Outer Boat Trailer Bearings Wear Out After Long Trip

Question:

I have a 1200 lb boat and haul approx 800 lbs in it when traveling from MI to FlL. My trailer is 2500 jb axle and 1250 bearings.... I always burn up One suede of bearings on South or North bound trip. Always the shoulder side of road bearing. Should I put 3500 lb axle.and bearings.?

asked by: Douglas P

Expert Reply:

It sounds like wheels of the trailer are angled in at the bottom/out at the top or vice versa. This would cause excessive wear on the bearings. There are a few things that can cause this. First, if the tires angle out at the bottom then that could mean that the trailer is overloaded. But based on the weights you have provided the load on the trailer is 2,000 pounds. But if it ever was overloaded that could be what has happened.

It could also happen if the axle was physically flipped over; which some people do to get more ground clearance. Not typical on a boat trailer though which usually have square axles and also because having a boat trailer higher up would make the boat harder to launch.

The suspension might need to be inspected and worn or damaged parts replaced. Check the suspension for any obvious broken parts and replace them in pairs (both sides instead of just one side). Also check for excessive wear such as egg-shaped holes in the hangers.

Suspension problems like this can cause the axle alignment to be off which can lead to problems. Usually it manifests itself in the form of uneven or excessive tire wear. To see if the axle is aligned measure from the dead center of the coupler back at an angle to the center of the spindle on one side. Then take the same measurement on the other side (measuring from the exact same place on the coupler). If the measurements are off from each other loosen the suspension and adjust as needed.

Using the wrong bearings could also cause them to wear quickly. If the bearings are too large for the spindle there will be too much movement of the hubs on the bearings. And be sure that you use a good wheel bearing grease such as # L11380. Not all greases are compatible with each other so if you used some that are not compatible then it would cause the grease to break down and the bearings would get hot and damaged.

I have linked a help article on grease for you. When packing bearings with grease a handy item to have is a packing tool such as # L70025. It limits the amount of mess!