Cost to re-pack wheel bearings on Class A?

sjholt wrote:
I changed my old heap to oil hubs

I like that. What chassis and where did you find parts? I've looked off and on, heard people have done it but never found the parts.

Thanks

I changed my old heap to oil hubs and it cost me $160.
That included new wheel bearings and races and Stemco seals and cap.
Since I done it my self and got the parts at reasonable prices, $500 doesn't sound too bad installed.

Won't rust. We had trailers sit for months and hooke on them at Rubbermaid in OH, they had used them for storage, lots of flats but no rusty bearings.

Most passenger cars and light trucks have sealed bearings now that can't be repacked.

Ivylog wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:

timmac wrote:
Why is it that motorhomes want to repack every 36000 miles but my Jeep or Nissan has no issues with this, can someone chime in on this..

My coach weighs 40,000 lbs. (20 tons), how much does your Jeep/Nissan weigh?

MM.

Not sure what the difference in weight has to do with this as the bearings are way different in size too.

I own a bunch of different trailers... 10+ and I never repack the wheel bearings. BUT every couple years I pull the caps and if the grease is hard I fill the cap half full of 90 weight gear oil and put it back on. This softens the grease up and let it get into the bearings better.

Like the OP, I have grease front bearings on my 04 MH. By drilling a 1.2" hole in the side of the wheel bearings caps (took them off) I can add 90 weight gear oil and I have some plastic hose caps that seal the 1/2" hole. Every couple of years I add a couple ounces of 90 and as long as the front wheels do not sling any grease... I do not worry about repacking. Like JetA I check their temperature with a infrared thermometer occasionally at stops plus the brakes and all the tires.

Ivy, that was actually my point. Heavy duty vehicles will have a different maintenance schedule than a passenger car or light duty truck.

MM.

Mr.Mark wrote:

timmac wrote:
Why is it that motorhomes want to repack every 36000 miles but my Jeep or Nissan has no issues with this, can someone chime in on this..

My coach weighs 40,000 lbs. (20 tons), how much does your Jeep/Nissan weigh?

MM.

Not sure what the difference in weight has to do with this as the bearings are way different in size too.

I own a bunch of different trailers... 10+ and I never repack the wheel bearings. BUT every couple years I pull the caps and if the grease is hard I fill the cap half full of 90 weight gear oil and put it back on. This softens the grease up and let it get into the bearings better.

Like the OP, I have grease front bearings on my 04 MH. By drilling a 1.2" hole in the side of the wheel bearings caps (took them off) I can add 90 weight gear oil and I have some plastic hose caps that seal the 1/2" hole. Every couple of years I add a couple ounces of 90 and as long as the front wheels do not sling any grease... I do not worry about repacking. Like JetA I check their temperature with a infrared thermometer occasionally at stops plus the brakes and all the tires.

FWIW here are my thoughts on repacking bearings. The manufacturers guide lines for long haul service is 120,000 miles. If you use them short haul, meaning lots of brake use, they are 60,000. Grease does deteriorate, but not at the rate of oil which has an additive package that ages out.

My experience with bearings, trailers and cars/trucks is they last a long time. My Dad had a front bearing on '62 Valiant that failed and it sang about it for along time until it was fixed. I've never had a failure in 45 years of maintaining vehicle. Engineering wise bearings are made of similar material. If they carry big loads they make them bigger so the metal is carrying the same psi load. Small load small bearing.

I check their temperature with a infrared thermometer occasionally at stops. As long as they are close to the same temp, then no worries, down the road.

YMMV

Rear wheel bearings are oil lubricated from the oil in the differential and do not need to be repacked. Front wheel bearings do and you can ask the shop what they charge for a front bearing repack.

nina_70 wrote:

timmac wrote:
Is it really necessary to repack at 30,000 miles, I would think if the motorhome sat for years than yes but 30,000 miles and 5-6 years old I have never seen or heard of a problem, I would just wait till its time for front brakes..

This is a question I struggle with too. According to our manual we are due for a repack since we're now running our 4th year, even though we've only got 20, 000 miles on the rig. But when I read around the forums I see many people waiting until much later. There doesn't seem to be much consistency on this.

Preventative maintenance never hurts anything. You're going to pay either now, or later. If, by doing it a bit "a head of time" (depending on what, if any, schedule you have)you not only take care of it but, you may head-off any possible issues that may increase in damage by the time your "Schedule" is up and you then dive into it. I'm not saying or guaranteeing you'll see or find anything if you take it on early, chances are, you'll find nothing out of the ordinary.

But, due to the weight these bearings support and the stress they're under, even with normal driving situations, they have an ugly life to live. If, you're not the type that does your own work, then it's up to you to have it done when you choose. You'll pay now or later.
Scott

timmac wrote:
Is it really necessary to repack at 30,000 miles, I would think if the motorhome sat for years than yes but 30,000 miles and 5-6 years old I have never seen or heard of a problem, I would just wait till its time for front brakes..

This is a question I struggle with too. According to our manual we are due for a repack since we're now running our 4th year, even though we've only got 20, 000 miles on the rig. But when I read around the forums I see many people waiting until much later. There doesn't seem to be much consistency on this.