In this section of our website we will try to update you on tips to keep your trailer running clean and smooth. Also, these tips should help you know when it's time to bring your trailer or vehicle in for us to get it checked out for you.

       First off, you should check your bearings each time before you use your trailer. You can do this by pulling off the dust cap and checking to make sure the grease still looks fresh and your hub is still spinning smoothly as it should be.  If the grease is dirty or has water mixed in with it, do not just pump more grease into the hub.  You should take off the hub and repack your bearings and replace the seal (you need to be replacing the seal each time you repack the bearings).   You can also bring your trailer in to us and we will inspect each of your bearings and races and pack your hub full of grease for you.  Why not leave the dirty job to someone else?  If you are to do it at home though, be sure to clean out all your bearings and check for pitting anywhere on the bearings or the races. If the seal or the cap does not press into the hub the way that they should, the hub will need to be replaced.  When going on long trips it is good to pull off the cap and check the grease after a few hundred miles to be sure you have enough grease and that your bearings are spinning smoothly.  It is recommended to repack them every year, but be extra careful with boat trailers because of the exposure to water when launching the watercraft.

Good Spindle

Badly worn spindle with bearing still attached.

      Also, you will want to check for wear and dry rot on your tires, displayed below will be a chart of what the wear pattern on your tire may indicate for your trailer. Your tires can be tell-tale signs that your trailer is in need of maintenance. You will want to check these tires to prevent blowouts along your drive, also carrying a spare will prevent hassle if you catch the blowout early. However, these blowouts can cause major damage to the bearings, hub, spindle, fender or even the axle.  This is another reason you would want to be sure to check the bearings, for in this instance they may save your axle and your pocket some grief.

Below is a sample from Dexter Axle of the Tire Wear Diagnostic sheet. (This can be found at www.dexteraxle.com)

Dry Rotted Tires

Sliced Tire

Tire with Center Wear

      You may want to check your suspension as well. This would be the spring system on your trailer. The links that are used to connect the spring to the bracket should be checked to see if the holes are getting bigger than they originally were.  The leaf springs should be checked to make sure no leafs are cracking and make sure there is no evidence that a spring is about to snap on you.  The springs can break for a variety of reasons.  A couple of reasons this could happen would be from too much weight on the trailer or just from the everyday pothole. There is really no good way to protect yourself from this happening besides preventative maintenance. On tandem axle trailers there are two springs on each side. There is an equalizer connecting the two springs. On these trailers you will want to make sure that none of these holes are beginning to bore out, the holes where the equalizer attaches as well as the links that attach the spring to this equalizer.  Often the equalizer is forgotten about and causes the major damage in the tandem spring system.

Example of a Single Axle spring suspension system and Tandem Axle spring suspension system.

       The lighting on the trailer is not something we can give you much advice about.  A few tips would be to make sure all the grounds to the lights are secure and clean. Also, you may want to check your fuses in the trailer wiring panel in your car if it is just a certain part of your wiring that is acting up. If you have problems with your actual vehicle lights, this is generally not going to be due to the trailer harness unless you have some type of converter.  If this is the case and the wiring in your vehicle is being affected, bring it in to us right away.  If we do not have the time to completely repair your wiring immediately, we will take out the module to ensure no harm is done to your wiring and that your vehicle lights will be working fine.

       Although we have provided you with many tips in the previous paragraphs, we would like you to know that we are here to answer your personal questions to the best of our ability.  Do not hesitate to give us a call during business hours (586) 771-9499 and our staff will be pleased to assist you. But, some questions may not be able to be handled over the phone, at which time we would make you an appointment to have your problem gone over by our professionals, so that we can get to the root of your problem and get it fixed for you as promptly as possible.

Below is a general maintenance sheet, brought to you by Dexter Axle. (www.dexteraxle.com)