New hubs needed?

[JamesCoste]

My boat trailer (a galvanized Tilt-Master) for my Glastron T-162 is a single-axle trailer.<br /><br />Both hubs have rusted bolts where the tire goes on and both of them have one of the bolts rusted completely off so only 4 of the 5 lugs are on it.<br /><br />Obviously I need to replace the hubs. It's been 10 years since I've had to replace bearings and I vaguely remember the hubs easy to slip off although doing a search I remember somebody having to cut the hubs off their trailer.<br /><br />A few questions:<br />1) Is $25/hub a good price? It is for a 2000-lb axle and the hub comes with bearings, cap, races, etc. I looked at etrailer.com for the price.<br /><br />2) Is there such thing as a "better" hub made for salt-water or are they all okay?<br /><br />3) How do I know whether I need the hubs for a 2000 lb trailer or a 3500 lb trailer? The hubs for the 3500 lb trailer are only $5 more.

 

[JB]

Re: New hubs needed?

Hi, James.<br /><br />Wheel studs are replacable on most hubs.<br /><br />Any hub gets "better" with bearing buddies on it.<br /><br />3500# hubs may not fit your spindles. If you get new hubs, be sure that they match your spindle diameter.<br /><br />I would just put new studs in the hubs if the bearings are good.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[JamesCoste]

Re: New hubs needed?

JB,<br />Well, that would be a whole lot easier! <br /><br />The hubs have bearing buddies and I keep them filled with grease. They don't leak, but I pump one or two pumps on the grease gun just to see the overflow hole push out a bit of grease before I take a trip.<br /><br />I'll look into getting some new wheel studs instead of new hubs.

 

[dingbat]

Re: New hubs needed?

If one has rusted off it will not be long until the next one goes. You got ten years out of them and I don't think $25 a piece is going to break the bank. Beside, what happens when you can't get the old studs to pop out of the drum or break another off? How much is your time worth?

 

[JamesCoste]

Re: New hubs needed?

I'm going to jack up the trailer and remove the wheel to see how bad the hub actually is. This boat is new to me by a year so I don't know much about the condition of the bearings other than the fact that the trailer has been fine "so far". <br /><br />I do not want to break down if at all possible, especially with the wife and kids tagging along now.<br /><br />It looks like it'll be several weeks before I use the trailer so I've got time to decide what to do.<br /><br />Thanks.