship is sold and the trailer sees the road for the first time in many years. Tire guy told me those were 2 ply auto tires, he recommended 6 ply trailer tires............no more tire problems!
Cheers,
JJ

When I bought my 8 year old ASH26e the first stop I made was at a tire store. No way I was going to use 8 year old tires while trailering across the empty expanses of Nevada. I also had to fix the butchered trailer wiring in a motel parking lot. Fortunately, I came prepared.

Tires deteriorate from the inside out from the compressed air (oxygen is an oxidizer). Much better results if you use nitrogen, but not many tire shops have it.
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-aging

The case for nitrogen is very weak, but it causes no harm. I suggest glider pilots
put their money and effort into following the recommendations in the link Tom
provides.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1