mtn said:As for unhooking the lights, I do it when I remember. I rarely remember.
Quoted for truth. Although I might be somewhere around 50%.
Also, my lights are sketchy. Something I should probably work on, but when I'm not pulling the boat, I've got other stuff to do, and when I hook up the boat and they don't work, there's no time to fix them. LOL.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
I had that same experience recently with my FILs boat. I was towing it home 200 miles, and when I plugged it in, it didn't work. I dropped it off at the trusted trailer shop and had them deal with it. Came back for it a week later.
I keep threatening to just buy these, clamp the wires down with zip ties, and replace them every season if necessary.
In reply to mtn :
If you decide to go that route, spend the extra money and get the wireless ones.
I bought these to use on the Jeep when it's behind the RV. They are awesome.
Update:
In keeping with the glacial pace of my projects, I greased up and installed new bearings on one side last night. Tackling the other side this morning. The old bearings were probably re-usable, but the outer races show some pitting, so new bearings and races eliminates uncertainty and eliminates the need to clean the old stuff.
I've probably owned this boat and trailer for ten years. Never done anything but squirt some grease in the bearings. I have no idea how good the P.O. was about bearing maintenance. Here's a pic of the outer races. All in all, I think they look pretty good:
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Those would probably work fine for around town but that's more pitting than I want to see.
Toyman! said:In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Those would probably work fine for around town but that's more pitting than I want to see.
Agree. Probably happened when the trailer was sitting outside for an extended period prior to my purchase. I'm thinking this was the "good" side. Pretty sure the other side has a hint of roughness in it. I'll post up pics of those races later today.
Okay, here's the other side. Much worse, with some rust visible on the Made in Slovakia bearings. Of greater concern, the races were very easy to knock out of the hub, and the new outer bearing race slips freely into the hub.
Anybody use Locktite or hammer dimples into the hub to remedy this? Or just buy a new hub?
Well, I hammered a few dimples evenly spaced around the hub bore. Then took some plain old Locktite Red Gel and coated the bore where the race lives. It went in fairly easily, but I did have to tap it in with a hammer and punch and it's actually snug. I guess I'll let the Locktite sit for a day before I put it back together.
I'll probably order a new hub just to have it on hand.
Whelp, it's together. Turns out that both inner and outer races were loose in the hub. Dimpled the surface and slathered a bit of Loctite in the bore and tapped the races in. Sucks about the hub, because A) I'd be done with it now, and B) The bearings run so nice and smooth and quiet.
But I need to get a hub on order and swap it out. I'd tow it as is to my regular spot, which is just a few miles down the road, but have a longer trip planned for summer, and I'd be nervous about it going that far.
In reply to 1988RedT2 :
Buy an extra hub and bearing set. Also buy a spindle. Mount the spindle on the trailer. Install the hub on the spindle and your spare on the hub. That gives you and entire set of running gear for emergency repairs.
I carry an entire hub set spare on longer trips. That ensures it won't fail.
I have launched into salt water hundreds of times (including an hour ago) and I've never disconnected trailer lights. They fail due to impact, wire corrosion, or fatigue. Never had one fail while launching. Potted LED with leads long enough to get up to a junction box at the tongue are pretty robust. Individual grounds.
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