Trailer Service

[paddy69]

G'day Raiders,

I ahve had my boat for two years and never serviced the trailer (the wheels etc). Is it easy to get into the bearings or should I take it to a professional. In saying this I am not practical at all. So the reel question how much. I want to do it this week as it seems its going to be a bit blowy. FYI My trailer is a Booker single axle job.

Thanks Raiders

pat

[Fisherman36]

Hi, its really not that hard to do the bearings yourself. There is a great post on here somewhere with pictures that shows step by step what to do. Just do a search and you should find it.

Cheers

[Yarraone]

This is such a easy job mate and as it has been mentioned, there is a post on here with srep by step in doing it correctly.. have a look in the DIY or WORKSHOP SECTION... I check my bearings and lights before before everytrip as I live in Bathurst and travel to sydney to fish.. But, I re pack and service the bearings evrry 6 months.. good luck and PM me if you need a more personal helping hand

[The Incredible Hull]

This is such a easy job mate and as it has been mentioned, there is a post on here with srep by step in doing it correctly.. have a look in the DIY or WORKSHOP SECTION... I check my bearings and lights before before everytrip as I live in Bathurst and travel to sydney to fish.. But, I re pack and service the bearings evrry 6 months.. good luck and PM me if you need a more personal helping hand

How exactly do you check your bearings?

[Flightmanager]

Firstly , jack up the wheel in question , ( making sure the other wheel is chocked , or alternatively , connect the trailer to the car.)

Next, spin the wheel,. It should revolve smoothly , with very little sound. Any grating noises or roughness indicate further investigation is required.

Next , grab each side of the tyre at 9 O'clock and 3 O'clock , and try to "wobble" it from side to side. Any movement indicates the bearings are not tightened correctly , and remedial action is required.

Now to the fun part .......

Remove the tyre and wheel from the hub assembly.

In the middle of the hub assembly , you will see the bearing cap . Remove this , gentlytapping with a hammer whilst pulling the cap off .

You should now be looking at the bearings themselves. They are held in place by a retaining nut ( sometimes called a Castleated Nut )which is held in place by a split pin. Carefully straighten out the split pin , and remove it . ( Long nose pliers are perfect for this task). Using a socket or suitable spanner , undo and remove the retaining nut , and the flat washer which will be beneath it . Gently rock the hub , and the whole unit will slide off the axle. The Front bearing will slip right out , place it on a clean sheet of paper or cloth , never place it on the ground. ( Grease attracts and holds pieces of grit , the mortal enemy of bearings!).

Turn to the rear of the hub , and there will be a rubber seal. Gentlypry this seal from the rear of the hub assembly.Remove the smaller rear bearing .

If everything is an orange colour , take your bearings to any Automotive spare parts retailer , and get replacement bearings. ( They are very cheap , so cost is not really a problem). The orange colour is rust , highly undesireable!

Time to get our hands dirty !!!!!!!

If the bearings are not rusty or worn , clean them thoroughly with a brush and solvent ( petrol is fine ). Get all of the old grease out.

Remove as much of the old grease from inside the hub as you can .

With a clean cloth , wipe down the axle , particularly the machined taper . When cleaned , look for worn patches , or unevenness .

Now its time to "pack" the bearings with clean grease.

I was taught that there was only one way to pack bearings ,and thats the hard way !! Place a generous portion of grease in one palm. Hold the new or cleaned bearing in the other hand , and drag it across the palm with the grease. This will force the grease into the rollers.Continue doing this until all of the rollers are covered in grease.

Re-assembly is the reverse of removal , I like to pack the middle of the hub with grease , and a light smear on the axle taper.

Replace the hub onto the axle , and replace the washer and nut. Tighten the nut so that the hub assembly revolves smoothly , without binding . Replace wheel , and spin it . It should revolve smoothly and quietly . There should be no side to side play . Insert a new split pin through the nut ( there is a hole in the axle , just line the 2 holes up), and bend one end of the pin around the nut , so that it will not fall out.

I like to fill the bearing cap with grease before I replace it , which is done by gently tapping it into place.

Each wheel should take no more than 20 minutes to do . It sounds complicated , but its really pretty easy.

Ross

[paddy69]

Thanks Raiders!

This site rocks!

Pat

[Scienceman]

Other maintenance items include:

- the axel - will eventually show rust so applying something to slow this down is a good idea. I used bitchumen paint after a good scrubbing with a wire brush to remove flaking rust. Each application lasts a few years.

- suspension - springs unless galvanised will likely need replacing in 4 - 6 years. Gal springs will last much longer. Just keep an eye on how much they are rusting.

- brakes - discs will need replacing at least every 3 - 6 years. From day 1 they start to rust due to the dunking in salt water and eventually the surface becomes too broken with rust to generate much stopping power. Pads should also be replaced, more frequently if you drive long distances.

[The Incredible Hull]

Heya paddy,

I got my trailer serviced today, had new bearings & grease put in along with bearing mates.

This comes in handy as you can top up the grease without having to take anything off.

I've attached some pics.

You will need a grease gun, they don't cost much.

And get a tube of grease

Grease comes out of this hole, which is when you'll know it is full.

Plastic cap fits on snug, plus the excess grease will suck it on.

Hope this helps

cheers,

dave

[bluebottle18]

Paddy.

For peace of mind speak to your local mechanic for advice and reccomendation of where to take it for it to be done.

That tyre place down the road from you might be able to help you on where to take it.

The advice given by other raiders regarding DYO maintenance I ditto. I soaked my springs in linsead oil or similar.

If mechanically minded I agree it is a simple task. Bearing Buddies are a must. You will no the difference after they are replaced.

[paddy69]

To everyone thanks so much for all the advice! Seriously a great site and I know what I will doing while the wind is a blowing. :-)

Thanks to you all.

Pat