Wheel Bearing Maintenance

I do it every 2 years. Just did mine. Complete disassembly/cleaning and repack with new seals. I also replaced the 4 complete brake assemblies.

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Bob Vaughn wrote:
What is the maintenance schedule for wheel bearings on 5th wheels and Travel Trailers? At what milage intervals should they be removed and repacked?

"I" check mine about every 7 years or so. I haven't "packed" them in about 14 years or so. I put about 5K a year on my trailer so about 30 to 35 thousand or so. The bearings always look fine. It's the brake magnets that I'm seeing that are worn out.

I use a good quality grease and use good quality bearings and forget about it after that. In the many trailers I have owned and towed in over 35 years I have never had a bearing failure.

After wasting my time for years going through the bearings every year, I adopted this strategy.
The yearly thing is just CYA stuff. They are the same technology that was used in cars and trucks for decades and they only got serviced when doing brakes.
I put about 40K on my Alko axles before servicing the bearings. At that point it was still a waste of time (they were perfect) and was totally uneeded.
I would make sure they are done correctly and then check them yearly for adjustment or roughness. After that, I would only sevice them at brake changes.

Dexter, Lippert and Al-Ko axles all have suggested maintenance at one year or 12,000 miles (which ever comes first). Wheel bearing grease is like any other lubricant. It not only breaks down with miles, but also age. Daily cycles of heating and cooling, and excursions of humidity can wreak havoc on the grease.

I had a trailer bearing seize up back in the early 1980s. It destroyed the axle spindle and required significant work to get us back on the road. I vowed from then on to follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance. I put 15K to 20K miles on my trailer every year now, and I've never had another bearing seize up.

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Bob Vaughn wrote:
What is the maintenance schedule for wheel bearings on 5th wheels and Travel Trailers? At what milage intervals should they be removed and repacked?

"I" check mine about every 7 years or so. I haven't "packed" them in about 14 years or so. I put about 5K a year on my trailer so about 30 to 35 thousand or so. The bearings always look fine. It's the brake magnets that I'm seeing that are worn out.

I use a good quality grease and use good quality bearings and forget about it after that. In the many trailers I have owned and towed in over 35 years I have never had a bearing failure.

With your good "LUCK", you should be in Las Vegas on the dice tables:)

Bob Vaughn wrote:
What is the maintenance schedule for wheel bearings on 5th wheels and Travel Trailers? At what milage intervals should they be removed and repacked?

"I" check mine about every 7 years or so. I haven't "packed" them in about 14 years or so. I put about 5K a year on my trailer so about 30 to 35 thousand or so. The bearings always look fine. It's the brake magnets that I'm seeing that are worn out.

I use a good quality grease and use good quality bearings and forget about it after that. In the many trailers I have owned and towed in over 35 years I have never had a bearing failure.

I service the bearings every other year. Equally important is the overall inspection of the brakes and brake system. This year I had the bearings serviced and 1 bearing was bad and the grease had splashed all over the brake pads which ruined them. I had no warning i.e. sounds, smoke etc. to indicate that I had a problem and I was just ready to leave for a long RV trip:(. I am considering changing to service the bearings every year---Preventive maintenance saves $$$ in the long run:)

Depends on whose advice you listen to. :) Dexter usually says 12,000 miles or yearly. Some people do theirs yearly, others every two years, etc.

Personally, from what I've seen and read many hubs are almost thrown together and damage to the sealing surface can result. I checked mine for the first time at 6 years and around 20,000 miles, and they were fine. I think, with a double axle I might check the hubs initially and if they were good I'd go 3-4 years, depending on the mileage.

"You pays yer money and takes yer cherce."

Once a year or 12,000 miles is the general rule of thumb.

It depends on the axles