Anybody know how you are supposed to lube the winch on the front wheel of a boat trailer? When I crank my boat up on the front wheel, it's wanting to sieze up and I need to lube it but there's no real visible way to do it. I need some tips!

This is only somewhat related. In the Army we had to maintain the hoists on hydraulic cranes.

2 times a year, we pulled the entire cable out, wire brushed all the old grease and debris off. Then we re-applied wheel bearing type grease to the cable with a paint brush. Just a thin layer. Most of the cranks that I have seen have a zurk fitting somewhere near the handle. Sometimes they are on the inside of the cable housing, opposite the handle.

Dude you're speaking greek to me. Zurk fitting? Mechanical stuff is not my area of experise :) In fact I typically suck at it. I could put the boat on blocks in the front and try to take the winch apart, but I don't even know where to start. This is bvasically the kind of jack I have

http://a1460.g.akamai.net/f/1460/1339/6h/www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/01/75/76/i017576vr01.jpg

Sorry a little miscommunication there :-(

I thought you were referring to the winch that pulls the boat onto the trailer.

Regardless, you should be able to spray a non-grease lubricant on the jack when it's fully extended. Then just work it in and out of the housing a few times.

A zirk fitting is the little fitting in the picture in the middle of the 'X' just below the socket. If you have a zirk fitting, just take the trailer to any tire shop and ask them to pump a couple squirts of grease in there. They shouldn't even charge you.

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/3231.jpg

If that pic is what I think it is, your jack has no grease fitting. As lame as it sounds, my jack that came with my trailer did not have a grease fitting and the only way to lube it was to take that plastic lip off the top and shoot grease down in there. And ya, it looses it really fast. And the wheel would normally only lock into place if it was jacked up all the way. Then it would jam big time. Get rid of the jack and buy one that has a grease zirk so you can maintain it, that is if this is what you have. Good luck dude.

ok thanks, this is what I was looking for. I was thinking of buying a new one anyway since the wheel on this one is a POS. I'm going to try to lube it through the top by taking the cap off, if that doesn't work, time for a new one with a real wheel on it.