Tow Vehicle Rear Axle Maintenance

[TheKid]

Just curious if you guys do any additional maintenance to your tow vehicle due to the salt.

I usually rinse my rear wheels and axle at the wash down as I have to get pretty deep sometimes to get the boat off...maybe 4-5". I have noticed some corrosion between the valve stem and metal cap. I'm wondering if the bearings and/or breaks would require more work.

Am I crazy?

[fitz73222]

Just rinse it off like you would a boat trailer. Your rear axles have sealed bearings, your rear drum brakes wont like the dunk at all. Find a different ramp if you can. I would not like backing my truck into salt water at all!

[flounderpounder225]

Just curious if you guys do any additional maintenance to your tow vehicle due to the salt.

I usually rinse my rear wheels and axle at the wash down as I have to get pretty deep sometimes to get the boat off...maybe 4-5". I have noticed some corrosion between the valve stem and metal cap. I'm wondering if the bearings and/or breaks would require more work.

Am I crazy?

Is there any way to get the boat lower on the trailer?  Lower the risers, bunkboards etc... is it a roller trailer? Those are usually much higher, and require a deeper dropping ramp.

[wingtime]

I was just at a shallow ramp yesterday and I had to put just my tires into the water to launch my boat.  Luckily my tires are 37" tall so the rim nor anything mechanical was dunked.  However some salt water was kicked up in the wheel wells a bit.  I usually never put my trucks wheels into the water.  I even go as far as avoiding driving thru the water in the parking lot that drains off the boats If I can help it.  Even so I always rinse off the wheel wells and under carriage of my truck when I wash my boat.  I also used CRC salt terminator to wash down my boat, motor and truck.  I can tell you on my black Mercury I usually have to wash it three times to get all the salt spots off of it.  I rinsed it once with the CRC and it was gone.  http://www.boatersland.com/crcsx32m.html

[John Jones]

I can tell you my '98 Tahoe I traded off 18 months ago the rear drums were probably 1/2 the original thickness from rust flaking off in layers.  I don't think I ever went past the tire rubber at a ramp.

The way my trailer is built it was easy to unbolt the tongue.  It was a 2x3 galvanized box tube.  I called www.sturdybuiltonline.com and got them to order me a 2x4 galvanized tongue 4 feet longer.  I never get the tires in the water now.