About to replace my trailer's wobble rollers

[grumpysmurf]

I have ordered new rollers and stainless split pins and is about to tackle the job this weekend. Am looking for other tips and tricks whilst I'm, doing this.

I will be doing this at the local ramp as it is very quiet there and only 900m from home. And I don't have tyres or suitable lawn to drop the boat off the trailer.

I have all new 28 rollers and new stainless split pins. Not the washers as I reckon I could re-use the old ones.

Questions are;

1. Should I hit the pins and washers with a wire wheel? If so, how hard? Just remove surface stuff or try to get it to shine?

2. Should I grease the pins? With Marine grease?

3. Should I spray cold gal on the pins?

4. Some surface rust on the frame as pictured. Should I just spray cold gal on them? Or INOX? or do they need more attention?

5. The axles and springs have heavy rust on them. Is there anything I should do? Should I smear them with grease, or just INOX, or just leave them be?

Any other suggestions? Thanks!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69412245/Photos/IMG_1573.JPG

[Noelm]

Trailer is just about due for re-galvanising, cold gal and stuff like that is pretty sad when it is used on a trailer, might be OK for the gate at home, but in salt water it is next to useless, probably better to try to get "something" inside the tube and spray the rest with some sort of fish oil or something.

[johncar]

I hope I am wrong but I suspect that your cross members may not be in great shape judging by the pics. Those box sections tend to rust from the inside out even though not so much on the outside. To test them, a good hit around the middle sections with a hammer or drill some decent size holes to inspect the inside. If they are OK you can use the holes to spray up inside them with inox or similar then leave the holes there for better drainage and for flushing fresh water through. I usually drill underside of each cross member end and in the lowest middle points for drainage with a hole saw at least 20mm - 25mm

Springs are pretty cheap so I wouldn't take a risk if they are severely rusted and just replace them with new ones including ubolts and fish plates etc.
The axles if solid steel can take a bit of rusting and may clean up Ok and if so just give them a good few coats of Killrust enamel or similar. Cold gal is good as a primer but should always be sealed IMO.
You will need to inspect your hubs,bearings and most importantly the bearing seals.
I guess it is fair to say that a boat trailer ten or more years old can generally require a lot of work and it can feel like a total rebuild. Not that everyone shares my passion for maintaining a decent trailer so it depends on how fussy you want to be and if you are feeling lucky. I hate hate hate being broken on the side of the road so I go a bit over the top perhaps.
I don't tend to grease wobbles but do spray a bit of INOX around the shafts periodically. When changing the rollers over, just a light wire brush or scrape any scale off them and seeing you will be scant for time a spray of 2 in 1 galv silver paint before the new rollers go on wont hurt.