*Warning* Continental Trailers

[wavelength]

Yesterday I was helping a buddy work on his boat and we decided to PM the trailer for an upcoming road trip. Got out the impact air gun to back off the lug nuts, grease and run them back in.

We found 5 of the 6 lugs on the port wheel were cross treaded from the factory and the impact barely moved them. We did'nt check the other side just made plans to take it to the local tire shop for all new studs.

My point is this trailer was purchased new in Miami several years ago and has not been serviced. Can you imagine being on the side of the road with a flat and four way lug wrench!!!!!!

[Fr. Frank]

Most Continental trailers are shipped wheels-off. They stack them one upon the other, then the dealer assembles the wheel to the hubs.

Here's some good advice: NEVER ASSUME THE PERSON PUTTING YOUR BOAT ON THE TRAILER AND ADJUSTING SAME KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING!

Check everything! .
Make sure the axle u-bolts nuts, bunk nuts, spring hangers, etc. are tightened by checking them yourselves. Any bolt or nut you ever plan to remove for any reason whatsoever MUST have grease on the threads. That means you gotta grease them yourselves.
And if you check that BEFORE you ever pull out of the dealer's parking lot, you're being smart.

In an in-out storage marina, the kid on the dock or running the forklift is probably untrained and making less than $15 hour, and in the case of dockhands, probably making about minimum wage. Check things accordingly.

Take it from an old marina manager. Assume three things were done improperly, and then check carefully 'till you find 'em.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Several years ago I bought a new aluminum single axel trailer from a very good company located in the Tampa Florida area. They shipped my trailer it to me and delivered it to a local marine shop in Fort Lauderdale. I stop by pay the bill, looked briefly at the trailer, hooked up and drove away happy about my new trailer especially because I knew this manufacturer made very good trailers. Well 5 miles away on I-95 in Fort Lauderdale in 5 o’clock traffic one wheel comes flying off and my NEW trailer starts bounces around sparks a flying axel grinding to a dead stop stopping 5 lanes of traffic. Thank God no one got hurt except my new trailer. I pull off the road collect the tire and discover the Dealer Forgot to tighten the nuts on the one side. He put them on so when you looked they looked snug but only hand tight. I flipped out scarred the s**t out of me and I never bought another thing from this local dealer. The manufactures replaced it and the driver for that Co. got in a lot of hot water for not putting on the tires himself. But I sure did learn my lesson “trust no one” when it comes to stuff like this.

FellowShip

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My motto: Just for the Grins

[Blue197320]

i guess i should put my experience with torino trailer out there. i got my new double axle trailer and they put the boat on it for me only with WAY too much tongue weight and cut off the rear of the bunks so i cant move the boat back any. thats fine ill fix that when i have the boat in the water for its test. but the real problem is with the axles and u-bolts. the axle is on top of the leaf spring and the plate on the bottom of the spring that the u-bolt tightens to does not have any washers on it just the nuts. well the holes in that plate are almost the same size as the nuts. BIG PROBLEM i turned into the gas station to fill the tank and heard BOOM! and looked in the mirror and the u-bolts had broke off and the axle was free on one side. luckily i work by their shop and went in there kinda angry one day and they replaced the u-bolt. sorry its so long but if that would have happend doing 40+ MPH it would have been bad.

[gw204]

I've always been told to NEVER grease lug nuts! So I haven't and have never had any issues breaking them free.

Anyway, let me share my new trailer stories. I bought a nearly new Loadmaster and a new Hi-Tech within the past year. Both had leaking grease seals because the castle nuts were tight enough and the hubs wobbled. So, first thing I did was tear everything apart, repack the bearings and install new seals.

Now it's as good as new should be.

[Fr. Frank]

As long as you torque the lug nuts properly, the grease won't be a adverse issue, and prevents excess corrosion on the threads.

[sixguns]

You can't torque the lugnuts "correctly" with grease on the studs as the torque value normally given will be for a dry stud . The torque value will be completely different for a stud with grease as it drastically changes the amount of pressure applied at the same torque . Even different types of grease and oil will require different specs .

Only when a manufacturer provides a special lubricant and a torque value (like with ARP studs) to use with that lube applied should one use grease on studs that have an important job like wheel studs .

[brianmac]

I had issues with "performance" brand trailers out of miami. i ordered a 24 foot 3500 lb galvanized pontoon trailer. and like you said , they stack em for shipping to and from the galvanizing plant. well mine was the biggest,so it was on the bottom, and they dont take the time to load the weight balanced on the axles. so the first one came with 3 out 4 cracked welds at the A frame spot, the next one came with 2 of 4 cracked, and a bunch of spots where the galvanizing never stuck, and the 3rd one came with rust all over it from spots never galvanized. the dealer said, ill just paint it with "galvanizing paint".... yeah right, i ran to the next dealer and paid an extra 500 for all alum and stainless hardware. yeah sure you cant use a torque wrench if ya lube the studs, but if your an experienced gearhead, and you fish saltwater, ya lube em and use your "armstrong torque wrench" and your "shouldertop computer" to make the adjustments. hence the expression , "old salt"

[Fr. Frank]

...yeah sure you cant use a torque wrench if ya lube the studs, but if your an experienced gearhead, and you fish saltwater, ya lube em and use your "armstrong torque wrench" and your "shouldertop computer" to make the adjustments. hence the expression , "old salt"

Absolutely true. And make sure you check everything including the lug nuts every time you use the trailer .

People who hook up and go without inspecting their lights, brakes, bearing lube, lug nuts and tie-downs are the same people who
(a) launch their boats onto the asphalt,
(b) can't change their flat trailer tire 'cuz the lugs are frozen,
(c) weld their bearings to their spindles for lack of lubricant, or
(d) get back-ended cause they gave no indication of stopping or turning due to a lack of functioning trailer lights.

Disney coined a name for idiots like that back in 1970 - Boatniks

[wavelength]

When I was still Marine Patrol'n we would check the lugs and the coupler to the vehicle at the ramp after a day of water patrol. Several times I've found things undone or nuts backed off... messin with man.