Boat Trailer Rollers

Due to the important role of boat rollers on trailers, it is recommended you maintain them properly. Keep a close eye on them and check them regularly. It is a good idea to spin them before and after each time your boat goes into water to make sure they still rotate smoothly.

What could happen if you don’t maintain them properly? If you are not careful, they could easily start to rust, or debris and other obstructions could make them seize up. As well as making them effective, this could also lead them to cause damage to your boat. Read More

When the central pin of your rollers starts to rust up, it will also start to expand and could even cause the roller to split. When trailer rollers develop a split in them, they will stop working properly and could even fall off, leading to more potential damage to your boat’s hull.

An important part of the maintenance necessary to ensure your boat trailer functions properly is replacing the boat trailer guide rollers. How do you do this?

• HDPE rollers – these are generally used for trailers and boats made from aluminum, while polyurethane options are used for boats with fiberglass hulls that require softer rollers.
• Self-centering keel rollers – these have special grooves to center the hull and ensure it is aligned when it is winched onto the boat trailer.
• Bow rollers – these are used to ensure your boat is in place when it is being transported. They should be durable and strong to take the boat’s weight and movement in transit.
• Keel rollers – they support the keel, so need to take the majority of the boat’s weight.
• Wobble rollers – these fit with the curvature of the boat’s hull and take about 40% of its weight.
• Marine Hardware - You may need replacement marine hardware in order to properly install the rollers or other trailer parts.

Replacing worn or damaged rollers on your boat trailer is a simple yet important task to ensure smooth launching and retrieval experiences. With just a few supplies at hand you can easily complete this project.  Read More

Supplies needed:

• Replacement rollers
• Cotter pins
• Roller spindles
• Wrench, mallet, and pliers
• Penetrating lubricant spray

It is best to do this when the boat is not on the trailer. Pull the cotter pin found at one end of the spindle. If there is rust, you may need to use a drill or pliers to release it. Remove the spindle from its support bracket and discard the broken roller.

Hold your new roller between the panel bracket’s two sides and push the spindle through. Insert the new cotter pin into the spindle and repeat the process for all rollers..

You should make sure the bow eye is below the bow roller so when your boat is fully on the trailer, the bow is tight to the trailer.

Generally speaking, boat trailer bow rollers should be loose enough to allow them to spin, and you need to use a nylock nut to make sure it does not start back off. If you find there is a degree of little play between the roller and winch stand ears, you can choose to leave it or shim using fender washers. Be careful, though, not to torque the ears tightly in.

Not necessarily. Smaller or low-profile boats like skiffs or bass boats often only have trailer bunks, and don’t need rollers. However, most boats over 20 feet will require some type of roller. If your trailer originally had rollers, you should stick with using them.

It depends on why you are using them. If your keel rollers are just there to help guide your vessel to the right place on its trailer, then you will need keel rollers that roll. However, if they are simply there to provide support and hold the vessel firmly in one set position, it doesn’t make too much difference whether the roller rolls or not.

You will find the majority are designed to fit a ½-inch diameter shaft or a 5/8-inch shaft. Therefore, you need to know the shaft diameter of the shaft the rollers need to fit on. The quickest and simplest way to figure out the keel roller length you need is by measuring the space between brackets on your vessel’s roller assembly.

To avoid misunderstandings, anchor rollers are different from keel and bow rollers. They are designed to provide a permanent structure at the front of your boat’s bow for retrieval, deployment, and storage of the anchor.