Awesome auto service stories

Awesome auto service stories

Why the Rubber Bushes on Your Trailer May Need Some Additional Love

by Debra Morgan

If you regularly tow a car or boat trailer, you know how important it is to make sure it is in good shape. You need to ensure that all electrical connections are in working order so that you stand out at night, and you also need to ensure that the brake pads fitted to the trailer are capable of doing their job. Yet you should also look at another area during any routine service, and many people forget to do so. When was the last time you had a good look at the trailer's bushes, and why is this so important?

Support Structure

By comparison to other vehicles on the road, a trailer is a comparatively simple device. However, it needs to support a heavy weight from time to time and will need good quality shock absorbers and springs.

Usually, a leaf spring system is fitted underneath a conventional trailer, matched with shock absorbers that fit between the frame of the trailer and the wheel hub. Rubber bushes form an interface between moving and static parts, and these will eventually wear out through everyday use.

The rubber bushes fitted between the trailer mount and the absorber itself take the most punishment. You will need to check them regularly, especially if you often use the vehicle over rough, undulating terrain.

Problems Developed

If these rubber bushes deteriorate quickly, this will put a lot of additional pressure on the shock absorber components. The mounting point may begin to sag, and when it does so, you may be faced with an expensive repair job. Metal may start to grind against metal, and, in the worst-case scenario, the mounting could snap altogether. If it breaks, one side of the trailer will collapse onto the wheel housing, which could be especially dangerous during a journey. You might find it difficult to unload your trailer in this situation and may need to call in some heavy-duty recovery help.

What You Should Do

Get into the habit of checking beneath your trailer before you set out on a particularly long journey. Have a look at the integrity of the bushes where they support both the shock absorbers and the springs. It's normal to see some wear and tear as this is perfectly normal. However, you should schedule a visit to your local garage periodically, as the mechanic may need to replace the bushes when they have seen their better days. To learn more, contact a trailer service. 


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About Me

Awesome auto service stories

I've been running an auto service shop for the past 30 years. The trends in cars have changed a lot over that time, and cars are becoming a lot more complicated and automated. People can't fix many items on their own cars any more as you need a computer to diagnose most issues. People use their cars a lot more these days as we live further away from workplaces and schools so it's important for me to be able to get cars back quickly. I have had to keep learning about how the new cars run and I keep a lot of hints on this site so you can all learn the things you can do to make your cars run better.