Boat Trailer Maintenance

Trailers are the most ignored piece of boating equipment, but the one on which everything else rides, literally.  When going on an outing the last thing you want to happen is to be stranded on the side of the road where you may have to leave your investment unprotected while you seek help.  It is important to make sure your boat trailer is not the problem.

“People tend to take their boat trailer for granted,” said Leon Hudson president of the 50 year old Houston-based McClain Trailers, Inc.  "But boat trailers are just like any other piece of equipment; you have to maintain them to get the best from them."

Most boat trailer problems can be traced to one crucial part.

“Bearings probably account for 99% of the problems people have with their boat trailer,” Leon says.

 Bearings bear and disperse friction of revolving wheels. They are, by far, the hardest working part of a boat trailer.

If bearings are not kept properly lubricated, or if they are subjected to abuse, they can rust or deteriorate from friction caused by heat.  When a trailer’s bearings stop doing their job, the wheel stops working.  Thus causing one or more of the following, seizing, ruining the spindle, disintegrating and causing the wheel hub to collapse and ride on the spindle.

A common cause of bearing problems occurs when a boater drives a couple of hours to a destination, then immediately launches their boat.  “The (wheel) hub is hot, and then it’s put into cold water” Leon said. "You get water pulled past the (bearing) seals, and then it condenses there."  If the water is left there bearing will rust causing them to fail even if grease is present.

This water in the bearing lubricant is especially problematic for coastal anglers; saltwater is  very corrosive.

What to do?

"During the off season, boaters should remove their boat trailer’s tires, and check their bearings, races and hubs," Leon said.  "If there is any problem - a grinding when the hub is spun, or a hub that  wobbles – replace the bearings and races, inspect the hub and spindle for damage, and repair or replace them as necessary."

How to replace bearings:

"Maintaining proper bearing lubrication also is crucial," Leon said.  "For most boat trailer wheels, a Bearing Buddy® or similar item which uses a spring-tensioned seal to force lubricant into the hub works well."

"Boaters should avoid allowing their boat trailer to sit unmoved for weeks or months," Leon said.

When a boat trailer sits idle, bearing lubricant can settle to the bottom of the hub, leaving upper portions of the bearings with little or no lubrication." I recommend moving the trailer often and this will keep bearing grease on all the bearings,” Leon said.

"Boat trailer springs take a beating from the load they support and the conditions they endure," said Leon .  "Boaters, particularly those who launch in saltwater, should check their springs for rust."  Leon recommends regularly coating trailer springs with a protection such as a penetrating oil or even grease.

"Investing in a spare wheel hub (fit with bearings and races) and a spare tire is good insurance against wheel bearing problems on the road.  If a hub’s bearing craters, it is relatively simple to remove the damaged hub and bearings and replace them with the spare.  Complete hub assemblies for the most common trailers can be purchased for $35-$90," Leon said.

"Many times a boater will have a spare tire but when a flat occurs they are unable to loosen the lug nuts because the studs have become rusted to a point the lug nuts cannot be removed.  Spending time, a minimum of twice annually removing the lug nuts and treating the  studs with an anti-corrosive additive will save time and expense when it becomes necessary to replace a tire, Leon said"  

"Boat trailers typically come with six-ply tires.  These tires often are designed to hold much higher air pressure than automobile tires.  Under-inflating trailer tires will cause severe tire wear.  Boaters should check the recommended air pressure for their tires and maintain that pressure," Leon said.

No boater should be without a tool box. It should include, at minimum, wrenches, a socket set, a variety of screwdrivers (Phillips and slot), electrical tape, duct tape, hose clamps, at least a couple of styles of pliers, and a means of jacking a trailer. McClain can offer several solutions for carrying and storing equipment.

 Featured in the "Houston Chronicle"
 

McClain has a complete stock of trailer parts and excellent trailer repair facilities in Houston, Tx. and Baton Rouge, La. to handle any trailer repairs that you need.  View our parts page.

Back to top