Smile and wave on I94!

[jiggineyes]

Well I decided to take the boat down to crocker launch yesterday. I was gonna test the boat out after the new starter i just got. Got to the ramp and tried to fire the boat up. NOTHIN! Relay clicks that it! I know the old starter was bad as I had it tested and got a new one. What else could it be now?!?:rant: Get the boat back on the trailer and start heading home. A guy pulls next to me and says Hey. your trailer is smoking! I look in the mirror and my right bearing is smokin like crazy. So I pull over to see my right bearing shredded with grease sprayed every where!:rant::rant::rant:
I unhook the boat and take the gear out. Fishfinder tackle box rods etc....

Now Im out the door to take off the hub roadside to take it to the trailer place to get a new one. Hopefully its just the bearing and not the works!

If I didnt have bad luck with this boat id have no luck at all!!!!:(

So if you see me or my boat on north bound I94 today. Give a wave!!!:lol::dizzy:

[mokis]

I saw it on the way home from work Monday. Thought to myself, poor guy. Hope you get er done and get out, good luck!

[stinger63]

Dont feel bad we had the traler bearing smoke on our way to Ludington a few years ago.Luckily we were able to get it fixed and didnt have to leave the boat on the side of the road.Good luck hope you get it fixed soon.

[Gone Fishing]

We smoked a trailer bearing in Tennesse on our way to Florida and it wasted the drop axle spindle as well. We looked around junk yards with no luck. We stopped at a machine shop and the guy said he could fix it. He had a huge lathe probably 12' in length. He welded the spindle and turned it back down by eyeball. It worked like a champ. Now get this, he wouldn't take any money for his work!!!! We couldn't leave without some kind of payment so we went to town and bought pizza and beer for his whole shop. Proves there are still some good people out there! :) Good luck with your motor and trailer!

[just ducky]

Not to make light of your bad luck, but I'm glad I learned to repack/inspect my bearings this spring, and will now make a point to do it regularly. A couple of hours of messy grease is a lot better than what you're going through for sure.

I'm curious...had you repacked them lately? You don't have to answer if it will incriminate you (I was in that boat for a long time myself).

[jiggineyes]

Actually I just repacked them last fall. Couldnt believe it. I had only taken the boat out a couple times since then too. The bearing was shredded. Had my 5 yr old son with me yesterday and dint want to risk something happening with him in the car last night. Was able to limp back home and get it changed out. Luckily just the bearing need replacing. Hub and axle were still in good shape.
Had the boat back in the water to test the new starter by 5 oclock. Works like a champ. Picked up a few perch while I was out and lost a walleye at the boat. Was only out for an hour. Ill be back on the river sunday.:)

MUCH better day today!:lol::dizzy:

[jiggineyes]

Oh yeah. Brought the new starter back to J&P. After a few minutes of head scratching he figured out the manufacturer put a paper gasket between the body and end caps. Ground wasnt passing through. He took out the gaskets and it was good as new! Everything worked out and had a big sigh of relief!

[jumbojake]

I can relate to that i smoked my bearings and my axle , on the way home from st.lucks this winter we made it home but it was worse day ever we had 2 drive a circle arround st. clair due 2 fery closings. I CHECK EM RELIGIOUSLY but some are just shot from begining.:sad:

[just ducky]

Actually I just repacked them last fall. Couldnt believe it. I had only taken the boat out a couple times since then too. The bearing was shredded. Had my 5 yr old son with me yesterday and dint want to risk something happening with him in the car last night. Was able to limp back home and get it changed out. Luckily just the bearing need replacing. Hub and axle were still in good shape.
Had the boat back in the water to test the new starter by 5 oclock. Works like a champ. Picked up a few perch while I was out and lost a walleye at the boat. Was only out for an hour. Ill be back on the river sunday.:)

MUCH better day today!:lol::dizzy:

Just goes to show that it can happen at any time, even if you are properly maintaining them.

[mintgreenwalleyemachine]

At lest your tire did not come off! Last fall i was comming back from the thumb layout shooting when at abot lexington my wheel came off the trailer hitting an oncomming van with a church group! My boat was loaded with about 120 decoys and mt axel was trashed from it riding on the concrete! after a few hours my buddy showed up from roseville with my enclosed trailer to get the stuff from the boat we loaded it still waiting for the recker. The recker showed up and the rig wouldent fit so he went back to his shop for a larger truck. They had my boat for 2 months when i picked it up there was about 5" of ice on the floor and completely full of snow! It costed my insurance company $1500. to fix it! I cant believe they did not replace the whole trailer for that price! They think the manufactor forgot the cotter pin for the hub.That is why the hub and tire fell off!

Mike:dizzy:

[B540glenn]

When I saw it, there was a state cop parked behind it.

I hope you won't be spending hours trying to scrape the big red sticker off.

[ebijack]

that sucks for sure... here's a tip for everyone, ALWAYS touch the hub/grease cover with the back of a couple fingers when you stop or get to a launch. if there's any warmth, you have something starting to go bad. it should feel the same temp as the side of your boat or trailer ( where the sun has not beat down on it). this will tip you off right away that things aren't quite right.

[jiggineyes]

When I saw it, there was a state cop parked behind it.

I hope you won't be spending hours trying to scrape the big red sticker off.


Yes I had to scrape the sticker off. Luckily I have plenty of razorblades from doing granite. She was off in about 30 seconds!:lol:

First bad experience with a trailer after all these years. Hope its the last. I will be inspecting a bit closer from ow on though!:evil:

[just ducky]

that sucks for sure... here's a tip for everyone, ALWAYS touch the hub/grease cover with the back of a couple fingers when you stop or get to a launch. if there's any warmth, you have something starting to go bad. it should feel the same temp as the side of your boat or trailer ( where the sun has not beat down on it). this will tip you off right away that things aren't quite right.

Agree with you...kind of. It depends on the weather and time of year. For example, those of us who are obsessed duck hunters, and are pulling trailers around when it's 30 degrees, 20, 10, or worse, wouldn't agree that the hub will feel the same temperature as the side of the metal boat. In the late fall, or in just plain cold weather, you will feel a SLIGHT bit of warmth when touching a hub, and it's perfectly normal in those conditions.

But I get your drift...in normal summertime conditions when the air temp is 70 degrees and up, I would agree. My rule of thumb is basically the same as yours...I feel the hubs at every stop. a bit warm...good. too hot to touch...very bad ;)

[jiggineyes]

Dont feel bad we had the traler bearing smoke on our way to Ludington a few years ago.Luckily we were able to get it fixed and didnt have to leave the boat on the side of the road.Good luck hope you get it fixed soon.

Justr read youre new location info on your avatar!:lol:

havin a bit of bad luck are ya!?!?!:lol::lol::lol: