Be Prepared for Trailer Bearing Failure

The truck is all packed up, coolers full of ice and supplies. Rigs are tied, reels are respooled. With boat and trailer in tow, you are ready for your long-awaited trip to your favorite fishing grounds. The boat looks clean and everything in its place. You are feeling like a pro— you know that boat inside and out! But what about the trailer? Sure, you checked the tires gave ’em a kick, but did you check your bearings? What about the wiring? Is the winch OK?

Trailer maintenance is vital. Haven’t we all seen someone’s weekend delayed while they work on their trailer? My buddies and I all have been on the side of the road with smoking bearings and a blown-out race (the ring with a groove where the balls rest). That’s all avoidable—it’s easy maintenance if you are the least bit mechanically inclined. I started bringing my floor jack and kits with extra bearings and races on all my fishing trips. Do yourself a favour, though, and every year take your trailer to a reputable shop that specializes in trailer maintenance.

For $200 or so a year, it’s piece of mind. The first time you do this, tell your mechanic you would also like to have a repair kit of spare parts, and to list the parts on the receipt so you can mark down the sizes of what you have.”

Trailer bearing exploded view

Bearing Buddy—A True Friend

If you unfamiliar with Bearing Buddy, they are popular caps that have a grease nipple which conveniently allows you to fill the cap with grease. Be careful not to overfill with grease; it will push the back race out and deep fry your brakes and bearings—you will be the one on the side of the road. I used to have Bearing Buddies on my trailer, but these days I simply use bearing caps and seal them with silicone.

Bearing Buddy

Replacement Bearings

If your bearings do fail, you will need to replace them to get back on the road, but that can be an easy 20 minutes if you are prepared. There are many different trailer shops and parts stores that have what you need. For the easiest and quickest roadside repair, go and get yourself replacement hubs that are set up with packed bearings so it’s a quick swap with the castle lock and cotter pin. If you choose to repack your bearings on the side of the road, you will need some good marine synthetic grease. Don’t buy the cheap stuff—you get what you pay for.

Rebuilding trailer bearings

Tools for Replacing Bearings

You will of course need tools and a jack. You will also need to know the size bearings you have and the size of the spindle on the axle (1″ is a common bearing size for trailers). There are front and back races, as well as a back race and a washer that holds the bearings in place with a castle lock held by a cotter pin. You’ll want to be able to spin the wheel but still have some resistance. A good rule of thumb is to tighten the castle lock to stop the wheel from spinning, then loosen it to the nearest slot in the castle lock which lines up to the hole in the spindle.

All in all, your best bet is a couple of spare hubs that will get you back on the road in no time, saving a lot of confusion and greasy hands on the side of the road. Preparation is key to anything, so expect to have a bearing fail and be ready to replace it quickly.

Tyler Kaye, Big Fish Charters with rebuilt bearings