Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Trailer wheel was wobbling coming back from boat ramp. Turned off main road and went real slow going home, and in the same spot on the wheel, every rotation, it would knock and the while would **** just a little. Then I hit a bump and it seemed to right itself. I kick the wheel and it's all kind of loose, but the lugs aren't. Guessing this is pretty bad.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Kicking it was the only "diagnosis" you've done? Not very scientific. Try jacking it up and rocking it. Looseness is bad. If you spin the wheel and hear a grinding noise, that is bad as well. Only three places it can be loose. Lug nuts, spindle nut, or bearings that have gone bye-bye due to lack of maintenance or incorrect maintenance. Did you also realize that a loose wheel can come off and go through someones windshield and you don't have to be going fast to cause serious injury?

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Ayuh,... My guess is the bearings, are no longer....

Pull it apart, 'n Look...

At Best, you'll need a set of bearings, 'n a seal...
At Worst,... you'll need a new axle, 'n atleast 1 hub...

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

I got off the road as soon as I noticed the wobbling. Only had the boat in the water 6 times. Only owned the boat a few months. Just wanted an idea of what all components were there. Thank you for answering my question. I will pass on the insults to poor maintenance to the person I bought the boat from.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Yup,

Sounds like a loose bearing...

I will note, that after all of these years, I have never been able to diagnose a problem by "Kicking it"



Awe and to draw that fine line between help and insult!

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Jack up the trailer on the offending side. Rock the wheel back and forth to check to see how tight it is (this is just for sport at this point given you know it's loose). Using a screwdriver and mallet, carefully pry the dust cap off the center of the axel (you may have to pull grease caps/bearing buddies off if it is so equipped). Under that cap you should see a castle nut. Check to see if it still has a cotter pin in it, and that you cant easily spin it. If you can, the nut may just be loose (cotter pin broke/fell out) and you can tighten it (check for torque specs). If it's not loose, then the bearings are shot. They are pretty straight forward to replace, search around and I'm sure you will come up with the proper method for replacement. All in all, this is one of the simpler maintenance items you can perform.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Given the direction this thread has taken you've probably already reached this conclusion on your own, but if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and carefully inspect the bearings on both sides of the trailer. And of course, while you've got them exposed at the very least you might as well go ahead and repack them. The most important thing to remember when doing this is to have your beer out of foot range. Nothing sadder than a kicked over beer. I'll let someone else say you should have done this as soon as you got 'er home. Happy boating.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Or inspected and serviced it (if necessary) the day you bought the boat since you had no idea if or when the last axle service was done. If my "lost wheel" comment insulted you, I was serious about that comment. I've seen it happen and result was not pretty. Too many folks are simply way too cavalier about this stuff. I've seen stuff fly out of uncovered boats and hit following vehicles. I've seen trailers come disconnected due to improper hitches. My own (now ex) son-in-law did a bone-head thing along those lines. My family gathers annually for a week long boating, fishing, relaxing trip each summer. We meet in a local shopping mall parking lot and then travel together. I asked everyone if they were ready to pull out and the answer was yup! I replied "wrong" and pointed to his rig and asked what's wrong? He saw nothing wrong so I picked up the tongue of his trailer and dropped it onto the chains. Yup -- not fully down on the ball. There is simply no excuse for this when you have one or two good eyes. OK -- I'm done now.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

I have purchased many different trailers over the years and learned a long time ago, the best thing you can do when you go to pick it up, is take a jack and a few tools with you and some grease, jack each side of the trailer up, pull the wheel and double check the bearings on each side of the trailer, double check the tires, check the air in the tires. During my stint running an RV repair shop, it was amazing how many people would come in off the freeway and we ended up doing repairs on their trailers because they had not checked everything before pulling it. Many would say, well the lights worked so I figured everything was fine.. It is surprising how many people don't check their trailers very often. Which is why I always check before I pull a trailer I am not familiar with, that way I know for sure it is alright.

Another thing I have started doing because I live pretty remote and don't have easy access to parts much of the time, I order an extra set of bearings and associated parts to keep with me at all times, that way if I do break down, I can fix it then and there, without having to run all over trying to find parts in some backwater town. For the extra price, to keep spare parts in the box, it is well worth it, some of the places I go, can be over 100 miles + from the nearest town that may have parts..

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

While you're at it, as mentioned, DO THE OTHER SIDE TOO.
Might as well go over the winch strap or cable, lights/wiring and safety chain mounting points, coupler too.
Check the air pressure too.

I have to agree with Silvertip...maintenance is done BEFORE it's needed, not the 6th run.

FYI I have done wheel bearing maintenance BEFORE I left the sellers driveway!

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

I always do maintenance BEFORE I leave a sellers driveway, that way I only have myself to blame if something goes wrong, it is not I don't trust others, but I trust myself more..I have often found what they consider good, I don't consider so good..

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Never owned a boat before this one. Spent all my time learning how to maintain a boat. Perhaps there should be a maintenance sticky on what all new people should do with their trailer.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

Dolfan0925 said:

Never owned a boat before this one. Spent all my time learning how to maintain a boat. Perhaps there should be a maintenance sticky on what all new people should do with their trailer.

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Good idea! Boating doesn't begin when jumping onboard. It begins when you start the responsibility of being a part of boating. Yes, there should be a sticky on trailers, since what actually is at risk is you, possibly your family, friends, and even the innocent drivers around you, as you pull your trailer. Let's not mention the property damage to others, your very own boat which rests on this trailer, or the insurance rates that climb due to bonehead "boaters".

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

I think one thing that people need to remember for the majority of us, the boat spends far more time on the trailer than it does the water, in my opinion, making sure the trailer is up to snuff is just about the most important part of the equation, without that trailer, the best boat in the world, become a planter box sitting in the yard..

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

MTboatguy said:

, without that trailer, the best boat in the world, become a planter box sitting in the yard..

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That's actually a fairly common landscaping decor component around here.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

MTboatguy said:

I think one thing that people need to remember for the majority of us, the boat spends far more time on the trailer than it does the water, in my opinion, making sure the trailer is up to snuff is just about the most important part of the equation, without that trailer, the best boat in the world, become a planter box sitting in the yard..

Click to expand...

As a youngster, we had a boat but not a trailer. Grandpa rented one at the Uhaul store to take Dad's boat from the cottage to the house so it could be stored inside in the winter. Visa versa in the Spring.

When I was a teenager just starting to look for a boat of my own, I read everything in sight (still do). Back then there were books on the subject and to this day what I leaned was good info. Now lots of stuff on the internet is bad info....but that's another story.

Anyway....what has stuck in my mind all these years was that if you are a trailerboater, the trailer is the most important component. I built my first boat and bought what i considered at the time to be the best trailer available.

In subsequent years, every time I bought a new boat the dealer tried to sell me a crap trailer! I'm sure to keep the cost down. I have always upgraded the trailer from what originally came with the "package".

My point is that the role of the trailer is too often downplayed. That in itself leads to poor maintenance.

I've never had an auto accident....knock on wood. But, I've come close a few times. Each time it was on the interstate on vacation and the offending party was pulling a trailer that disintegrated or came off the towcar right in front of me.

Re: Wheel feels like it's gonna fall off.

As for labels on boats, stickers on the trailer, and any form of information relating to trailers, towing and boating, even if it is available people don't read it. How many of you actually got the owners manual out of the glove box when you bought your new truck or car? I'm betting the vast majority do not do it until they can't figure out how to set the radio or work the fuel computer, or where the fuses are located. As they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. As for maintenance information, everything that was discussed here regarding this trailer is available on the internet. Google and Yahoo searches will turn up enough maintenance and parts information to make your eyes bleed. If you are not computer literate, try your local library. Since trailer suspensions have not changed for decades any of the on-line manuals for virtually any trailer make will provide maintenance information. Packing wheel bearings?? Google "packing wheel bearings". Bleeding Trailer Brakes???? Google -- well -- you get the idea.