Always double check for yourself!!!

[MikeB0307]

We purchased a new trailer for our newly restored boat last friday. Dealer was great, gave us a decent trade in on our old aluminum Rolls that had seen many better days, carefully lifted our boat and adjusted the new trailer to a perfect fit. The whole experience was great! They even hooked her up to our truck while we finished all the paper work. No complaints! Fast forward to Monday morning where we had an appointment with our engine builder to check out the engine after our break in run over the weekend. Well, as I was backing down the ramp, my wife (The Admiral!) was walking beside the boat handling the lines and calls out to me " What's that noise?!?" So I stop, get out, walk back and see the wheel about to fall off the trailer! I walk to the other side and it was nearly as bad! So, I tighten the lugs as best as I can, launch the boat, we have a nice uneventful run with the engine builder, reload the boat and take the 25mph trip home on wobbly wheels! Needless to say I was back at the trailer dealer 1st thing in the morning! They were very apologetic, as expected for overting a disaster! They did replace the hubs, wheels, and tires while I waited. They said they had no idea how i was allowed to leave with a new trailer with loose lugs but it would never happen again! I know it won't because I will never make the mistake of not checking my trailer myself! Lesson well learned!

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

the nuts were most likely NOT loose when you left but the lugs were likely not fully seated in the hubs..... USUALLY any new trailer comes with a sticker on it to check lugs after first xx miles and frequently thereafter

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Yea, if I make it to the ramp with the wheels still on, then it is all good. One dip in the salt water and the lugs are on for good

 

[MikeB0307]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

I always check mine about every other trip, but figured they would be good for the first 20 miles! I know better now!

 

[MikeB0307]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

And I have to agree, salt water makes a pretty good thread lock!

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Unfortunately you would be surprised at the high number of trailers that leave the manufacturer and sometimes the dealer with loose lug nuts.:faint2:

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

You all ways have to check the lugs on a new trailer and any time a tire has been removed a few times till their seated in.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Unfortunately you would be surprised at the high number of trailers that leave the manufacturer and sometimes the dealer with loose lug nuts.:faint2:

I wouldn't be surprised since most boat and utility trailers are delivered to the dealers without the wheels on.

 

[MikeB0307]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Sad thing is my new trailer was supposedly the one on the bottom of a stack of 4 that was delivered to the dealer from the manufacturer, meaning it had already been towed down the highway, loaded, for more than 100 miles!

 

[Bondo]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

the nuts were most likely NOT loose when you left but the lugs were likely not fully seated in the hubs..... USUALLY any new trailer comes with a sticker on it to check lugs after first xx miles and frequently thereafter

Ayuh,.... Along those lines, but entirely different is what happened to me, years ago,...

I rebuilt an old wagon, got it all gussied up, 'n painted everything,... includin' the wheels, off the axle,....

Within the 1st 100 miles, I'd lost a wheel, busted the studs, 'n after fixin' that, had to re-tighten the wheel nuts, Several more times,...
Had me baffled for a short while,...
Come to find out, it was the Paint,....

Once the Paint was forced outa the centerin' cones the nuts seat into, they stayed Tight,...

So,... Moral of the story is, wirebrush the paint Outa where the nuts tighten against,...

Paint is soft, but gives ya a tight nut feelin', til ya run it, which displaces the paint, causin' loose lug nuts,...

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Ayuh,.... Along those lines, but entirely different is what happened to me, years ago,...

I rebuilt an old wagon, got it all gussied up, 'n painted everything,... includin' the wheels, off the axle,....

Within the 1st 100 miles, I'd lost a wheel, busted the studs, 'n after fixin' that, had to re-tighten the wheel nuts, Several more times,...
Had me baffled for a short while,...
Come to find out, it was the Paint,....

Once the Paint was forced outa the centerin' cones the nuts seat into, they stayed Tight,...

So,... Moral of the story is, wirebrush the paint Outa where the nuts tighten against,...

Paint is soft, but gives ya a tight nut feelin', til ya run it, which displaces the paint, causin' loose lug nuts,...

Judging by the picture of the OP's boat on its trailer - paint on his shiny aluminum or chrome rims was not the issue

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

driving home from work a few years back I had seen what looked like a 4 wheel trailer that was only a few feet long stuck in a hedge. Then I noticed 2 grooves in the tarmac that went for at least 3/4 of a mile. When I went to turn in to the side road where I live there sat a 25'+ boat still wrapped on a trailer with no axles and 2 very badly ground up outdrives (destroyed). Im guessing the axles were mounted on a sub frame so they could be shifted to balance the weight and some one forgot to secure them so they slid out of the back of the trailer. It always puzzled me how someone managed to drive a 350 dually 3/4 of a mile with out noticing that the trailer had lost all of it wheels. Maybe the moral is to double check everything on a new trailer before setting off. There's no boat yards that sell large new boats with in 80 miles of where I live so that expensive screw up was probably loose bolts.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Originally Posted by Bondo View Post
Ayuh,.... Along those lines, but entirely different is what happened to me, years ago,...

I rebuilt an old wagon, got it all gussied up, 'n painted everything,... includin' the wheels, off the axle,....

Within the 1st 100 miles, I'd lost a wheel, busted the studs, 'n after fixin' that, had to re-tighten the wheel nuts, Several more times,...
Had me baffled for a short while,...
Come to find out, it was the Paint,....

Once the Paint was forced outa the centerin' cones the nuts seat into, they stayed Tight,...

So,... Moral of the story is, wirebrush the paint Outa where the nuts tighten against,...

Paint is soft, but gives ya a tight nut feelin', til ya run it, which displaces the paint, causin' loose lug nuts,...

Judging by the picture of the OP's boat on its trailer - paint on his shiny aluminum or chrome rims was not the issue

Ayuh,.... Did ya miss my 1st line,..??

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

See anything wrong in this picture of a brand new rig after a 17 mile jaunt home from the dealer? The bolts are not likely to fall out had the nuts come off but with the toon off the trailer, a very short trip could have been made shorter.



And then there is this one!

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

See anything wrong in this picture of a brand new rig after a 17 mile jaunt home from the dealer? The bolts are not likely to fall out had the nuts come off but with the toon off the trailer, a very short trip could have been made shorter.



And then there is this one!

I use nylock nuts on my spring mount bolts.

 

[Snowfish]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

brand new rig after a 17 mile jaunt home from the dealer?

What did the Dealer say when you showed this to them?

 

[jkust]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

Things happen sometimes out of carelessness or otherwise. Just be glad nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged. After enough towing, I think we all have had something odd happen.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

I use nylock nuts on my spring mount bolts.

they look like jam nuts which are better as they are designed to gore the thread. once fitted they are nearly impossible to remove verses a nylock which is designed so it can be undone.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

What did the Dealer say when you showed this to them?

Those are self locking nuts in that they are de-formed (and hence one-use) to prevent loosening. The loose nut situation was not the only thing they got an ear-full of. Upon close examination of the tires, if found some checking in the tread grooves. I checked the date codes and the tires were manufactured in 2004. This was a 2008 model trailer. I got an "oh-well" from the dealer on the nuts and new tires after a very terse discussion when the dealer stated I needed to deal with the tire manufacturer who shall remain nameless. I'm a repeat customer at this dealer and my kids have also purchased from them. They knew I was P.O.'ed and corrected the problem as well they should have.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Always double check for yourself!!!

I had loose lugs on my trailer for the last trip of the season this year. It ended up costing my about 4 hours on the side of the road replacing wheel studs, destroying a tire and rim as-well in addition to the tail light that broke.