3,500 pound Dexter axle bearing pre-load?

RJ,
The 50#s is to load the bearing so the excess grease is forced out of the bearing when you rotate the hub. More than one bearing has ended up excessively loose when the grease is not forced out of the bearing during adjustment. Also, if a race is not seated in the hub 50#s of torque is not going to move the race unless the previous bearing had seized, spun the race in the hub and the new race is loose in the hub. If this occurred you are either repairing or replacing the hub.

RJsfishin wrote:
I'll buy that. I never directly read the instructions myself.

Tightening to 50ft lbs, then back off to the 1st notch, would be WRONG.

Like was more or less said, the ONLY reason to ever torque to 50 lbs, would be to seat a race that had not seated correctly during installation.

That could very well be true. Dexter even says in the same paragraph you can hand tighten with Channel Locks and then back off. I've done it both ways and end up with the cotter pin in the same hole so I think the result is the same. Like you said, if not replacing races, the torque wrench is probably not necessary.

Lynnmor wrote:
There is nothing with Dexters instructions, you just have to be able to read more than one sentence.
Dexter


Bearing Adjustment and Hub Replacement
If the hub has been removed or bearing adjustment is required,
the following adjustment procedure must be followed:
1.
After placing the hub, bearings, washers, and spindle nut
back on the axle spindle in reverse order as detailed in the
previous section on hub removal, rotate the hub assembly
slowly while tightening the spindle nut to approximately
50
Ft.
Lbs.
(12" wrench or pliers with full hand force.)
2.
Then loosen the spindle nut to remove the torque. Do not
rotate the hub.
3.
Finger tighten the spindle nut until just snug.
4.
Back the spindle nut out slightly until the first castellation
lines up with the cotter key hole and insert the cotter pin.
5.
Bend over the cotter pin legs to secure the nut.
6.
Nut should be free to move with only restraint being the
cotter pin

Isn't that what I've been saying all along? What you posted is how I do it.

westend wrote:
...Thanks but you're cheating with that piece of plywood under your parts. ...

A piece of plywood AND a proper sittin' stool. I've come a long way from cardboard and a cinder block. LOL. I'm still working on gravel, though.

Lynnmor wrote:
...
Dexter


Bearing Adjustment and Hub Replacement
If the hub has been removed or bearing adjustment is required,
the following adjustment procedure must be followed:
1.
After placing the hub, bearings, washers, and spindle nut
back on the axle spindle in reverse order as detailed in the
previous section on hub removal, rotate the hub assembly
slowly while tightening the spindle nut to approximately
50
Ft.
Lbs.
(12" wrench or pliers with full hand force.)
2.
Then loosen the spindle nut to remove the torque. Do not
rotate the hub.
3.
Finger tighten the spindle nut until just snug.
4.
Back the spindle nut out slightly until the first castellation
lines up with the cotter key hole and insert the cotter pin.
5.
Bend over the cotter pin legs to secure the nut.
6.
Nut should be free to move with only restraint being the
cotter pin

Since Spring of 2002, Dexter's EZ-Lube 3,500 pound axles come with a "nut retainer", without a cotter pin. I purchased my trailer new in January of 2003. It has the nut retainer system.


The 1 1/2" socket I have is 3/4" drive. I didn't have an adapter for my 1/2" torque wrench so I used a 3/4" breaker bar, choking up on the handle to mimic a 12" wrench and hand tight, per Dexter's instructions (back nut off, finger tight, back off , etc.). After using the hand method to pack the bearings and throwing a bunch of grease in the hub as I went, I used the EZ-Lube zerk to fill it with grease. The hub was rotated constantly as I pumped the grease and I tried not to use a lot of pressure. I hear the grease seal can blow out the back of the hub. It took a bit of pumping, but grease made its way through the hub, oozing out the front. I need to wrap up the electric (preliminary tests were good) and get a brake spoon to adjust the shoes. Then, I can run it around the block. If I didn't pump the drum full of grease, they should work.
I'll be using a factory Ford brake controller via the factory 7-way plug. I'm adding a fused, constant 12V hot to the trailer, too. Back-up lights will have to wait.