Gotta love boats

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Well its always something. On the way home from Bull I looked back and the wheel was smoking pulled over instantly in Chadwick of all places. Smoked a bearing and it took out the spindle too. New axle on order. 

[jdmidwest]

Chewed it up good.  Looks pretty dry.

[fishinwrench]

The hub might be toast...,.but that axle could live.   

[snagged in outlet 3]

That’s one thing that keeps me from taking my boat on longer trips.   Like up north smallie fishing.   If I’m driving back and forth from the lake (4hours each way) I check them for heat at every stop.  Then I jack it up and inspect them after the trip.  Usually put 2 pumps in each side if everything looks ok.  I carry everything in the truck to swap out hubs  including floor jack.  
 

I smoked one shortly after paying a place to repack them.  It was dry as a bone.   Now I do it myself.   BTW new hubs are about the same price as paying someone to repack them.  

[MrGiggles]

I've got an axle stub welded right to the trailer frame, and have an assembled spare hub/tire assembly with me at all times. Just don't try to use it as a step, it rolls!

That's one area where a tandem axle can really be worthwhile. Worst case you can remove the lame wheel, tie the axle up, and limp to where you're going. 

I've often considered upgrading to an ez-lube style axle. I seem to get about 3 years out of a set of bearings, not sure if it would pay off or not. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, MrGiggles said:

I've got an axle stub welded right to the trailer frame, and have an assembled spare hub/tire assembly with me at all times. Just don't try to use it as a step, it rolls!

That's one area where a tandem axle can really be worthwhile. Worst case you can remove the lame wheel, tie the axle up, and limp to where you're going. 

I've often considered upgrading to an ez-lube style axle. I seem to get about 3 years out of a set of bearings, not sure if it would pay off or not. 

I have the EZ lubes.   The problem with tandem axle for me is the ability to move the trailer around in the garage.  I’ve seen the trailer dolly’s but my little Jon boat only weighs like 1500 - 1600 pounds.  Wouldn’t mind oil bath hubs though.   I think those are much better???

[fishinwrench]

Of all the different types of TRAILERS....

BOAT trailers are the worst.  It's that repetitive submersion into cool water with warm hubs.   

No matter how well sealed they are....those hubs going to suck in some water.   The only thing you can do to combat that issue is CONSTANT MAINTENANCE.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

If you have EZ lube axles the solid dust caps perform way better than the ones with the rubber cap.  4 for 10 bucks on Amazon.   Moore trailer has the seating tool for like $10 too.  
https://a.co/d/5mIl1hw

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

19 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

Chewed it up good.  Looks pretty dry.

Pretty dry after 2 cans of brake cleaner, it was a nasty mess. I'm pretty religious about greasing them too.  Had a Convo with my neighbor who pulled his jet skis home and he said he never had bearing go bad.  I told him to drive back and forth to the lake twice a week instead of once in the spring and fall LOL

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Of all the different types of TRAILERS....

BOAT trailers are the worst.  It's that repetitive submersion into cool water with warm hubs.   

No matter how well sealed they are....those hubs going to suck in some water.   The only thing you can do to combat that issue is CONSTANT MAINTENANCE.  

I agree, Thing is I'm always greasing them and I have plenty of buddys that tow as much or more than me that never grease their hubs.  Don't you love the guys when the lakes are flooding and they back in off a gravel bar and just leave their trailers in all day while they are fishing.  Water always finds a way in.  I see guys at Bull do that all the time but yet I'm the one stranded on the side of the road