Wheel Assembly Advice

[crshman]

I finally got the time (and courage) to pop off one of the wheel hubs on my 5th wheel toy hauler. The trailer in question is a 2004 32ft Sandpiper Sport.

The intention was to get all the bearing/seal part numbers I needed and to do a general inspection.

Fortunately I only popped off one wheel as I could only source a single inner seal locally.

I've never popped a wheel off to inspect so I wasn't sure what to expect but I have a few questions to accomodate my photos:

https://goo.gl/photos/yAKeQqoMgNVzFW257

First questions are around this photo:



1) It had this stuff on it (In the red square) that I couldn't get off with a rag or my nails, it was pretty hard. I think it's baked on grease but I'm not sure. It wasn't as hard as the metal spindle but I didn't want to start scraping the spindle to get it off. Any ideas on what this is?

2) I ran my fingernail across the top green section and it didn't catch, it was very smooth at the top. However, the bottom blue section there was a slight lip as I ran my fingernail over the spindle. This lip was only on the top side of the spindle, the bottom side of the outer spindle edge was perfectly smooth. Is this cause for concern or should it be ok?

The next question is around this photo:



The drum looked pretty beat up and old, but it didn't seem to be falling apart or broken. I want to replace all 4 drums with new self adjusting sets from etrailer (Brake Assembly) for peace of mind.

Do I need to replace the hub assembly when I do this or can I just do the brake assembly?

Lastly, while I had the wheel apart I re-packed the bearings with fresh grease. They seemed to spin freely and I didn't see anything overly wrong with them.

The trailer is 12+ years old and the grease smelled a little burnt/old. I doubt the previous owner did any maintenance to the wheel assemblies.

How do I know if I need to replace them?

I ordered a bunch of seals so I can take apart the rest of the wheels and inspect, that'll come in the next few weekends as I have time and/or it stops raining.

[Roger10378]

The only thing I can add is that the line in the blue area is the edge of the inner bearing bore. The inner bearing does not go all the way to the shoulder. It only goes as far as necessary to tighten the bearing so it will leave a slight line where it stops. As everyone said everything you show looks fine.

[westend]

The spindle looks OK to me, as do the brake parts. Things are going to be worn and dirty after a few 10000 turns. I'd suggest to put it all back together but if you've already ordered the parts, then replacement is, of course, better. One of the best things you can do for brake hardware is to lube up all the moving parts. Spray grease or oil can will help with a possible stuck assembly part or adjustment down the road.

BTW, getting some penetrant on those backer plate bolts is going to save a lot of grief.

[time2roll]

Spindle looks fine as described above.

I am putting discs on next time if I start replacing parts.
Can't see how thin the shoes are but maybe just put it back together as is.
Probably good for at least another year.

[Charlie_D_]

The area in red is part of the original forging that did not clean up from machining. Nothing to worry about. IMO, the small end of the spindle has slight wear that may be caused by a slightly loose bearing turning on that end. Ideally the inside diameter of the bearing should not turn. I would continue to use that spindle.

Again, IMO, if that spindle is as old as you say then I think that original installation was just about perfect. One does not often see a spindle of that age in that good of condition.

[mbopp]

The shoes look OK. Are the drums scored? If the drums are OK I'd replace the bearings on a trailer that old and put it back together.

[Lynnmor]

Everything is normal. Just be sure to completely clean the bearings and look for any problems. Use wheel bearing grease, not an all purpose grease. Skip the self-adjusting hardware, it can be more trouble than it's worth.

[rhagfo]

You can replace the entire backing plate by removing the four bolts in the center.

The rough spot in the center of the spindle appears to be an area that is smaller in diameter than the machined area, not the best, but as long as close to same should be OK.

It is hard to tell if the marks where the bearing set are old machine marks, or made by the bearing turning on the spindle.

It would have been great to have a photo of the bearing rollers, we trust "Made in Russia" to get our Astronauts to the International Space Station.

Our drums look fine on the outside, it would have been nice to have seen the inside.