I have a small 13' TT with a dry weight of 850 lbs. On a recent trip I had some bearings burn out and the mechanic doing the replacement work commented that he was surprised that I'd made it 2500 miles on bias ply tires (6 ply equivalent). I thought this odd as the tires are rated for 1045 lbs. each (two tires) and 65 mph at 80psi. Was this guy blowing smoke or does he have a point? I'm thinking about replacing the old hubs on this trailer before a trip to Mexico in a few months (from Vancouver Island) and figured with the potential difficulty in acquiring tires in Mexico I might want to do as much research and preparation as possible before I leave. Fortunately the old bearings didn't leave me on the side of the road, but did overheat and spit grease as I rolled into a town and checked things over.Any thoughts on this topic? Also any experience with the bearings and hubs available from eTrailer? Is it possible (advisable?) to put 14" tires on the 4.5"x 5 hubs I have? Thanks for any advice you may have.

Blowing smoke ! Nothing wrong with good quality tires as long as you are not exceeding the load capacity and are keeping them properly inflated.The smaller the wheel and tire, the faster it spins. The faster it spins, the more important good lubrication is. Every time you fuel up, check the temp of the bearing/hub. If you are spitting lube or you can not put your hand on it for more than a second, it is time to re-lube/replace the bearing.An extra 2 sets of bearings are cheap insurance. Tools/grease to do the job are cheap insurance. A second (even unmounted) spare is also cheap insurance.eTrailer does not sell "junk". Call them.

theoldwizard1 wrote:Blowing smoke ! Nothing wrong with good quality tires as long as you are not exceeding the load capacity and are keeping them properly inflated.The smaller the wheel and tire, the faster it spins. The faster it spins, the more important good lubrication is. Every time you fuel up, check the temp of the bearing/hub. If you are spitting lube or you can not put your hand on it for more than a second, it is time to re-lube/replace the bearing.An extra 2 sets of bearings are cheap insurance. Tools/grease to do the job are cheap insurance. A second (even unmounted) spare is also cheap insurance.eTrailer does not sell "junk". Call them.Thanks for your reply, sir. I had been mostly following your advice, especially on the return trip with the new bearings. The hub temperature was never more than slightly warm to the touch, but I might have pushed the limits a bit on the stretch before the bearings went - we were going from Edmonton to Fairview Alberta and we pushed the speed a bit more than the rest of the trip - probably a long stretch of 70mph did them in. From now on, we'll check this every single stop. I'll certainly be bringing 2+ sets of spare bearings, possibly including fully set up and grease packed hubs as we have a lot of storage we haven't been using. I don't want to get gouged again on part costs. The place we had the work done had a reasonable shop rate, but charged 150+ (CDN) for the four L44643 bearings and another 50+ for two seals.Very good to know about the tires. I can get 145-12" radials that will almost drop in fit for the 5.30-12" that are on it - and keep the speed down below 65mph for sure. What are your thoughts on Bearing Buddies in this kind of set up?

eTrailer sells junk bearings, perhaps some are OK, but I would use NOTHING but Timken after failures of their cheap, Chinese bearings. One source: here.Use a good quality grease that is specifically made for wheel bearings, not a general purpose grease. Bearing Buddies aren't needed.

X2 ,those tires are really spinning,, timken bearings and good high temp grease. I carry two spares and a complete hub assembly.when installing the lock nut don,t tighten it real tight, read how this is done and watch a couple googles on it.

Your TT’s dry weight is useless. However, your TT’s color is important. Those tires are rated for 80 psi?

12 inch wheels/tires | Good Sam Community

Lynnmor
Explorer
Sep 03, 2019
eTrailer sells junk bearings, perhaps some are OK, but I would use NOTHING but Timken after failures of their cheap, Chinese bearings. One source: here.

Use a good quality grease that is specifically made for wheel bearings, not a general purpose grease. Bearing Buddies aren't needed.
mikere
Explorer
Sep 03, 2019
theoldwizard1 wrote:
Blowing smoke ! Nothing wrong with good quality tires as long as you are not exceeding the load capacity and are keeping them properly inflated.

The smaller the wheel and tire, the faster it spins. The faster it spins, the more important good lubrication is. Every time you fuel up, check the temp of the bearing/hub. If you are spitting lube or you can not put your hand on it for more than a second, it is time to re-lube/replace the bearing.

An extra 2 sets of bearings are cheap insurance. Tools/grease to do the job are cheap insurance. A second (even unmounted) spare is also cheap insurance.

eTrailer does not sell "junk". Call them.

Thanks for your reply, sir. I had been mostly following your advice, especially on the return trip with the new bearings. The hub temperature was never more than slightly warm to the touch, but I might have pushed the limits a bit on the stretch before the bearings went - we were going from Edmonton to Fairview Alberta and we pushed the speed a bit more than the rest of the trip - probably a long stretch of 70mph did them in. From now on, we'll check this every single stop. I'll certainly be bringing 2+ sets of spare bearings, possibly including fully set up and grease packed hubs as we have a lot of storage we haven't been using. I don't want to get gouged again on part costs. The place we had the work done had a reasonable shop rate, but charged 150+ (CDN) for the four L44643 bearings and another 50+ for two seals.

Very good to know about the tires. I can get 145-12" radials that will almost drop in fit for the 5.30-12" that are on it - and keep the speed down below 65mph for sure. What are your thoughts on Bearing Buddies in this kind of set up?
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Sep 03, 2019
Blowing smoke ! Nothing wrong with good quality tires as long as you are not exceeding the load capacity and are keeping them properly inflated.

The smaller the wheel and tire, the faster it spins. The faster it spins, the more important good lubrication is. Every time you fuel up, check the temp of the bearing/hub. If you are spitting lube or you can not put your hand on it for more than a second, it is time to re-lube/replace the bearing.

An extra 2 sets of bearings are cheap insurance. Tools/grease to do the job are cheap insurance. A second (even unmounted) spare is also cheap insurance.

eTrailer does not sell "junk". Call them.

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