I'm New And Have No Clue

[plyxrs]

Hello All, I joined the site not long ago, i just got me a boat about 2 months or so ago, but just now got it tagged and just now hitting the water, its a 1974 Starcraft Capri Tri-Hull i think its a 18ft boat, well anyways, i think the bearing on my trailer may either need greased or changed because when towing i hear this deep some what loud not really loud but its loud enough to notice noise, im not sure if its just because the tires on the trailer are weather cracked or if the bearings are bad or just need greased, when i first got it and pulled it home i didnt hear it and then the second time i pulled it to the lake to make sure it was going to float i didnt hear it but then after i got the trailer in the water the first time after that i heard the deep noise, any ideas?

Here she is, in this picture i had it hooked up to my 1977 Dodge Sportsman,

But i only paid $50 bucks for the boat and trailer off of craigslist. it needed a floor and some TLC but i got the floor in it with some indoor outdoor green carpet, right now i dont have a big motor but im using a 32pound thrust trolling motor and believe it or not it moves me around a lot faster then what i thought.. but i mainly use it for fishing but at tax time im getting about a 20hp engine.

 

[Volphin]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

Nice boat! The noise could very well be a wheel bearing. It would be a good time to inspect both of them.

V

 

[Snowfish]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

Any New to You trailer Needs Bearing service, period.

Weather checked tires are a blow out waiting to happen.

Nice boat, BTW. Enjoy.

 

[nlain]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

First, jack the trailer up and check the bearings, from your post it does not sound like you have done anything to them. That growl you hear may be the only warning you get before the wheel and hub fall off on the road. Do Not just grease, pull the hubs, pull the bearings, clean and check them, then repack with grease, replace the seals and reassemble, do this to both sides. I don't think trailer tires would make that much noise for you to hear them in the tow vehicle, bad bearings could. You would hate to have the wheel fall off on the road. If you do not know how to do this you can watch instruction videos here: http://www.etrailer.com/video-categories.aspx

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

I would service both bearing hubs, and invest in bearing buddies as soon as you can

what happens with grease seals on trailers and dunking in water is that the bearings and hubs get warm (normal) when you drive to the water, you back into the water, this quickly cools the hubs, drawing in water past the seals. if you dont give them a shot of grease to displace the water, eventually the bearings fail because water causes corrosion and is not a very good lubricant.

the bearing buddy keeps a slight bit of pressure on the grease to help prevent water ingestion.

weathered tires should be replaced too, as Snowfish pointed out, they are a blowout waiting to happen.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

I also see no stern tie-downs or straps. You NEED them to keep the boat on the trailer.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

I also see no stern tie-downs or straps. You NEED them to keep the boat on the trailer.

they are there, scroll over

 

[plyxrs]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

There are tie downs, and i did one side today but i dont think i got the seal back on, the bearings look pretty decent i thought.. but tomorrow i will pull them out and take pictures and upload. here are a few more pics.

 

[KDAVID1]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

I also see no stern tie-downs or straps. You NEED them to keep the boat on the trailer.

+1. I was thinking that before I saw your post

 

[plyxrs]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

lol you guys thought that because you couldnt see the back of the boat. wait the back is the stern right?

 

[lncoop]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

wait the back is the stern right?

Yes. What do you mean when you say you don't think you got the seal back on?

 

[Volphin]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

I think he means the rubber dust cap on the hub.

V

 

[insttech1]

Re: I'm New And Have No Clue

Helluva sweet deal for a fishing setup for $50!!!
Follow the advice of these guys. Get tires. Get bearing straightened around. Get the safety stuff down. Read up on the forums and search for the topics you need; they've probably been covered 100's of times, and lots of good info.

Download your state's guide to maritime safety; if you don't take the class, at least read the rules. It's free to read. Class is even better.

Good luck with the new boat!!