Today - Axle wheel bearings and wheel seals clean, inspect and re-grease (re-pack).
I'm a shade-tree mechanic. That means, often a shade with come across my mind and then I can't remember what to do - or why. That's when I depend on this excellent research tool I discovered called "the Internet".
But then you have to decide each time, is that hoax tips or real tips? Yes sir! The Internet can be misleading! Take me for instance; I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about, and I'm not even TRYING to mislead you. One has to be careful.
The following wheel bearing techniques work for me, but I suspect there's lots of viewpoints on the matter.
First and foremost, with age I've gotten smarter, or at least less physically capable, so I use crutches, like a work bench for instance, instead of a small patch of ground - whenever possible.
Here's the scene.
Note the axle spindles poking out on either side, easily accessible, and all cleaned up, ready for working. And there in the middle, all the parts in the same cleaned and prepped state.
When I'm taking it off, and cleaning it up, and setting it out, and putting it on, I set up a left and right that I don't deviate from. Once you've got the parts separated, you can mix things up very easily. And when it comes to wear patterns, you don't want to mix up. The bearing races (cups) pressed into the hub, and the associated inner and outer wheel bearings (cones) have run together for long enough, that put in the wrong pairing can allow previous wear patterns in each to adversely wear in future. Or so I've heard.
In this case, the surfaces appear in such perfect condition, there's no point in replacement or even bearing cup removal from the hub (which you never do unless you are replacing parts - always replace cone and cup as a set). I wipe most the grease with my once-used hand drying paper towels, and then get stuff in the solvent tank.
Then from there, it's off to the hot water rinse, and then the compressed-air dry. If the bearing grease is old (and relatively hard), you might have to clean the bearing cage several times to make sure all the old stuff is out.
When drying, don't spin the bearings. It's tempting, and can seem pretty cool, until it explodes in your face. Fast spin without grease can create friction and heat and devastating loss to vision - and if not that, perhaps irritating facial wounds dripping blood into your eyes, and you can't see and you go through too many paper towels and rags and stuff, and the blood can contaminate and thin your grease. It's just not worth it and can create more workload and unscheduled time off.
Let's look at the dirty.
First off is the dust cap - in this case it's threaded, and most often it's pressed in. These are fairly cheap for a new one, but I've never looked for a threaded.
Next remove the cotter pin, the lock-nut and the thrust washer. Then the outer bearing can carefully be removed.
Then the hub slides off the spindle with the inner bearing and the seal remaining in the hub.
Hear's the outer on the towel. And the back side of the hub still with the inner.
Here's the other side inner along with the spindle end.
Here you can see the stamping (numbers) on the seal. Some wear or imperfect stamping obscures the numbers.
Let's look at the other side.
That's better. National 6362 USA Pat. Come to find out that's a leather seal, no longer made? Apparently obsolete. The Internet says a modern replacement is a neoprene: National 440265, SKF 16811, or NAPA 16811.
I didn't need new, because I didn't destroy the seals getting them out of the hub (or putting them in) and because the leather sealing surface still looks so good. But I've never run across a leather one, so I had to research. I found a site that "appeared" non-hoax-like that made some logical sense, so I used it. That's after cleaning.
For now let's get it out.
I use a bridge and a spot for the seal and bearing to fall safely (not to the ground). A wooden punch and a hammer making a sharp blow (not smashing blow, not hard blow - a sharp blow). And balanced sharp blows around it evenly. One hand holding the hub, one hand holding the hammer, one hand holding the wood, and one hand catching what comes out. So you can do it if you're "handy", but a friend can help too.
Once inside, I clean the grease out and inspect. No pits, heat spots, etc. Nice clean, smooth bearing surfaces.
So after cleaning then. All laid out.
And once dried with compressed air, I oil it up a little before grease. That keeps off immediate surface rusting and allows a smoother grease flow while packing.
And the seals.
This ring goes on first. I think it's called a sling, because it slings outside water (and other contaminants) away centrifugally from the leather seal surface.
And with the sling pushed back into position on the spindle shoulder...
grease it up.
Now some people think "re-packing" the wheel bearings means to stuff as much grease as possible into the hub cavity. I disagree. To me it means packing each bearing cone (the side with all the rollers) thoroughly.
I've never liked the air-pressure or press-down packers. I learned in High School Mechanics class how to palm grease the bearings and it has always worked well for me. Two fingers in the bearing, the other hand full of grease, the bearing held in the direction that allows most air space between the rollers and the internals of the cage, and repeatedly force grease from the palm up into every internal crevice in the bearing - slowly turning it in your two fingered hand to press grease up inside each roller until you see it pushing out toward you. It's messy, but fun - and effective.
Then in goes the inner bearing (grease the hub too first), and then the seal. I simply used a hammer on the seal. It's about finesse and technique, not force. Light taps and kept even. Don't let the seal slant and then wack it - you'll be buying a new seal.
Tap the outer seal surface flush to the hub. Done.
Then prep the outer bearing and cup (in the hub).
I assembled one side, prepped the other, then strung the axle up over the springs keeping my greasy spindle out of the dirt. Once in place, I could put on the other hub (that whole space available thing between the springs and the trailer frame).
With both hubs on and bearing nuts "tight-enough" (a little more than finger tight), I dropped the axle over the spring pins in my newly drilled holes. Final bearing pre-set to come once I get the tires and wheels on, because I do it by feel, and I need the leverage weight and spin of the wheel and tire assembly to help me "feel it".
Now I need to locate one or four new u-bolts, and check on the tires order.
