Now is the time to get those wheelhouses tuned up for winter. The last thing you want to deal with is a bad wheel bearing, tire or axle while on the lake in freezing temps. With the main use of an ice house in the winter, salt can really take a toll on suspension components.
Pulled the house from the back yard this weekend to give it a tune up. I ended up replacing both hubs, as the inner bearing was showing wear on one side and the other was about seized up. I pulled the axle assembly apart to clean any rust out and hand pack it full of grease. Should be noted that the grease zerk on the axle assemblies are not perfect, they should be taken apart and cleaned at least every other year, on top of being greased before every trip. Having your pivot points seize can cause some VERY expensive repairs, specially if it cracks your frame. I have seen it happen to others and do my best to avoid it. If you stay on top of this maintenance, your pivot points should require almost no force to separate. I also decided to replace the tires after a good 8 years of use. The tires were worn evenly and still had plenty of tread, but were starting to crack. Cables were also replaced, as they were starting to rust. Be sure to move the roller points for the cables by hand.
If you notice any excessive force, they should be replaced. I can’t help with the new fancy hydraulic and electric lift systems, but I’m sure there’s some preventative maintenance to be done with them also.
So heed my warning and take the time to properly maintain your ice house. Don’t be that guy with a broken down house on the side of the road or even worse, the middle of the lake.