Regular trailer maintenance is important to ensuring the longevity of your trailer and your trailer axles and other trailer components. Before your trailer hits the road, inspecting all parts of your trailer will ensure optimal towing safety out on the road. Any new or used trailer is subject to regular wear and tear.
Give your trailer some love this Valentine’s Day by inspecting and serving your trailer regularly. If you are unsure how to perform proper trailer maintenance, take your trailer to a professional.
The key components of a trailer to inspect are the brakes and bearings, tires and wheels, and axles and springs.
Inspecting your trailer brakes and bearings
Brakes are an important component of every trailer. There are many different types of trailer brake options, and all of them require maintenance at some point over time. When your brakes are worn or damaged, it increases the possibility of the tow vehicle or trailer colliding or crashing during a sudden stop. Trailer brakes that aren’t functioning properly also put added stress on your tow vehicle brakes, causing them to wear down more quickly, and even increasing the chances that they’ll need to be replaced.
Tires
Unusual wear and tear on your trailer’s tires often indicate an issue with another trailer component such as your axles, alignment, bearings, or brakes. When your trailer tires are not inflated to the correct pressure (overinflated or underinflated), they wear more quickly. Tire wear caused by improper tire pressure makes them more likely to blow out while driving down the road.
Felling Trailers shares a helpful illustration showing the different types of tire wear patterns and the possible culprit. Use this guide to help you diagnose what may be causing your unusual tire patterns.
Axles and springs
A bent or misaligned axle causes tires to wear faster. Axle issues also make it difficult to control the trailer when driving down the road. If the axles are out of alignment, this also causes the trailer to pull to one side. Along with the axle, springs absorb much of the stress on the trailer. When trailer springs aren’t functioning properly, it means rougher handling.
Preventive Maintenance is Key
Every minute you spend inspecting your trailer components and performing proper maintenance will in turn avoid or delay any major malfunctions or expensive repairs that may cause lengthy downtime. Maintenance is ALWAYS worth the time and money!
If you notice your trailer has worn down, damaged, or rusty axles, give BlueSwift Axles in Des Moines, Iowa, a call today. Our professionals specialize in all trailer components – especially trailer axle replacements – such as spring axles, torsion axles, and drop spring axles. We help you minimize downtime and get your trailer back on the road quickly!