salt corrision on trailer

[Bronze Backs]

I hadn't used my sled trailer in over a month and encountered a couple of problematic areas. I use a padlock on the trailer coupler when not in use so no one can come and steal it without removing the lock. Well, that padlock was so corroded from road salt, I needed to use a torch to cut it off. My next issue is with my Floe tie-downs and Versa-lock. The bolt that the lock spins on is also corroded to the point I cannot even spin the lock to tighten/loosen it. I tried soaking it with WD-40 to no avail. Am I screwed? Or does anyone have a solution to loosen up the bolt from salt corrision?

The worst case scenario I buy 2 new replacement bolts but I wonder if someone sells just the Floe bolt and not the entire tie-down with versa-lock?

Lesson learned - use your stuff weekly and/or rinse it with warm soapy water.

[Gus]

I don't think there is much of a cure for the road salt blues. What I do to keep my tie downs functional is to smear some grease on the threads at the same time I grease my trailer bearings. Not a perfect fix as the grease does accumulate some dirt and crud but it has kept it from getting locked up on me. For my tounge locks I use a quick shot of light oil such as a fogging oil or something similar to keep things working. Again, probably not the ideal solution but it works for me. Oh, don't forget to take off your tires once a year at least also. I found out on the side of the road that I had a lugnut that was rusted or frozen on from the road salt. I was pretty close to home so I just drove home on the rim totally ruining it but at least I could fix the problem at home instead of on the side of the road. good luck