Trailer Wheel Rust

[Wind Chime]

HELP! I keep getting wheel rust.

Last year the trailer wheels had rust on them, so I removed the wheels, used a rust removal compound that got rid of the rust. I then wire brushed them and painted them with white rust paint.

It is now a year later, and the rust is back.
I launch in salt water and rinse after every use.

Would a pair of those wheel covers that RV's use help?
Anyone had this same problem, or have any advice.

Thanks in advance!

Darry

[delevi]

I have the same problem. I believe all Mac trailer wheels rust. Probably the only cure is to keep painting or replace with aluminum or stainless rims. Maybe somone else has a better idea. Don't know anything about the RV covers you mention.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Those wheels will last 10+ years rusting like that - I would worry more about those lug nuts, which will freeze up solid if you let them stay like that. When you go to remove them, the wheel studs will snap, leaving you with a major hassle...

In salt water, I think it pays to keep the studs lubed to keep them for freezing up - one of the few things Kevin and I disagree on (and his rationale about correct torque is absolutely correct). I think you mitigate these concerns by realising there isnt a huge amount of 'loosening torque' on lug nuts - they tend to vibrate loose rather than being 'undone'. If you run them on the 'looser side' and are diligent about hourly checks when trailering, you wont have trouble. If you trailer all year without checking them, they will bite you one day.

[Paul S]

usually the rust so bad on the studs they break off unless you lube the threads.

What I do find works quite well is using west marine's corrosion pro lube (spray wax) on the lugs and nuts after they are installed. countless dunks and the new lugs on my new hubs have not rusted at all.

Also, the rims are like $40 at Northern tool. I was going to paint my old ones. But getting new tires/rims (tires with a higher load rating) was a better solution. I figure once I have the old rims sand blasted, put a coat of POR15 on it to prevent future rust and repaint, It would have cost more than just getting new rims..plus now I have 2 spares!

The pics in the orignal post look quite fine. I would not lose sleep over them.

Also, I have been taught on car lug nuts, the lugs should be clean and lightly coated with a light oil. do not use antisieze. They should not be installed dry.

For the trailer. I DO use antisieze on the chamfer because I am tired of breaking lugs, and have not had any come off using it. Not 'correct' but been working fine for me.

Paul

[Kelly Hanson East]

I dont think this is applicable to Mac sized wheels, but on my smaller trailers at home I can get wheel hubs with options for either wheel lug nuts or wheel lug bolts?

Anyone care to comment about which one might be better with regard to seizing??

Not a big issue for me since most of the use on the small boats is fresh water, and nothing corrodes!!

[Don T]

Hello,
Another option is to take the rims and have them sand blasted & powder coated. Way better protection against rust. I keep my lugs lubed with waterproof grease and properly torqued. Have never had one seize, break off or come loose.

[Divecoz]

For those in the UK. . . .http://www.kbs-coatings.com/KBS-Frame-C ... _8-26.html

[Rank Bajin]

It really is no big deal to routinely, maybe twice a year to simply loosen and then re-tighten the lug nuts before they end up fusing onto the studs. That's why they snap off in the first place. IMHO

[Kelly Hanson East]

The issue is the "properly torqued" - Kevin wrote this up very nicely earlier, but he is busy watching the Phillies blow it right now....

Torque recommendations are for dry studs/nuts, and with lube the same torque will mean substantial more tension on the threaded assembly, which will hurry their failure. I think if you lube and run with less torque and diligently maintain them for tightness (every hour while trailering) you will neither lose a wheel nor break a stud.

[Paul S]

The issue is the "properly torqued" - Kevin wrote this up very nicely earlier, but he is busy watching the Phillies blow it right now....

Torque recommendations are for dry studs/nuts, and with lube the same torque will mean substantial more tension on the threaded assembly, which will hurry their failure. I think if you lube and run with less torque and diligently maintain them for tightness (every hour while trailering) you will neither lose a wheel nor break a stud.

My instructors in my mechanics class (also saw in Popular Mechanics auto section) that lugnuts torque is for lightly oiled, clean threads. Been working for me with well over 1million miles on my cars combined without a failure..yet Been told dry lugnuts can give an inaccurate torque causing failures due to excess friction when torqued. Always a controversial issue on all the car forums I am on too.. so this is not an unusual point to ponder. Not that PM is the be-all, end-all of mechanics, but between my instructors, experience, and PM, I came to the conclusion that lubed lugnuts are the way to go. as usual... YMMV

Pretty close to what I was taught at class -

http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_ ... 72441.html

.............If there's a difference of 20% between any two lug nu ts, that's too much. Try loosening all the lug nuts, cleaning the stud threads with a wire brush, lightly coating them and the nut chamfer with clean engine oil, and then reinstalling the nuts fingertight.

Next, using a crisscross pattern, tighten all of them to about one-third the specified reading, then to two-thirds and finally to the specified torque.

and

http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_ ... tml?page=3

.....Accurate torquing of the lugs requires a smooth, lubricated surface. There's one school of thought that says not to oil the lug nuts, and the extra friction will keep them from spinning off. I hate to see squeaky, dry lug nuts that chatter and smoke as you tighten them. The friction between the stud, rim chamfer and the lug nut will reduce the preload. Further, dry lug nuts will gall the wheel's chamfer, further reducing preload. A clean, properly lubricated wheel/brake/lug nut assembly that's been properly torqued doesn't need to be retorqued. The only exception is torquing a new wheel, as the paint on the lug nut chamfer and the back of the rim will wear in slightly.

[Paul S]

Hello,
Another option is to take the rims and have them sand blasted & powder coated. Way better protection against rust. I keep my lugs lubed with waterproof grease and properly torqued. Have never had one seize, break off or come loose.

I was going to go that route.. but after figuring the cost of the blasting and a good quality coating, would be close to (probably be more expensive than) the price of a new rim which is about $35-40. or go galvanized for a bit more and be done with it!

I use oil, I wouldn't use grease on the thread but maybe ok on the chamfer on trailer wheels.

[Paul S]

I dont think this is applicable to Mac sized wheels, but on my smaller trailers at home I can get wheel hubs with options for either wheel lug nuts or wheel lug bolts?

Anyone care to comment about which one might be better with regard to seizing??

Not a big issue for me since most of the use on the small boats is fresh water, and nothing corrodes!!

I hate lug bolts on my audi (among other things)!

I figure if you break a lug stud, you can punch out the stud and replace it. If the lug bolt breaks, it will be a PITA to get the broken section out of the hub as it is threaded not splined.

also if the trailer hub doesn't have a hub surface like a car hub (where the weight of the vehicle is on the wheel hub, not the lugs), then it will be another pain getting the lugbolts into the holes.

both work, but I personally hate lug bolts!

[Don T]

Hello,
When I went to 15" rims I bought the galvanized ones that I rattle can painted white. Years later, no rust with paint holding up fine. No fancy pin stripe though.......I really miss that!

Lubricated lug nuts will not back off if "properly torqued." PT=100 ft lbs / 5 lug torque sequence = every other nut until you get them all. New rims or lugs have to be re-torqued soon because the metal has to take a "set." Really critical with aluminum rims, the metal will compress leaving lugs at only 25% of the torque spec. Over torquing will cause them to fail, under torquing will cause them to fail, rusty lugs and nuts will cause them to fail. The wheel to hub clamping force is the weak link in our X trailers, not the axle, not the springs, not the bearings. Standard 14" rims with 5 lugs and no offset, will support 1750 lbs each. A 15" rim has a thicker steel center section, with 5 lugs and no offset it supports 2250 lbs. M boats with 6 lugs have the advantage @ 2600 lbs each.

Sorry if I sound preachy - I was a mechanic for 30 years & an instructor.

[kmclemore]

No fancy pin stripe though.......I really miss that!

Easy fix - get yourself a Beugler. I have one - an older one with a glass resevoir - and I love it. Not a tool you use every day, but when you need it there's no substitute.

[Wind Chime]

Here is the wheel cover I was thinking of.
Will this help reduce the rust?

Darry