How Often to Repack Trailer Wheel Bearings?

[5thwheeleroldma]

Some say repack every 2 years. You agree?

[theoldwizard1]

One POSSIBLY good thing is that a typical trailer roller bearing "announces" its pending failure by making a metallic clicking sound. You won't hear it on the road, but is very pronounced when in stop and go traffic or pulling away after refueling.

(Ask me how I know !)

[Lynnmor]

mooky stinks wrote:
Big difference whether it's a new trailer or a repack. I don't trust new trailers to be packed properly. But after that, every 2 years doesn't seem unreasonable.

I always completely service trailer bearings before putting it in service. I have seen little grease, loose adjustments and a brake not connected on a new trailer.

Now that trailer bearings have the cheapest Chinese bearings available, all bets are off on when they might fail. I have had five of them in various degrees of failure in 8 months and 11,000 miles. No outward signs of the problems. Had I not checked them, there would have been a major event on the road.

Now I will never use the cheap bearings and replace them with Timken.

[mooky_stinks]

Big difference whether it's a new trailer or a repack. I don't trust new trailers to be packed properly. But after that, every 2 years doesn't seem unreasonable.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Annually so interior brake components can be checked. There is no sane way to avoid this.

A friend has a 3 axle flatbed trailer with surge brakes. The trailed documented a few DOZEN trips coast to coast. Now has perhaps a quarter million miles on it. The bearings were lubed with Lubrication Engineers, Almaguard 3752

IN 1976

Fact not fiction...

[midnightsadie]

on a tt let usage be your guide, on a boat trailer for me yearly mine gets wet almost every week.

[Gonzo42]

I believe in overkill. Once the bearings have been in water, such as launching a boat, I would inspect and clean/lube right away. Why have a bearing issue out in West Lonesome, WY?

[fj12ryder]

time2roll wrote:
By the book once a year.

IMO the first repack should be done within two years. Once you are certain the pack was done properly I would go at least 5 years or 30,000 miles. Just did mine at 10 years when installing disk brakes... all was fine.

I'll have to agree with this strategy. IMO every year is just silly, and either mostly wasted labor and/or money.

[2oldman]

Repack, May 2017

[time2roll]

By the book once a year.

IMO the first repack should be done within two years. Once you are certain the pack was done properly I would go at least 5 years or 30,000 miles. Just did mine at 10 years when installing disk brakes... all was fine.

[DougE]

Unless you immerse them in water, pull the cap once a year. Leave it alone if the grease looks reasonably fresh.

[Ivylog]

My DW says I own too many trailers...more than 10. In the last 10 years I can only remember doing one...maybe because it was last month and only on one side of a boat trailer. I do remove the caps and it t grease has hardened I fill the cap with 90 weight gear oil and put it back on quickly. If the trailer is to heavy to wiggle the tire I will jack it up so I can check the bearing adjustments.

On the subject of tires...I only buy used LT takeoffs (5-7 tread left and less than 3 years old) for my smaller trailers.

PS: I've only been doing these things for only 40+ years so time will tell if it works.:B

[Busdriver]

How often do yOu repack your car bearings

[Smax]

The shop I use said it is more of a function of use. Contrary to what you might think he said that they should be re-packed if the RV has been sitting a long time. He didn't define long time....

I do my own. Some years we only do local trips. I always do them during the years we have a big trip planned.

I keep a spare set of bearings and seals in my RV toolbox....