Bad Day....

[TritonTRXV8]

The lugs work differently. On cars the hub supports the weight and they just have to keep the wheel on the hub. On a boat they have to center in the hole and support the wheel entirely. If the wheel was not installed perfectly true with the holes aligned over the studs so that the lugs could be secured to maximum depth they have the potential to work lose. The wheel kind of self centers on the studs over time. This creates the potential for slack that must be tightened. This is why you have to check the first few trips after you have redone the lugs and why manufacturers state it is the owners responsibility to check them.

A wheel is a wheel doesnt matter if its on a car or a trailer the rotating hub on the axle that the wheel attaches to with lig nuts doesnt know if its on a car trailer dump truck whatever. Lug nuts are tapered on the end to fit in the taper of the wheel this is what centers the wheel to the hub and nothing else plays any role at all. The taper also keeps the lug from backing out given no lubricants of any kind get in between. The reason lug nuts become loose is because they were not installed correctly the first time period. If they dont start tight they wont stay tight. I have never once ever had a lug come loose on anything i work on from trailers cars trucks and school buses.

[ncbass]

A wheel is a wheel doesnt matter if its on a car or a trailer the rotating hub on the axle that the wheel attaches to with lig nuts doesnt know if its on a car trailer dump truck whatever. Lug nuts are tapered on the end to fit in the taper of the wheel this is what centers the wheel to the hub and nothing else plays any role at all. The taper also keeps the lug from backing out given no lubricants of any kind get in between. The reason lug nuts become loose is because they were not installed correctly the first time period. If they dont start tight they wont stay tight. I have never once ever had a lug come loose on anything i work on from trailers cars trucks and school buses.

So could the hub somehow fail allowing grease (lubricant) to get on studs/lugs which may cause them to back out over time?

[TritonTRXV8]

So could the hub somehow fail allowing grease (lubricant) to get on studs/lugs which may cause them to back out over time?

If the lug nuts are properly tightened highly unlikely thats a very tight metal to metal seat between the lug and wheel be pretty tough for grease to get between unless the wheel was loose to begin with.

[Sammiew]

I would believe also that most people don't get their tires balanced on their trailers like you would on a car. The constant bouncing and vibration from the unbalanced tire might just loosen the nuts over time and once they start it's over with. I had the same thing happen on a small trailer and it completely wallowed out the holes in the rim till the lug nuts were actually fixing to come through the rim holes. A walk around to look and tighten the lugs every now and then would be a good practice. Sure not any fun sitting on the side of a road trying to figure out what to do.

[ncbass]

Update:

Adjuster made it out last Tuesday and agreed on a new trailer, really no discussion, he said that I shouldn't have to worry about a rebuild/repaired trailer given the newness of the boat and the peace of mind a new trailer will bring. Service manager says the trailer has to be built, so 14-18 days. Gotta give a thumbs up to Progressive, my first time with any kind of claim, super easy to deal with, quick reimbursement on my tow and of course no fighting over the trailer.

Having an Ultrex installed while waiting on the trailer, looking forward to that....

[slonezp]

good news

[gotlimit?]

I have to agree with having trailer tires and wheels balanced. IMHO it is a must. I always check my tire pressure before I tow and check the lug nuts with a torque wrench. I also service the hubs once a year. Each and every time I launch my boat, I walk around my trailer and give it a quick inspection.; loose hardware, wires, etc. I'm glad your insurance company took good care of you and bought you a new trailer.

[Bill Reynolds]

With respect to wheel balancing, I learned about "Road Force Balancing" this year. I have had vibration problems and uneven tire wear for 2 years until one of the guys on the Trailer forum suggested trying road force balancing. I could not possibly describe the process and benefits, but Recommend that you google "Road force Balance" if you are interested.

[ncbass]

With respect to wheel balancing, I learned about "Road Force Balancing" this year. I have had vibration problems and uneven tire wear for 2 years until one of the guys on the Trailer forum suggested trying road force balancing. I could not possibly describe the process and benefits, but Recommend that you google "Road force Balance" if you are interested.

Pretty interesting, found a tire place nearby that offers the road force balancing, I will be hauling the tires up there when the new trailer gets here, thanks for the post...

[ncbass]

Update....

Finally picked up the boat and new trailer. Dealer ordered what he called the "deluxe" trailer, top of the line for my boat. Some of the upgrades from the original include all LED lights and back up lights, 3" framing (dang thing is sturdy) and 14" tires instead of 13". Towed great, just felt better on the road than the previous trailer. The old trailer was still sitting beside the new one, amazing how much more "beefier" the new one is. Also, the new Ultrex looks badass, looking forward to Saturday on the water.

Thumbs up to Progressive, painless and hassle free first time claim experience....