So ANOTHER Problem with my Brand New Boat

[Richard Mumpower]

Honestly I can't believe all of the issues I've had with this boat. I purchased a 2012 Nitro Z7 Sport about 8 weeks ago and have had issue after issue with it that shouldn't have been issues.



About 4 weeks ago I drive it to TN for a Small Tournament and when I arrive I notice I have Grease all over the Rims and one of the Center Caps is missing. So I take the other one off, clean the Rims and install Bearing Buddies onto the Hubs. Grease them up and spend the weekend Fishing.



Drive back home, Grease once again all over the Rims, It looked like the Bearing Buddies just exploded and all. Once again I clean the Rims and let it set.



Last week I take it to the Local lake which is like 6 miles from me and when I get there the Rims were clean but I couldn't hardly touch the hubs. They were that hot.



So, yesterday I went to Tractor Supply, purchased two new Hubs with the Bearings installed and took the Hubs off the Trailer and the Brakes were like Worn BAD, Uneven and the Rotors were scarred up terribly. To a point where my buddy said if I take them to get turned he doubted they could turn them.



So here's the kicker, I don't have Brakes installed on my Truck. I'm using the 4pin Connector instead of the 5pin and a Third Brake Attachment.



Just unreal how I keep having these small issues on something I spent 35k on

 

[TritonGlenn]

Sounds like your brakes were locked up to begin with, and you drove it that way. When the hubs heat up that much, the grease flows almost like oil out of the hubs and onto the rims.



I noticed you wrote that when you got home, "It looked like the Bearing Buddies just exploded and all. Once again I clean the Rims and let it set.", You might have overfilled them before. Maybe not. But you never mentioned putting grease back into the hubs. That, in itself, was probably part of the downfall of your hubs going bad.



You also say that "I don't have Brakes installed on my Truck. I'm using the 4pin Connector instead of the 5pin and a Third Brake Attachment." Not quite sure what you are trying to state here. The brakes on your trailer are more than likely hydraulically actuated, meaning that as you slow down or stop, the coupler compresses and sends fluid to the calipers, causing the trailer to slow down. When you speed up, the coupler decompresses and the brakes are released. The 5th pin on your connector is simply for the reverse solenoid. When you put the truck in reverse, the solenoid stops fluid from traveling to the brake calipers, allowing you to back the boat trailer up.



My money is on the emergency brake actuator being pulled and stuck. It's a little metal cord that clips onto your truck in case the trailer breaks away from your truck. It pulls the actuator manually to slow down / stop your trailer. If you have that, and you probably do, check that out first before replacing anything else.



Good luck to you.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Rich Eder2]

I don't understand why you are trying to take care of these problems because its a brand new boat with a warranty. Take it back to your dealer!!!!!! They will fix it. Also if you have put bearing buddies on it you are not greaseing it properly. Nitro trailers have a grease fitting on the end of the spindle that is greased so the bearing buddy is useless. TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR DEALER!!!!!

 

[fatrap]

Your dealer may be a long ways away but do what Rich says. Call your Tracker dealer and let them know.

fatrap

 

[Scott Savoy]

I think we all agree that you should definantly call your dealer to get these problems resolved under factory warranty. My question is : Why havn't you called them yet???? They would have been accepting my collect call from the side of the road in TN !! lol

 

[Dan J.]

Sounds like Glenn nailed it. Hate to add salt to the cut, but putting bearing buddies over a flo-thru hub is self-defeating. There's a zirc on the spindle that lubes the bearing from behind. A bearing buddy over that ensures that can't happen and the bearing fails. The brake thing also sounds like another "lack of information" wound. I agree that it should go straight back to the dealer and get these issues resolved AND have them go over and explain how all of these systems on the boat and trailer work in use. Knowledge is key. Good luck!

 

[John Jobe]

 

[John Jobe]

I had the same problem with my brakes (used NX882 Nitro '04). I used a double fuse splicer and ran a wire from a place on my fuse box under the hood for the 5th wire to allow me to back up. Little did I know that the fuse port quit working and caused my brakes to lock up again, this time mostly melting my rubber seals. Had to crawl under the trailer once again to loosen hydraulic line to bleed out and let brakes release. "Tie Down Brakes" are on this TrailStar Trailer from Tracker. Tie Down will not send you any parts unless you are an authorized dealer and the only two dealers they have listed in Arkansas don't even realize they are a dealers.(?) I just pulled it with just my stock truck brakes giving myself extra room for stopping. Export Marine in Benton, AR said that trailer brakes on boats ar constantly going out because brakes aren't meant to be in water for one and two they are usually very hot prior to backing in which causes the rubber seals to leak. Someone once told me that it is best to carry a bucket to splash water on your wheels/brakes prior to submurging them to avoid water from possibly getting to bearings. I had new pads & surfaced the rotors myself too. I'd like to give hydraulics another chance for safety's sake but like I said, no one can work on them but an authorized Tie Down dealer and Tracker dealers don't even work on their own trailer made for their boats.

:wacko:

 

[Mini]

There are many places sto get TieDown parts...brakes are not meant to be on boat trailers? LOLOLOLOLOL



True if you dunk in the water before allowing them to cool, hubs can allow water in at the seal. Part of the reason its a good idea to pull over before you get to the ramp and ready your boat out of everyone elses way (the other part is because you are supposed to! lol). Once you are ready to launch your spindles should be cool enough to not worry about seepage at the seals.



Tracker dealers dont work on their own trailers???? LOLOLOLOL....I can order any part from TieDown I need at MULTIPLE trailer places and put it on. So can a Tracker

 

[Bob G.]

Well said Mini!