Trailer Requirements

[Priority1]

You are all ready to go fishing; your boat, rods, reels, and lures have all been checked and repaired over the Winter. One thing that sometime gets overlooked is the boat trailer. Most everyone knows to grease the wheel bearings. It is a good time to check for any other faulty equipment, such as rollers, brakes, and lights. Trailers with drum brakes need adjusting. Check fluid level in the master cylinder. I feel it's necessary to jack up the trailer and at the very least spin each wheel to check the bearings. Actually the trailer should be blocked up, to take the weight off the tires over the Winter. While the trailer is up on blocks check the brakes. Don't forget to check the tires and their pressure.

The max. trailer width allowed in MI is 102 inches, or a special permit is required to haul them. The 102 inches is measured at the widest part of the trailer or load. Any trailers over 3000# G.V.W. are required to have brakes. You don't want to compromise your safety, or the safety of others. IF you are involved in a serious accident, even if it's not your fault your tow vehicle and trailer may be checked. In this scenario, your equipment better comply. Boats with 102 inch beams have to watch the width requirement closely, with fishing gear installed.

I'll bet others have suggestions also. Feel free to pile on.

[boomerang]

Trailer brakes should be adjusted at least once a year, more often depending on the miles traveled, the severity of the downhill grades, and the amount of stop and go traffic that is encountered.This is a chore that most people with average mechanical skills should be able to handle.

You will need a brake adjusting tool, available at most tool supply stores,or you can get long thin straight screwdriver heat it up and bend it,

a jack capable of safely lifting the trailer, and a jack stand to hold the trailer in the jacked position.The following steps are a guide to properly adjusting your trailer brakes. What this entails is the adjustment of the star wheel which in turn sets the brake shoe to brake drum clearance. This adjustment is important - as the brake shoes wear down, the clearance increases. The actuating mechanism must travel further to effectively apply the brakes and a point can be reached where the mechanism is no longer able to so.

Adjusting Boat Trailer Brakes

Park the trailer on firm and level ground.

Block the trailer tires on the opposite side securely so that no forward or rearward movement is possible.

Jack up the trailer following the manufacturers instructions.

Secure the trailer on jack stands of adequate capacity front and rear.

At the back of the wheel, on the brake backing plate, there is a small rubber plug near the bottom of the backing plate. Pry out this plug to give access to the star wheel adjuster.

Some trailers have a drop axle suspension system and the axle covers most of this adjusting hole making it difficult to use the brake tool. Patience will win out in the end if you keep at it.

Insert the brake adjuster tool and maneuver it so that the tool engages with the teeth in the star wheel. The star wheel looks like a gear with exposed teeth on the perimeter. On most trailers you would pull down on the tool handle which levers on the bottom of the hole and turns the star wheel up (as you are looking at it from the back of the wheel. Just to make it more difficult, the star wheel is located well inside and some maneuvering is required - a flashlight will help to locate the star wheel.

Turn the adjuster until the brake locks up, i.e. you can no longer rotate the wheel by hand. This centers the brake shoes on the brake drum so that they are in the correct position.

Now back off the star wheel 8 to 10 clicks or as specified by the manufacturer. The wheel should spin freely with no apparent drag to slow it down. A slight scraping noise is normal as the wheel turns.

Repeat this procedure for all the wheels.

Congratulations, you have successfully adjusted your own trailer brakes ... that wasn't so bad, was it? Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any assistance, JOHN

[Priority1]

John,GR8 pictorial instructions on how to adjust trailer brakes. TYVM. My trailer does have a dropped axle and I made a special tool out of some flat bar. I like it better that any brake tool because I made it wider and just barely fits in the adjusting slot. The tool never slips off the adjustment star wheel. Again TYVM John

[Priority1]

Here is a pic of a homemade special brake tool for trailers with dropped axles. I made this a few years ago from some 1/8 X 1-1/2 inch steel flat bar. 1/8 X 3/4 would have been perfect but I used what I had. The 1-1/2 inch stock made for a good handle for my big mitts. The regular brake tool I had didn't work well with the dropped axle. Do what you have to do, but git er done.

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

great suggestions!! These are all very important, particularly the brake and bearing check. It's no fun at all to do emergency repairs!

I would add to ensure all tie down straps are in good condition. Last summer I saw a boat off in a ravine on I-94. I'm not sure if it was strap failure, but there was no trailer under that boat in the ravine. It made me check and ultimately replace my straps.