Shorelander Trailer Dirty Wheels (Yamaha 2021 252XE)

[gthorson]

I bought new and from the start my rear wheels (both sides) get dirty super easy. My assumption is that it is fluid from the surge brakes. Is that normal? Is there a way to fix it? hydraulics too full? loose plug? maybe it's my driving. Any help would be nice.

 

[zipper]

The rear axle is the one with surge brakes on it. I think what you are seeing is brake pad dust, residue on the rims. It should not be fluid. Or it could be a be a bad (hot) bearing buddy slinging wheel bearing grease because of a sticking brake caliper. Have had both happen.

 

[biffdotorg]

You see it on everyone's trailers. The wheels on one axle more dirty than the others. One of my first cars came from the factory with white wheels. You learned to carry a bottle of spray on/rinse off brake dust cleaner before going through a car wash.

That same brake dust cleaner will be what you want. Spray it on, and hose it off when washing the boat. Good luck!

 

[AZMark]

The water you’re dipping them in also has a bunch of crud in it even if you can’t see it.

 

[biffdotorg]

The water you’re dipping them in also has a bunch of crud in it even if you can’t see it.

I can't say that I have much luck loading or unloading my boat without getting at least half the fender under water. So all four wheels are under as well.

 

[AZMark]

I can't say that I have much luck loading or unloading my boat without getting at least half the fender under water. So all four wheels are under as well.

Oops…I missed the word “rear” in OP. I was just meaning boat trailer wheels will always get dirty faster than comparable car wheels due to the crud in water. I can’t even get mine completely clean anymore after a few years of not cleaning them often enough.

I agree that brake dust is definitely the culprit for the additional dirtiness on the rear axle.

 

[gthorson]

Thanks for the responses. After reading I realized I didn't explain well. The dirt on the wheels is brake dust but has some splatter like pattern, hence my suspicion of hydraulic brake fluid. The responses led me to a new theory though, regular brake dust that is then splattered around by the water that gets in/on the wheel when loading/unloading. Might this be it? Should I settle on this theory and resign myself to a life scrubbing wheels?

 

[biffdotorg]

The most common thing "splattered" on wheels is bearing grease. The caps leak on the outside, and they seap from over filling on the inside. So small or large amounts of grease are very common.

Not a lot you can do about it, but wipe it up and try to remove with degreaser. Most of us pump grease until we see it seap out, so that's why it's so common. Watching how the hub moves as the grease fills is the best advice. Each greasable hub works slightly different, so you may not be able to visibly see how much you have put in.

If it were limited to one axle, then it's possible it's brake related, as it's the only difference between front and back.