First big trailer service

Shaun77

Member
Mar 23, 2012
112
Florida
Boat Info
2011 185 Sport
Engines
4.3L 190hp Alpha 1
Have a 2011 Shorelander trailer and i'm getting ready to replace springs, hubs/rotors, bearings and calipers. I bought OE UFP DB-35 calipers and they came pre-assembled with pads. Are there any adjustments that need to be made or just attach the brake lines and bleed them? Also, they're sold as "universal" fit but one does not have the dual port banjo fitting to line the other caliper. Can I just remove the old fitting and swap it?
 
Shaun, this is very strange. Having to replace all of those things all ready is way out of line with the norm. While some of those components will show rust, it does not necessarily mean they are bad as it's just surface rust and that is COMPLETELY normal. Are you 100% positive that these things are are truly in need of replacement? It's an awful lot of money to be spent on something that in 99.9999999% of the time shouldn't be. Although our shop is well inland, we still deal with many boats from the Jersey shore and we just don't see these problems.
 
Hmmm, I guess I could be overdoing it. What I'm seeing looks bad to me though. The bands on each end of the springs are flaking off. There is some scoring on one of the calipers and my last trip out there was some growling on that same side. Bearings have never been done so I know those need service. I do everything in pairs so I figured it was just the cost of trailering in Florida. I'll get a better look once I get the tires off I just don't want to be that guy on the side of the road scratching my head.
 
I hear 'ya about the "guy on the side of the road". As cautious as I am and as well as I think I do my preventative maintenance, I've unfortunately been "that guy" more than a few times.

Can you post a couple pictures of what you're seeing? Are you referring to that black coating? No big deal. Scoring... just superficial? Did you jack up the wheel and spin/rack the wheel to listen for the growling?

How often do you pump grease into the bearings during the season?
 
View attachment 37740Could only upload one pic so heres the back of the rotor. I grease the BB's about twice a year with checks in between. Haven't jacked it up yet. Gonna try tmrw.
 
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Couldn't sleep much last night so I was up early messing around and popped the cap off my brake reservoir...thing was nearly empty! Clean fluid though. Topped it off and went down the street a few times and cleaned the rotors up pretty good. Guess that explains why they looked so bad. I can still hear like a shaving or scraping sound while driving. They smelled hot but didnt feel or look hot. What do think? Sound ok? Maybe just change the pads? I do still see some flaking and shavings around the caliper body.
 

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