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Posts: 358
| Just had to vent a little folks, and I'll tell you why.
Last fall I had my boat trailer repaired at one of the local marinas in the Chain O Lakes area. Normally, I do not patronize any of the dealers up there, due to what I have heard about them. This time, I had no choice since the wheel bearings went out on one side of the trailer, and I was able to limp it into this marina to get fixed. Well, $135.00 later, I was back on the road. That price covered new bearings and labor.
Life is good, well it was until this past weekend when the wheel bearings went again while traveling at 70 MPH heading up Rt. 51 to Vilas. This time, it was $580 for new hubs (one side) new brake assembly (that got destroyed when the bearings went) and parts and labor. Not to mention the $105 towing bill. The dealer that fixed it said that no way should new bearings have gone out in less than 1,000 miles on the trailer.
So, I called the marina that put the new bearings in it last September. OK, here is the venting part!!! They asked if I had kept the bearings greased up, and I replied "of course." Which is very true. Then they asked if I had the receipts for the shop that greased the bearings. What? I told them that I did it myself (which I am sure that most boat owners due,) it was at this point that I realized that was their way out of being responisible! What a sham! That was the end of the phone call, and the end of my doing any business at all with that marina.
Being a design engineer for the last 18 years of my life, and having two son in laws that are journeyman auto mechanics, there is no way those bearings should have went! I will not disclose any names over the net, but if any of you happen to be curious what marina did the work, I would be more than happy to e-mail my thoughts to you, or talk over the phone. I would hate to see any one else wind up having to take their boat trailer to Jiffy Lube just to have the hubs greased up! |
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| sorry to hear of the %^$(*^(!!! you had to deal with. please email me the name of the dealer so i NEVER give them a dime of my business!
steve |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Mike, I think you should just buy a new trailer. That one has been a nightmare. Sorry to hear about your misfortune, lets hope it is the last one you have. |
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Posts: 5874
| In my experience, wheel bearings don't go bad, if properly maintained. The usual culprit is lack of maintenance, improper packing, or relying on Bearing Buddies to keep your bearings from welding themselves to the axle. Is it possible that the brakes may have been dragging, and heating them up?
I suspect that the dealer had learned many years ago, that DIYers sometimes don't really know how to properly repack and install trailer bearings, and that is why they wouldn't stand behind it today. Once somebody else touched them, they were done with it. Actually, there is no way to figure out what happened at this point.
I had a problem about 20 years ago on the way Eastern Ontario with a borrowed boat. I offered to maintain the bearings before we left, but he assured me that the Bearing Buddies were just "Filled", and wouldn't be a problem. We went about 150 miles, and I heard the chirping of dry bearings. Touched the hubs, and nearly stuck my fingers to them, they were so hot. Luckily, they weren't welded on, an Auto Store was open, had the bearings, and some tools, and we did them at night, under the parking lot lights. Now, whenever I go on a trip, I feel the hubs whenever I stop, usually no more than 250 miles. Never had a hot hub in many years, except for a sticky brake caliper this spring.
Edited by Shep 7/8/2004 11:49 PM
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Posts: 96
Location: Eden Prairie, Mn. |
The clowns overtightened the bearings and/or did not pack them properly. NO bearing will fail with less than 1000mi on them unless they were improperly installed - not poorly maintained. Bearings only need to repacked technically annually
at best, not per use. Check manufacturers maintenance schedule recommendations and go back with eveidence/data.
Go after them - a monkey can pack and -snug- a wheel bearing correctly. Hence, grease monkey !!
I have friends and family mambers who have neglected bearings for years and they seem still seem to operate fine.
Amazing !! You got robbed. If they want recipts - bring in a half empty can of marine wheel bearing grease.
Mother |
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Posts: 32922
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I beg to disagree. I worked with Liqua Lube for several years, and can tell you that new bearings DO fail, even when in an oil bath and properly installed. It doesn't happen often, but it DOES happen. A bad bearing race or housing is just as possible as a bad ANYTHING, or for that matter, a bad spindle or seal. So is damage to the seal from a road hazzard, etc.
There isn't a Marine dealer out there that would stand behind the repair they did once someone else repacks them, that's for sure. This situation is a bad deal, but could have been caused by too many other factors to blame the dealer and start a 'boycott'. I agree that 1000 miles isn't much on a set of bearings, in fact I put way more than that on mine between work.
I have had situations like you posted twice over the years, as i trailer about 15K per year some years, and both times a trailer builder did the work on the hubs.
I understand being upset at the cost and the longevity of the work, but just too many variables exist to be too awful hard on the dealer. |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Mike,
I'd have to agree with Steve on this one.  The downside to ownership of anything is risk of failure. Sometimes it's poor assembly/ installation. Other times it's defective parts. It has always been my opinion that if I own it I should try to understand it enough to watch out for trouble. That's why boards like this are helpful. I've learned an awful lot about things to "watch" for whether it be reels, rods, baits, motors (you get the picture). I've certainly paid my fair share of rework bills on maintainence items that I didn't keep an eye on myself. Please understand that I'm not accusing you of not knowing how to grease a wheel bearing. I'm only saying that after 16 years of farming and 12 years of working for Caterpillar Large Engine center as an assembler I've seen too many failures of machines and moving parts that could not be diagnosed as either "human error" or a "defective part." I/we just pay the bill and try to keep a closer eye on it. Hang in there! |
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