How to tell if your wheel bearings are bad.

AH64ID wrote:
That's what I plan to do, just treat them like they aren't serviceable.

I am not sure they need to be done yearly, but I will probably pop the rubber boot off a few times a year for a peek in there.

The serviceable bearings on my truck are good for 20-30K miles before repack, there is no reason my trailer bearings can't be the same.

This is one of the reasons that I keep a considerable distance from other trailers.

Peg Leg wrote:
Ping the spindle very lightly with the punch. I've like to hit top, bottom, front, back and then one in between. Think of a compass, N, NE, E, SE, S, ect.

There's no reason to do this unless the spindle/shaft is too worn to allow for proper fit of the bearing. Even then it is only a doofer, some places will do that if they can't knurl the shaft. If you have to dimple the shaft to get the bearing to fit then it's time to replace the shaft/spindle.

Duplicate

Ping the spindle very lightly with the punch. I've like to hit top, bottom, front, back and then one in between. Think of a compass, N, NE, E, SE, S, ect.

That's what I plan to do, just treat them like they aren't serviceable.

I am not sure they need to be done yearly, but I will probably pop the rubber boot off a few times a year for a peek in there.

The serviceable bearings on my truck are good for 20-30K miles before repack, there is no reason my trailer bearings can't be the same.

When I was buying my bearings this spring I found out that all Al-Ko 5,200-7,000lb axles use the same bearings, and the inner bearing on the 8K's is the same as well. That tells me that even thou I am at 80% of the axle rating that the springs are the first limiting factor, so the bearings will be fine.

Yes U R right RJsfishin. In side was packed full and reading, that will cause over heating. And it all goes down hill from there on your bearings. Them center zert fittings on the axles need to be removed. I will for now on pull hubs off and clean & repack bearings and not just pump in new grease ond over fill hub.

First of all, under normal conditions, and w/ normal maintenance, bearings are good for lifetime. If they go bad, its either defective, or had lack of maintenance.
A bearing is going to turn at its point of least resistance. If that is the inner race/spindle contact, then that is why it spun there. But that will never happen to a "good" bearing that is properly greased. If it really did spin, I would suspect it lacked grease, and tried to seize at one time or another.

navy80to04 wrote:
I think it was for the spindle not bearing. The new bearings fit to good to mess with anything. No pinging for me.

You are correct, they meant you were to raise some metal on the spindle so that the inner race would be tight. A neat slip fit is OK.

I think it was for the spindle not bearing. The new bearings fit to good to mess with anything. No pinging for me.

navy80to04 wrote:
..... Mic spindles And they are right on the mark for the bearings. took the old bearings to a mechanic that I know he said the bearing did spin on the spindle ANd suggested pinging with a punch the bearing to the spindle. The trailer shop suggested the punch also, they said They do that......

The typical surface hardness for bearing components made from this material ranges from 60- 64 on the Rockwell hardness C scale (Rc).

That is really "Hard." I am certainly no master mechanic but I would like to watch them "ping" bearing steel. It is going to require hardened tools. Bearing steel would laugh at ordinary punches.