Troubleshooting Snowmobile Trailer With Loose Hub

Published 01/22/2015

Question:

Hello. I have a Triton snowmobile trailer from the late 90s. In the past few years I have had some issues with hubs, one side of the trailer in particular, working their way loose while on the highway. Luckily it didnt fall off but it was very loose. Do I need to use EZ Lube hubs on this trailer since it has EZ Lube spindles? Do I need to get the replacement hubs from Triton? It appears that only a tang washer is holding the spindle nut in place. Were some trailers designed this way, without a cotter pin or should there maybe be both? Hoping to get the right parts and install correctly so we can stop with these side of the road adventures! Thanks for your help!

asked by: Chris S

Expert Reply:

Glad to hear you are safe and able to check the problem out. It sounds like there could be a number of things causing the problem. An EZ-Lube system would not cause the issue because it is normally just the access to the fitting that is changed for the axle and hub. Many assemblies use a tang washer instead of the cotter pin. When correctly installed on the right size system they are very dependable.

It sounds like you could have a bad bearing which could cause it, or possibly the wrong size hub installed that is causing the problem. You certainly want to get it taken care of before using it again.

You will need to take the hub assembly apart to check all of the components and replace any that show signs of wear or damage. Then use a digital caliper and measure the spindle in the locations noted on the attached drawing to make sure you get the right size bearings, races, and seals.

When you get the measurements you need you can let us know and we will be happy to make some recommendations that will work for you.

I have attached a helpful article that explains how to replace the hub components you can check out.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L