Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hey guys. I can't tell if I'm being super sensitive to noises coming from my trailer given the crappy year I had last year because of a lot of trailer issues. I have this brand new tandem trailer after last year's fiasco, and I've noticed a squeak coming from one of the wheels. After I parked it today, I lifted up one side and spun the tires and I found that it is coming from around the inside seal of one of the wheels. None of the hubs were hot. They were surprisingly cool after an 8 mile drive from the lake, and there was no grease slung suggesting a failed seal. This sound is not internal, and it appears to be coming from the contact of the seal and spindle. I notice on the other wheels that this contact has some residual grease around this contact which prevents any noise, but this wheel spindle seems really dry and had some signs of rust. I'm thinking the rubber seal is just squeaking on this contact.

Question is: Is this a bad thing? Is this a sign the seal is about to go bad? Can I just add a little bit of oil or grease to that contact to cease the squeaking? Thanks in advance!

I should also mention that it isn't a continuous noise. It just squeaks intermittently depending how fast the wheel is spinning. The sound isn't a metallic or grinding sound either. It is more of a rubber rubbing against something noise.

Contact the dealer and ask them. Is there a possibility it is still warranty?

I would pull the wheel and take a look, aint any more nasty that a bad hub out on the road

A little rust is pretty abrasive and can damage the seal enough to let water in causing bearing problems. I would polish the spindle with crocus cloth and replace the seal.

My luck can't seriously be this had regarding trailers. Seriously. The damn trailer is brand new and now I have problems again. I'm getting sick of this crap.

C_M_25 wrote:My luck can't seriously be this had regarding trailers. Seriously. The damn trailer is brand new and now I have problems again. I'm getting sick of this crap.

Do you have black ominous thunder clouds following you around?

I do live in oklahoma and that is common this time of year

I feel your pain, however a small fix now is better than a disaster later. Don't ignore a strange noise.

Will emery cloth work to remove the rust from the spindle as opposed to crocus cloth?

C_M_25 wrote:Will emery cloth work to remove the rust from the spindle as opposed to crocus cloth?

Yes....

Well, I took apart one of my tailer hubs today for the first time. Everything looked good except there may have been some small rubber pieces on the spindle from the seal. The process was pretty simple surprisingly. The only trouble I had was the seal installation. I used the block of wood method to tap the seal in. One side of it went down and the other didn't. I managed to pop it back out and try again. I had to tap directly on the seal to get it in properly. I think it should be ok but I have an extra seal just in case. Pretty good learning session!