www.iFourWinns.com

Hello everyone,

I am on vacation and had a bit of tire trouble on the way up. I have replaced my tires today and noticed that with the trailer jacked up I can put my hands on the top and bottom of the tire and wiggle it back and forth very slightly.

Is this normal or should I have the trailer checked out?

Thank you.

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2001 Four Winns Horizon 180
190 hp Volvo penta engine with SX drive

Depends on how much. If the play is "just barely perceptible," then you should be fine. The play you're feeling is from the wheel bearings not being too tight - a good thing. But if the amount of play is more than that, the bearings may be a little too loose. Also, the amount of perceived play is magnified when you check it by manipulating the mounted wheels/tires. In other words, a very tiny amount of play can feel like more than that if you're checking it 12"+ from the hub. Knowing what kind of trouble you had and whether the shop took the hubs apart would add clues to the situation.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I agree with Mike in that if there is any play it should be no more than barely perceptible, any more than that and the wheel bearing preload has to be adjusted. It's not hard to do but it's one of those jobs that you have to have a feel for....Champion Trailers has some instructions on their website on how to do this (look in the tech articles). Basically it involves removing the dust cap, then removing the axle nut retaining device (either a cotter pin or a tab washer depending on the style used you either bend back the tang on the washer that retains the nut or remove the cotter pin). You then loosen the nut and next tighten it (takes a real big socket) while rotating the wheel foward till it starts to feel snug, then back off the nut by hand, and just tighten it finger tight ( I usually do this holding the nut with the socket). Then either replace the cotter pin or bend up one of the tangs on the tang washer. I do mine this way after inspecting the brakes every few seasons and they usually have either no top to bottom play or just a tiny perceptible amount of play.

check this link for the full version....
http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup ... adbearings

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Just a word of advice, a lot of people will argue with this but if you know any Bearing Engineers, (which I am lucky or unlucky enough to know one, depends on the day ) when people tighten bearings on their trailer and leave them a touch on the loose side that is incorrect. Bearings must have preload to last properly. The amount depends on the size but they actually should have some drag on them when you adjust them with the wheel off the ground, the wheel should not spin 10 times when you lightly spin a wheel checking preload.

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Brian Borchik
The Winds of Cold Springs Harbor Marina
Baldwinsville, NY

I agree with the requiremnet for some drag but unfortunately the castelated nuts often make the bearing preload too tight and you neeed to back it off to the next position that you can get the cotter pin through and it may be looser than you would like.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I learned this year that it is better to have just a little play in the wheel. Before a long trip I tightened mine just enough until there was no play. A few hundred miles later I discovered that I had very hot bearings. A great bearing shop just north of Lake Powell let me know that there should be some play when the bearings are cold. As they warm up they become less loose. So all of my bearings had to be backed off a little and the bearing grease replaced. Lucky for me I was driving only 55 to 60 MPH and did not ruin the bearings. Lesson learned.

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2006 Sundowner 255, 5.7 GXi, 320 hp
"Simply Irresistible"