Wheel bearings
Hi all, Tried searching a little bit but never any luck on my exact question. Little background. My wife and I inherited an old travel trailer from her parents. We are wel on the way to having ...
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In decades of repacking wheel bearings, I have actually replaced very few. So, the chance that you will need to replace a bearing is slim. The big killer of trailer wheel bearings is boat trailers that are used to launch the boat just after the guy gets off the highway.
Trailer bearing seem to come in two kinds.
Straight spindle - both bearings are the same number
Tapered spindle - two different bearing numbers
Either case, with the axle jacked, loosen and slide the wheel, brake drum (or journal) and all off and clean the seal. Then you can read that seal number.
Now tip the wheel so the outer bearing falls into the newspaper you laid out to catch it. Clean it and read the number.
Lay the wheel and tire over that newspaper and use something soft to push the inner bearing out. If you are very careful, you may be able to reinstall the grease seal. (This is about a 50/50 bet.)
Now you can read both bearing and the seal numbers. Write them all down someplace for next time.
You can clean both the outer races now and if they don't look bad, then take the time to clean the bearings and cages for the inner races. You will not be able to see that race as the rollers are captured to it. Take the time (remember you are getting paid 100$/hr for this job) to carefully inspect all the rollers. There is a real good chance that there is not reason to replace them.
If you are not sure how to clean and repack the inner bearing, I bet that there are a few on YouTube.
I use a synthetic grease because is does not age out.
Remember! A tapered roller bearing wants to be a little loose. It is as tight as one might set a ball bearing, it will fail in short order.
Matt
In decades of repacking wheel bearings, I have actually replaced very few. So, the chance that you will need to replace a bearing is slim. The big killer of trailer wheel bearings is boat trailers that are used to launch the boat just after the guy gets off the highway.
Trailer bearing seem to come in two kinds.
Straight spindle - both bearings are the same number
Tapered spindle - two different bearing numbers
Either case, with the axle jacked, loosen and slide the wheel, brake drum (or journal) and all off and clean the seal. Then you can read that seal number.
Now tip the wheel so the outer bearing falls into the newspaper you laid out to catch it. Clean it and read the number.
Lay the wheel and tire over that newspaper and use something soft to push the inner bearing out. If you are very careful, you may be able to reinstall the grease seal. (This is about a 50/50 bet.)
Now you can read both bearing and the seal numbers. Write them all down someplace for next time.
You can clean both the outer races now and if they don't look bad, then take the time to clean the bearings and cages for the inner races. You will not be able to see that race as the rollers are captured to it. Take the time (remember you are getting paid 100$/hr for this job) to carefully inspect all the rollers. There is a real good chance that there is not reason to replace them.
If you are not sure how to clean and repack the inner bearing, I bet that there are a few on YouTube.
I use a synthetic grease because is does not age out.
Remember! A tapered roller bearing wants to be a little loose. It is as tight as one might set a ball bearing, it will fail in short order.
Matt
