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Vitally important information
More than 90% of all towed vehicle axles are made with hollow axle cores. Salt, water and dirt collect inside the axle beam and attack it. This means that even galvanized axle beams rust from the inside, without being seen from the outside. Very soon the hollow axle core is “eaten away”. Unless action is taken, this leads to serious consequences for the safety of both yourself and other road users. A wheel can detach from the axle with disastrous results.
Everyone should be aware of this, but owners of boat trailers and horse boxes should take particular care because of these heavy and high loads.
There are some trailers built since 1995 that already suffer from seriously corroded axles, with wheels that have come off as a result.
It is recommended that all owners of towed vehicles that are more than 10 years old (preferably 5 years old) should carefully check their axles. See our tips on checking, and ask a garage to do the tests.
Warning signals
- The springing is stiff.
- Roadholding that has got worse. The trailer jumps and jerks.
- Visible rust attack on the axle or suspension, particularly difficult to detect on galvanized axles.
Tips for checking
Test the axle core by putting a screwdriver into the space between the drop spindle arm and the axle beam (see more details in Axle test/Check)..
Then hit the screwdriver hard with a hammer to see how much material is left as a support. There should be firm resistance without any give.
If the screwdriver punches a hole, action must be taken immediately!
A solid axle such as Valeryd Long Life lasts the whole life of the trailer and will never need replacing.
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