Boat trailer repair is unique due to issues caused by water.

 

 

Regular boat trailer maintenance is necessary to ensure safe travel during boating season.  Boat trailers tend to sit for long periods of time during the colder months before being towed and dunked in fresh or salt water.  This can lead to wear and tear as well as corrosion that causes breakdowns and accidents if not properly addressed.

 A thorough boat trailer safety inspection should be conducted before the beginning of each boating season and much more often if you plan on using your trailer extensively.

Schedule a free trailer safety inspection with Torklift Central today!

Here are the most common boat trailer services and repairs your trailer needs:

Boat trailer troubleshooting is particularly important for submersible trailers.

 
   Boat trailer frame and axle repair

Submersible boat trailers require significantly more upkeep than non-submersible trailers, especially when the trailer is used in saltwater.  A submersible boat trailer should always be hosed down after being dunked in saltwater to prevent corrosion, even if the frame is galvanized.

Even small areas of rust on your trailer should always be addressed.

Even when this precaution is taken, it’s still common for boat trailer frames to show signs of rust and corrosion after being used.  Light rust on the trailer’s frame should be sanded, painted and refurbished as needed.  Badly rusted structural components need to be repaired or replaced before using the trailer again.

Welding and custom fabrication can make any boat trailer like new again.

See how our custom fabrication and welding services can assist with boat trailer rust removal.

Boat trailer brakes should always be inspected before boating season.

 

Trailer brakes

Whether you have electric boat trailer brakes or hydraulic boat trailer brakes (as the majority of boat trailers have), an inspection should be made to guarantee they are working properly before boat season.  A telltale sign that boat trailer brake repair is needed includes unnatural trailer wheel noise, fluid leakage and the sensation that your boat trailer is ‘pushing’ your tow vehicle.

Trailer brake failure is caused by electrical shortages, loss of hydraulic pressure and normal wear and tear, all of which are compounded by the moisture and water a boat trailer encounters.

Torklift Central can diagnose and explain how to repair trailer brakes for any trailer.

A blown-out trailer tire

Trailer tires

Both over and under-inflated trailer tires cause blowouts, uneven tire wear, poor braking, bad fuel economy and dangerous handling.  Maintaining proper trailer tire air pressure is essential to safe trailering.

Your trailer tire tread should also be examined before travel. It’s important to understand that even if your tires have plenty of tread life left the tires may still need to be replaced.  Spider-web cracks on the tire sidewall are definite signs that the tire is rotten and is not to be trusted to carry the load of your boat.

A trailer wheel bearing repack is necessary at least annually.

When your trailer sits for long periods of time the life of your trailer tires can be extended by taking them off the trailer and storing them indoors.  You can also wrap them in plastic to protect the sidewalls from sunlight.

Torklift Central’s laser trailer axle alignment can ensure proper trailer tire wear for years to come.

 

Hubs and bearings
Most new boat trailers have bearing protectors that hold the trailer bearing grease under pressure.  The protectors keep water from getting into the hubs.  For boat trailers that don’t have bearing protectors, they should be added.

Bearing failure is the number one cause of trailer breakdown and can be identified by any variety of unnatural trailer wheel noise.  A trailer bearing repack service should be performed at least annually or more frequently depending on how often you use your trailer.

Contact Torklift Central today to learn how to perform a bearing repack service like a pro.

 

Electrical  maintenance

Trailer wiring repair needs should always be addressed before travel.

Just because your boat trailer is equipped with lights doesn’t mean that they are waterproof.  Certain trailer lights are not intended for underwater use and should be removed or replaced with waterproof trailer lights before launching your boat.

A number of electrical failures can occur when launching your boat.  Even if your trailer is equipped with waterproof lights, make sure the connector plug that attaches your trailer wiring to your tow vehicle is not dunked in the water.

Torklift Central’s trailer electrical inspection and trailer light troubleshooting expertise can get your lights working like new again without the guesswork.

Before you hit the road for boating season, schedule an appointment with Torklift Central to see if your boat trailer is ready for fun.

Get Out and Go boating your way at Torklift Central.

 
Torklift Central

877-343-6933
[email protected]
www.torkliftcentral.com

315 Central Ave N 
Kent, Wash. 98032