3,500 pound Dexter axle bearing pre-load?

Go to the Dexter axle site and they have the info that will tell you how to do a bearing setup.

Hand snug and back off to the next cotter pin notch.

But just before you do that tighten a bit more with a pliers and give the wheel a spin to set the bearings into the grease. Then back off and do the final finger tight bit above.

Website will say the same in their own words.

From what I remember when doing mine it was torque axle nuts to 50 ft. lbs and then back nut off to next cotter pin slot.It is a little more involved than "hand snug" as everyones idea of hand snug is different

Tighten the nut to 15 FTPD rotate the hub while tightening. Back off the nut without disturbing the hub, tighten the nut finger tight, insert locking device, if not lined up, back off just enough to engage the lock.

You are getting some bad information here. There is no pre-load on the bearings, should be a very small amount of clearance.

Either no or very little play is acceptable. Not really pre-load.

eHoefler wrote:
Tighten the nut to 15 FTPD rotate the hub while tightening. Back off the nut without disturbing the hub, tighten the nut finger tight, inert locking device, if not lined up, back off just enough to engage the lock.

A winner here!

Sweet. Thanks for all the replies. I knew it was something like set the bearings at X amount of torque, back off, hand tight, stand on your head if it's a full Moon on a Tuesday then back off a little. Putting the first brake assembly, new bearings packed with Mobile 1 grease (on Dexter's list of approved greases), onto the axle in about a minute.
This is what I've found on Dexter's site:
50 Ft/lbs while rotating the hub, back off, then finger tight. Back off to engage the cotter pin or, in my case, not a cotter pin but a "retainer" (it slips over the nut with a machined flat spot that the axle holds). It's not "pre-load", as mentioned above. It's actually "end play". Just a touch.
Directions here, page 56:
http://www.dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/600-8K_Service_Manual/Hubs_Drums_and_Bearings.pdf

Ranger Smith wrote:
From what I remember when doing mine it was torque axle nuts to 50 ft. lbs and then back nut off to next cotter pin slot.It is a little more involved than "hand snug" as everyones idea of hand snug is different

That is correct, and I don't remember the exact torque required but it's in the Dexter instructions available for download. Basically, you torque the bearing to the spec and rotate the wheel to seat the bearing and then back off to the first cotter pin hole. My old trailer had Dexter 3500 lb axles and I did this several times, easy process.

BTW, most techs I've watched don't use a torque wrench; they tighten the nut down with a large Crescent wrench or Channel Locks, rotate the wheel and then back off the nut. Probably close enough but I prefer to go by the book as it's no harder.

Personally I use (and prefer) smkettner's, method, right down to the last detail contained in his response. But I am a fraidy cat. After 20 miles or so driving after a bearing adjustment, I check hub temperature with my hand.