Purchased new boat!

And with it came a new trailer! lol

Its a single axle trailer in great shape. It has easy lube wheel bearing system??

The tires have uneven wear on them, so I bought two new ones and was going to re-pack the wheel bearings as one turns more freely then the other.

Then I took the wheels off and realized I dont have a clue what to do..LOL

I attached some pictures, if anyone can offer some advice on how to service the wheel bearings, and if any adjustments may be needed on the axle??


Thanks in advance!

Re: Purchased new boat!

Do you know what caused the uneven tire wear? Hopefully you do and have addressed it, because otherwise merely slapping new tires on there will only result in the need for more new tires in short order. As for servicing the bearings, the EZ Lube system is nice because all you have to do is place the nipple of your grease gun on the zerk and pump in new grease until the old grease comes out. Keep going until you only see new grease.

Now, if one wheel isn't turning as freely as it should you need to go ahead and get into the hubs and most likely replace the bearings. In order to get to them you'll need to pull the grease cup with a large pair of channelocks, pull the cotter pin, then unscrew the castle nut. At that point the outer bearings and the big washer in front of them should come out easily. I like to have a towel on the ground to catch them. Once you've removed the outer bearings you'll need to pull the hub to access the inner ones. When you do you'll find a seal that has to come out before the inner bearings can be removed. Go ahead and plan on destroying this seal. You'll never get it out in reusable condition. You should be able to leave the races in provided they aren't roughed up badly.

When you're ready to put them back in (or put in new ones most likely) just reverse the process. Be sure to pack the bearings before you put them in the cavity. There are tools for this, but I simply place some grease in my palm and slap it with the bearing rotating it a few degrees each time. This forces the grease into it quite effectively. Once they're packed they're ready to go in. Note that they're tapered and take care not to force them in the wrong way. They should just drop right in. Once the inner bearing is in put the new seal on by pushing it into the cavity then placing something flat (2x4 works well) against it and tapping that until it seats and is completely flush. This is important because if it's not flush it will allow grease to escape and you won't know it for a while since it's on the inside. Once that's done put the hub back on, repeat the packing process for the outer bearings, and put them, the washer, and castle nut back in place.

Place a pair of channelocks or wrench on the castle nut and tighten it while turning the hub in the opposite direction. Once it's barely snug back it off until there's a little play. You don't want it too tight. Align the hole with one of the slots in the castle nut and insert/secure the cotter pin. Replace the grease cup and pump the cavity full of grease.

Lather, rinse and repeat on the other side. Hopefully your issue hasn't goobered up the shaft too much. If things are tight and you find you're having to force them report back. You want to get this straightened out the first time. FYI there are all sorts of excellent resources online for help with this. Just perform a keyword search and you'll find everything you need and then some. Good luck.

Re: Purchased new boat!

I just ran into a jam doing my bearings (hadn't ever done the trailer before), and got a bunch of help. Here's the thread if it's of any use to you:http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=528483

I didn't have the wear issue on the tires, but had to fight through a few things learning the "how to's"

Re: Purchased new boat!

southkogs said:

I just ran into a jam doing my bearings (hadn't ever done the trailer before), and got a bunch of help. Here's the thread if it's of any use to you:http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=528483

I didn't have the wear issue on the tires, but had to fight through a few things learning the "how to's"

Click to expand...

Let's hope it doesn't come that, kogs. I've been in that situation in a boat ramp parking lot on the Little Red river. Not fun. My fault, but not fun.:facepalm:

Re: Purchased new boat!

I actually learned a lot about my trailer doing it. I had it in the garage, all propped up and warm, which made it easy - and I wasn't in a hurry to get it done. Don't wanna' do it again, mind you

Re: Purchased new boat!

Incoop did a pretty good job explaining everything. Sometimes if the wheel just isn't turning as smoothly or as long as the other wheel it is because the bearings just need to be adjusted, or that perhaps the bearings are new. New bearings are a little stiff at first and require a well lubricated initial roll to seat and wear in right. I would pull the bearings clean them up really well, including the insides of your hubs and inspect for any deformaties or nicks. there may be some shiny spots on the bearing or in the bearing cup (race), but as long as the whole thing is not shiny you are good to go. If no defects noted I would repack and reassemble being sure to tighten the axle nut real good to reseat everything then back off and tighten it just enough to hold the bearings againist races but not tight enough to not allow the wheel to spin. You should have the slightest bit of play if you grab the wheel on the top and bottom and try to shake it back and forth. Now if you have to replace the bearings for any reason, whether it be because the races are bad or the bearing is bad, make sure to replace each bearing and race together. They come in sets and wear together throughout their life. If you relpace one, make sure to replace the other.

Re: Purchased new boat!

That tire damage looks like it's from something contacting the tire, like the fender or part of the frame.