When Should Trailer Tires Be Replaced and Bearings Repacked on Utility Trailer

Updated 02/03/2026 | Published 06/27/2024

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LubriMatic LMX Industrial Strength Grease - 14 oz. Cartridge

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Question:

Good morning, we recently bought a 2019 4x8 utility trailer. I have some questions and was hoping you guys could help. The trailer has the original tires from 2019, should we replace them? whats the recommend age for tires. Also about greasing the hubs and axles. We dont know when the last time any maintenance was done. I think the axle is a Dexter, The wheel studs are very rusted as well. Im honestly a bit lost, we havent owned a trailer before and want to make sure everything is safe. thank you

asked by: Kyle G

Expert Reply:

Hi Kyle; it's usually a good idea to replace your trailer tires every 5-6 years or every 10,000-12,000 miles. Since this is a 2019 and you don't know what the tires have been through it is a good idea to go ahead and replace them.

You can find the tire size and load range on the wall of the tire. With this information you can follow the link below to our replacement tires. I would stick with radial tires or if you have bias upgrade to radial. Feel free to add a comment below with this information if you would rather have me give you a recommendation for a replacement.

I would also go ahead and pull the hubs to inspect and grease the bearings. This is especially important since you don't know the last time this was done. In general you want to do this at least once a year. A surprising number of people never bother until they have a problem.

Without knowing what grease might be in there it is best to completely clean it out and add new grease like # L11390 which is a lithium complex. If the bearings are damaged you will need to replace them. If you don't see part numbers stamped in the side Dexter can identify them with the serial number from the axle tag.

Regarding the rust, I'm guessing it is probably fine but it is hard to say without actually seeing it. If things are pitted out from rust that is an issue. More than likely it is just some surface rust you could remove with a brush. If you want to be extra safe you could go ahead and completely swap out the hubs and bearings so everything is in good shape. To find replacement hubs you will also need to identify the bearings and know the bolt pattern.

I went ahead and attached some help articles below about tires and trailer maintenance. There are some maintenance schedules so you know when to check things on the trailer. Most of those have linked articles which go into further detail.

expert reply by: Robin H

Robin H.

2/3/2026

Hey Kyle, how did things go with replacing the tires and greasing the hubs on your utility trailer? Were you able to get everything cleaned out and repacked with the lithium complex grease? Your update could make it easier for the next person doing the same maintenance.