Trailer maintenence
 

Just wondering what everyone does for their rituals to not wind up with issues...

1. How often do you change/repack bearings?

2. How often change brake pads?

3. do you rotate or balance your tires?

4. if you do balance do you use equal so they self balance or do weights?

5. aside from rinsing after dipping in salt/brackish water. what other tips to ensure everything stays in good working condition?

I do a complete bearing job every other year but grease the hubs every couple of mths, but I also do not put a lot of miles on my trailer. Bakes & tires when needed again not a lot of miles.

I am also curious as to what others say.

i would also like to know...thanks.

After every dip in water, no matter which kind of water..your suposed to atleast pump 1-3 strokes of grease in the bearing,,,this is not to grease it ..but to push ater that got in out of it !!!!!

also,,after rinsing..spray all moving parts ( open ) with WD 40 !!!!!! ( leavesprings, haengers, brakes, and electric connections )

changing bearings should be done once a year !!! even if u don't use the trailer they will have flat erea from sitting !!!

I usually pull the wheels and check the brakes once a year. I'll also repack the bearings fully via the zerk until I see new grease coming out.

Don't forget about checking the boards, lag bolts, and carpet. The boards crack often and you will find out how quickly this can damage the boat.

I don't typically have my trailer wheels/tires balanced with weights, but I do have them spun on the balancer to make sure they are not WAY out of whack.

Next time you launch the boat, and are parking the trailer, take a couple minutes to gently pull the trailer up on a curb and check the give on each of the bearings.


The absolutely BEST tool you can buy/own/use for trailer maintenance is a laser pyrometer.

I'm kind of curious...do many of you treat brackish water like salt water? I'm planning a trip to an area that is known for it and I have a steel trailer. Should I be concerned? Should I do anything in particular?

dunk it in fresh water as soon as you return.

Salt Away

Brian,
What temps are you seeing from your bearings, in what amount of time?

Bearings should be cleaned and packed every year so you can examine the brakes and bearings, and adjust them. I balance my tires when new and when 1/2 worn. I use weights not equal. Brakes are replaced when 90 % worn. All fasteners should be checked several times a season, preferably before every trip. Don't forget to grease the actuator and trailer ball also. And keep the tires fully inflated.

1. I have axles that have a zert in the front and a hole near the rear bearing that repack 95% of the grease and pushes the old stuff out the front. I usually push in new grease at the beginning of the year and half way through the season. I do trailer 3-4k miles a year though.

2. I just finished replacing all the brake plates on my drum brakes about 3 hrs ago. It sucked!!!!!! They were the original plates. Not sure if the pads had ever been changed. Since I've owned the boat, the brakes have sucked. Most of the pads were still 20-30%, but the rest looked like crap and most looked to froze. The prior owner pretty much did next to maintenance on the trailer from what I can tell.

3. I don't rotate or balance. I did just replace 4 of my 6 tires and will probably do the other 2 soon.

4. I just have the tires mounted without being balanced.

5. N/A for me. I know the prior owner dipped the steel trailer in salt and it shows.