With the Valiant relocated next to my trailer, I looked at the rear tires in relation to the wheel well opening and began to think something wasn't quite right.
Boone was working on his little Tow-Me trailer, and had all the tires, wheels, drums, and hubs removed. We've beat on that poor trailer for more than twenty years, so I supposed it could use the maintenance.
I called him over for a second set of eyes. "It looks like the passenger's side is shoved forward and is further out now, and I'm not sure why", I explained.
"Did you re-adjust the diagonal link after you moved the ladder bar?" He asked after a cursory look underneath.
"Uhh...Nope!"
We checked it with a tape measure, X pattern, and it was way off.
"You really didn't expect to just bolt the diagonal back in place..."
"You were rushing me! Besides, I haven't slept all night! I tried to defend myself.
"Well, get it back on stands, so we can adjust it".
"What are you doing to the trailer?" I changed the subject.
"The bearings were all loose, the brakes are shot, the tires are shot. Figured since this is the longest drive we've made to start Drag Week, I'd rather fix it here than on the side of the road".
James came out of the shop, clearly disinterested in helping Dale work on an engine, and joined Boone and I beside the trailer.
"At our shop in Phoenix, we've had to replace many spindles on semi-trailers that were ran for a long time with loose bearings", I explained to them, "the inner race will spin on the spindle and eat it up. I'd hate for you to put new brakes, bearings, and tires on the thing if the axles are screwed up."
Boone ran his fingers over the spindles a few times, then laid on his back to look at the bottom of the spindles. "The bottom is darn near flat! you're right these axles are shot. I wonder if Dale knows someone in town that has new axles in stock."
"Boone, do we really have time to be rebuilding a trailer? We really need to concentrate on the cars", I explained.
"I'll bring my trailer over in the morning", James volunteered.
"This trailer is the only one that will pull the Drag Week trailer", Boone complained.
"I did notice that the Duster now has a receiver hitch", I teased.
"More of my handy work", James confirmed.
"With those 3400lb springs, I think the Duster would pull it fine, but now I'm not sure how we will get it to Ohio", Boone shook his head.
"We'll be fine without a trailer on Drag Week Boone, just as long as we have at least one B-Body, we can bring everything we need!"

The Drag Week trailer has become as diverse and customized as the cars themselves. In the early years you had rented U-Hauls, Harbor Freight bolt togethers and pretty much nothing in between. Now they are limited only by a cubic feet rule, and the builder's imagination. Equally as diverse and imaginative, is how many of these small trailers arrive onsite for registration day. Some are standing on end in a pick-up bed, some are in pieces and have to be assembled on arrival. Watching all this equipment arrive is a spectacle unto itself.