Trailer Question : How often to service the bearings/hubs/brakes?

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wipe_out

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Hi,

I know most on here are in marina's or dry stacks but hopefully there are some around on trailers.. :)

Just wondering what the service interval for trailer bearings/hubs/brakes is for a trailer that is used to launch and recover in salt water.. We have hub a flush kit fitted but the water pressure is very low at Rockley Park so I doubt they are being flushed very well if at all (trying to find a solution to the water pressure problem)..

Trailer is probably about 7 months old now and has been in the water about 10 - 12 times now..

So what sort of service routine should I be attempting to achieve to keep everything working properly?

Thanks..
 
wipe_out said:
Hi,

I know most on here are in marina's or dry stacks but hopefully there are some around on trailers.. :)

Just wondering what the service interval for trailer bearings/hubs/brakes is for a trailer that is used to launch and recover in salt water.. We have hub a flush kit fitted but the water pressure is very low at Rockley Park so I doubt they are being flushed very well if at all (trying to find a solution to the water pressure problem)..

Trailer is probably about 7 months old now and has been in the water about 10 - 12 times now..

So what sort of service routine should I be attempting to achieve to keep everything working properly?

Thanks..
Click to expand...
Main issue is the cables seize and then bind the shoes onto the drum.
First jack the wheel up and spin it. There might be a bit of grinding, but it should not be seized of course, and it should not rumble/wobble. If it does, the bearings have gone.
Alko bearings are a bit trickier, but if Knott, there are some vidoes on youtube for Knott. Basically, jack and axle stand, leave the wheel on, prise off the bearing cap, pull out the split pin, undo the bearing nut and pull off the wheel and hub.
You do not want to see the brake shoe lining in pieces all over the drum !
Have a look at the outer bearing; it should still be covered in grease and the bearings should not be pitted.
If all ok, just put it back together.
This does not check the rear bearing of course, but the wheel wobble test gives you a clue.
You'll be lucky to get more than a year out of it all, though I suspect if you tow back home each time that clears out alot of the muck. I think sitting in the boatyard rusting away is the issue.
On the other hand, if you are just going from the slipway to the yard then you do not (at that point) need a tip top brakes system I guess.
 
I would service annually if used in salt water regularly. That's stripping hubs and removing & checking bearings for play - regreasing and changing brake shoes where necessary. About an hours job each side for a twin-axle trailer once it's on axle stands.
 
We have it serviced annually by a trailer specialist. Most years they change the "Bowden??" cables as they swell and jam with corrosion (and a flushing kit will not touch those). The trailer is almost the most important service item when trailer boating.

(and where is the hose at Rockley, we have never found it?)

P.S look for good trailer servicing offers in January as its their quiet month, everyone wants a service in April (season start) or October (Season end)

Martin
 
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mlines said:
We have it serviced annually by a trailer specialist. Most years they change the "Bowden??" cables as they swell and jam with corrosion (and a flushing kit will not touch those). The trailer is almost the most important service item when trailer boating.

(and where is the hose at Rockley, we have never found it?)

P.S look for good trailer servicing offers in January as its their quiet month, everyone wants a service in April (season start) or October (Season end)

Martin
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice Martin.. Would you mind sharing what the average service on a 4 wheel trailer should cost so I have a guide?

The taps are in the boatyard.. We are leaving the boat in the yard this summer but last year I asked if I could pull the boat into the yard to use the hose to rinse off the boat and trailer..

The water pressure is very low though so I can't flush the outboard with muffs (have to use the hose connection) and trailer hubs are not getting flushed well if at all.. Have a thread in PBO forum looking for options to boost the pressure ( http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?454628 )..
 
I never found flushing did alot of good. With larger twin axle and Alko bearings, I used to reckon on up to £500 a year in servicing. That was some years ago!
 
£500 would typically cover a major service and labour and probably only needed once every 2-3 years depending on use. A minor service can be had for £150 - £200 or you can do it yourself.
 
Noticing that the OP is in my area, I had a twin axle trailer serviced for £90. See http://www.compasstrailers.com/page3.htm. Ben, the guy who does the work, has a tremendous amount of experience and is very flexible about fitting-in with your diary. My only involvement with the company is being a happy customer.
 
My trailer goes in and out of salt water every time I go sailing. Four wheel/twin axle braked with a flush kit to the hubs. Beginning of 2014 I replaced both axles with Alko sealed bearing in them, before that the old axles were the traditional tapers that come apart when you remove the centre nut which I used to service/regrease two or three times a season. To date I haven't had the Alko hubs off, jacked them up a couple of times and spun them, plus all the cables still run freely and the brakes apply/release without issue.

I am religious about flushing them for a good ten minutes, plus on the recovery cycle they usually get a good run home to dry out. Fingers crossed they last another season without issue but the way I look at it for just over £1000 to replace both axles complete with brakes and cables I"m still well ahead of those that pay moorings even if I have to replace them every three/four years.
 
£123.00 - 2013 Service - Previous Owner Invoice, no parts
£384.94 - 2015 Service - TH White (Ifor Williams) - £226 labour, £158 parts (4 x Cables and Energy store)
£290.71 - 2016 Service - TH White (Ifor Williams) - £192 labour, £98 parts (4 x Cables and jockey wheel)

This is for a large twin axle trailer (R4/3500)
 
Cbjroms said:
Noticing that the OP is in my area, I had a twin axle trailer serviced for £90. See http://www.compasstrailers.com/page3.htm. Ben, the guy who does the work, has a tremendous amount of experience and is very flexible about fitting-in with your diary. My only involvement with the company is being a happy customer.
Click to expand...

Thanks.. Always good to have a recommendation.. :)
 
mlines said:
£123.00 - 2013 Service - Previous Owner Invoice, no parts
£384.94 - 2015 Service - TH White (Ifor Williams) - £226 labour, £158 parts (4 x Cables and Energy store)
£290.71 - 2016 Service - TH White (Ifor Williams) - £192 labour, £98 parts (4 x Cables and jockey wheel)

This is for a large twin axle trailer (R4/3500)
Click to expand...

Thanks.. Mine would likely be similar as I have the R4/3000.. Good to have a guide to work on..
 
Nick_H said:
.............but I have disc brakes so it's all exposed and easier to spray.
Click to expand...

Disc brakes are far easier to maintain overall, everything open for easily rinse off and dry, surfaces can be protected with a good lanolin based product.
Brake caliper bushes have grease nipples, although very simple to unbolt and regrease while the hub is pulled off during annual wheel bearing inspection.
 
AndieMac said:
Disc brakes are far easier to maintain overall, everything open for easily rinse off and dry, surfaces can be protected with a good lanolin based product.
Brake caliper bushes have grease nipples, although very simple to unbolt and regrease while the hub is pulled off during annual wheel bearing inspection.
Click to expand...

British regs require a completely mechanical handbrake which forces manufacturers to use drum brakes and Bowden cables rather than hydraulic disc brakes. I think it's a mistake, especially for trailers that go in salt water, but there you go. I have an American trailer, but don't really use it on the roads.
 
Nick_H said:
British regs require a completely mechanical handbrake which forces manufacturers to use drum brakes and Bowden cables rather than hydraulic disc brakes. I think it's a mistake, especially for trailers that go in salt water, but there you go. I have an American trailer, but don't really use it on the roads.
Click to expand...

Ahh, there you go, I always wondered why the Brits used old school hubs and shoes.
Although the cable and hydraulically operated discs on the smaller outfits (less than 2.5 tonnes) have a mechanical handbrake just behind the compression coupling or master cylinder on the trailer drawbar.
 
Probably not very relevant as im Aus based

but 12-18month inspections here... can push to 2 years tho as I use a self greasing bearings (bearing buddies they are called) not sure if you have such a thing in blighty - but if so please ignore :)

Basically on our twin axle trailer (gets a saltwater dump around 50 -70 times a year - about 25 trips or more) has front disk hubs and unbraked rear hubs - rubber seals that run on a pressed stainless insert on the back face of the hub - twin bearings and the bearing saver goes on the outside of the hub - when you fit the hub - this hammers on after the castle nut and you pump grease into it.. a sprung plate keeps the grease under pressure inside the axle / hub assembly and generally stops water from getting in. My last rebuild was after about 2 years and the hub internals were untouched - no rust no nothing - and they only get hosed down externally - cant say the same about the flaking externals tho :) see here for a cutaway http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sh...earing-buddies?p=854883&viewfull=1#post854883

Just noticed you mentioned drums.. I suppose that makes a bit of a difference to washdown!

Steve
 
Stats007 said:
£500 would typically cover a major service and labour and probably only needed once every 2-3 years depending on use. A minor service can be had for £150 - £200 or you can do it yourself.
Click to expand...
Ok, I was dunking the thing 5* as often as OP, but bearings always seemed shot. Or rather, we used to take a longer road trip west and I always prefered the comfort of a new set up rather than risk the issue on the motorway somewhere!
 
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