Preventative pontoon trailer maintenance now can save hundreds of dollars later, avoid a breakdown, or even prevent a disastrous wreck. It is extremely dangerous when a wheel comes off a trailer at highway speeds, or failed brakes jack knife a rig.

Wheel bearings are the common and frequent maintenance item on a trailer. Seized bearings can cause hubs, wheels, tires and axles to fail. At least once a year completely disassemble the trailer hubs, clean and inspect the bearings. Use a parts washer and solvent of mineral spirits, kerosene or gasoline, taking the standard safety precautions.

Check carefully for visible signs of wearing, heat or oxidation discoloration, gouges or pitting. Needle bearings should feel absolutely smooth. Also clean the hub casing thoroughly and inspect the races inside the hub. These should be perfectly smooth with no marks, grooves or pitting.

Replace any suspect bearings and races and always replace the hub seal after each inspection. Use double lip seals for boat trailers that are immersed in water. These are spring loaded to maintain tension on the seal and prevent water entering the hub.

Before repacking bearings and hubs with new grease and reassembly, inspect the axle, springs, mounting brackets, brakes and fittings. Look for scale rust in leaf springs, u-bolts, and axles. Saltwater use and outdoor storage can quickly corrode metal to the point of imminent failure. Ensure that there are no broken or bent parts and replace as necessary. Check that the axle stub where the hub seal sits is smooth and without pitting, grooves or wear. The seal must fit tightly on the axle to be effective and not fail prematurely. A warning sign is if you see grease has been spun out on the inside of the wheels. Replace the hub and bearing before it fails on the road.

Bearing buddy type devices can disguise the loss of grease on the inside and can overload the bearing seals with too much pressure. A grease fitting is a better solution and should be used when replacing an axle. Some types of systems load grease from the inside bearing to the outside, pushing old grease and water to the outside.

Clean and check the wheel rims for corrosion or any sign of damage. Ensure that the tires have plenty of tread and that the sidewalls are smooth, not cracked or damaged. Look at the manufacturing date code on the sidewall. There are four numbers that indicate the week and year of manufacture. A tire approaching ten years old may fail from deterioration even if the tread is adequate.

Inflate the tires to the proper pressure. Remember that trailer tires are rated for higher pressure than cars and require 50 psi or more. Under inflation is a major cause of tires overheating, wearing rapidly and blowouts. Be sure that the spare wheel and tire are also in good condition.

When replacing the wheels clean the threads of the studs and lug nuts. Tighten them dry with a torque wrench to the correct tension for the size of the stud: 7/16-inch diameter 50 to 60 lb-ft; 12mm diameter 70 to 80 lb-ft; 1/2-inch diameter 80 to 90 lb-ft; 5/8-inch diameter 110 to 125 lb-ft. Be sure you are able to remove the nuts if you need to change the wheel on the side of the road.

Carry some spares with you in the event of breakdown. Besides the spare wheel, keep a spare castle nut and split pin, and set of bearings, plus the tools needed to replace them. It could save you a long and expensive tow in the middle of nowhere.

Finally, do not overload your trailer and tow vehicle. Check that you have adequate towing capacity and that the tongue weight is within the proper range for your rig.