Is your trailer ready to hit the road
If you’re hauling anything on your summer road trip, here are a few pointers
From small utility units all the way up to behemoth, five-wheel campers and everything in between, our roads see a lot of trailer traffic in the summer.
And often, we see these recreational and working haulers broken down on the sides of our roads, many times with completely avoidable failures. Here are a few things you can do to help keep things following along nicely when towing a trailer.
Tires
One of the leading causes of roadside trailer breakdowns is a blown tire.
If your trailer is more than three years old, checking the tires before and after each towing season is a good idea.
Check tread-depth the same way you’d check your vehicle tires and look for any uneven or unusual wear, where one side of the tread face is worn more than the other, for example. Look for weather-checking or side-wall and tread-face cracking; any cracks deep enough to expose the light-coloured support cords under the outer rubber layer means the tire is toast. Also, check the trailer’s spares for the same issues.
You’ll need to remove each wheel for a couple of reasons. And having a calibrated torque wrench is a necessity for this and other checks. The first reason is to find out if your tool kit will do the job and it’s better to find out in the home driveway than during a road trip.
The second reason is to check each wheel stud, hub, and rim mounting area for any corrosion which may affect the wheel nut’s clamping force.
If you run into a lot of wheel stud or hub corrosion, there are now handy non-scratching hollow brush units that will mount onto your electric hand-tools to make an easy job of cleaning this rust off. Your favourite parts store ought to have well-lug cleaning pads.
Wheel hub bearings
Many trailers now come with sealed hub and bearing units, instead of the old tapered roller style. This avoids the need for annual grease repacking; while it’s an easy job, it can take a fine touch to get the retaining axle nut torque just right.
To check a sealed hub or bearing assembly, free-roll it by hand with the wheel removed. Feel for any roughness in the wheel bolt plate as it turns and check it for any excessive in-and-out free play. On average, this should be less than 0.2 millimetres.
Listen for any audible bearing noises; almost any level above a low hum is reason to suspect upcoming failure when the unit is subjected to load and speed. Some units can be adjusted with the tightening of the axle stub nut, but check first with the manufacturer’s procedure. Others can be done by tightening the nut to the point where the bearing is hard to turn and then backing off the nut a specified fraction of a turn, and some units require the use of a torque wrench. Don’t guess if you can’t find out.
Trailer chassis and suspension
This is a simple visual check to verify that frame member welds and bolted joints are secure, that fenders and tailgates are well attached, the hitch mounting point is free of corrosion, and moving parts are lubricated. Inspect rollers and loading fixtures and anti-scuff pads on boat trailers. Don’t forget the springs, and in the case of leaf springs, check the condition of any rubber bushings and mounting bolts.