Help with my wheel hub please

[Godspeed999]

Coachman Freedom Express 292BHDS.



Here's a good wheel -



What it looks like with the outer cap removed -



And the outer cap itself -



Here's my problem wheel -



I need help figuring out what parts I'm missing and where best to get them (ideally within Canada please for the sake of exchange rate and shipping....unless significantly cheaper from the U.S.

My RV dealer wants $19.95 for the plastic cap alone which I estimate is about 665% more than it should be haha!

I know I need the dust boot, but I also appear to be missing a hub "collar" of sorts that surrounds the hub nut and which the boot fits into.

[djsamuel]

Godspeed999 wrote:
Getting back to this really late....

Bought a new unit last fall --

Well THAT is a great way to repack bearings! Congratulations. By the way, I really enjoyed your post regarding the outdoor kitchen mod.

[Lynnmor]

MitchF150 wrote:
So does the state of PA take responsibility if there is a bearing failure on a bearing they took apart, inspected, put back together and signed off on??

That just seems a bit too invasive for me... I mean, I'm very capable of doing a simple bearing repack, but in the state of PA, I have to let some yahoo do this for me to allow me to pull my trailer in the state of PA??

Guess what state I'll never live in... 😉 Might as well just tell me I can't wipe my own A.... 😉

Please educate me on this, since this is the first I've heard of this...

Mitch

The inspection station pulls one hub from each axle to check the brakes. The trailer will be jacked from near the center of the axle. Often they smear some grease in the bearing cavity, with their filthy hands, using grease from the open container sitting by the bench grinder. The hub is re-installed, the seal is smacked against the axle end and then the nut is adjusted too tight or too loose with a missing or incorrect cotter pin. The cap is hammered on and beat to heck. Yes, I've had all of this happen and much more.

I need to inspect my vehicles before an inspection because they will charge plenty for a repair. After the inspection, I need to completely redo anything they touched. I could write a book on all of the damage that I have had from these idiots.

A motorized vehicle is required to have an emissions inspection in addition to the safety inspection. All they do is plug into the computer and use what they find there. Now think about it, if the emissions were out of tolerance the check engine light would be on. So we pay about $30 to be told whether or not the light is on.

[MitchF150]

So does the state of PA take responsibility if there is a bearing failure on a bearing they took apart, inspected, put back together and signed off on??

That just seems a bit too invasive for me... I mean, I'm very capable of doing a simple bearing repack, but in the state of PA, I have to let some yahoo do this for me to allow me to pull my trailer in the state of PA??

Guess what state I'll never live in... 😉 Might as well just tell me I can't wipe my own A.... 😉

Please educate me on this, since this is the first I've heard of this...

Mitch

[Hannibal]

I occasionally pop the rubber cap off of the hub cap and check the grease. I haven't repacked a bearing since my 1971 Mercury Comet GT days. I did replace one of the hub caps with rubber cap that looks like what yours is missing. Mine had a ding in it that had me concerned about the cap sealing. Pry the old one off with a screw driver and drive the new one on with a block of wood and a short sledge hammer. They can be ornery. I think it was around $8. That stinks that a shop did you that way. Should be an easy fix though.

[Godspeed999]

Godspeed999 wrote:
I didn't want to ask because I'm sure there's endless search results on "what trailer should I get?" but we are finding it surprisingly challenging to find the same/similar layout to ours in a new model. We do not need or want an outdoor kitchen and the four bunks (need 3 for sure) suit us perfectly.

And subsequent to this post, I did this to the new TT --

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28973736.cfm

[Godspeed999]

Getting back to this really late....

Bought a new unit last fall --

[Godspeed999]

On the topic of jacking on the axle (I know this one has been discussed and debated ad nauseam as well), I've found getting it high enough to get a wheel off isn't hard but if you want to then throw a stand or blocks under the frame you'd have to get it REALLY high so that when you release the jack under the axle and uncompress the spring pack the wheel can be reinstalled at that height. I wasn't comfortable jacking the axle and compressing the springs that far, giving them a recurve bow shape.

Jacking at the frame either requires a really high lift jack or building up some sort of cribbing under the frame or jack itself. AND I find the frame really doesn't like that much point load, nor does the slide out (lots of bad sounding creaking and cracking).

Comments?

1. jack the axle
2. take the wheel off
3. place jack stands to support the frame
4. release jack and spring tension

*5. re-jack at axle to reinstall wheel?

[MFL]

Lynnmor wrote:
Jerry

What part of the hand packing process would an inexperienced owner or mechanic mess up and cause more harm than good?

I'd like to be able to say, "make sure they don't ________."

Make sure they don't:

a: yank the hub cap off with pliers.
b. smear in their dirty grease, of a different type.
c: bang the grease seal against the axle end.
d: adjust the bearing clearance wrong
e: throw away your correct cotter pin and use one way too small.
f: hammer on the cap, bending it.
g: strip the lug nuts.
h: jack it by the axle way inboard.

All of the above was done to one wheel at one PA state inspection by a reputable certified mechanic. I could write a book on other bad inspection work.

Yes, Lynnmor, all of these things happen due to lack of experience, or a person just rushing the job. C&D are very important. It is easy to damage a seal, and a bearing not seated, loosened, and finger tightened, could be what happened to the OP.

Jerry

[Lynnmor]

Jerry
What part of the hand packing process would an inexperienced owner or mechanic mess up and cause more harm than good?

I'd like to be able to say, "make sure they don't ________."

Make sure they don't:

a: yank the hub cap off with pliers.
b. smear in their dirty grease, of a different type.
c: bang the grease seal against the axle end.
d: adjust the bearing clearance wrong
e: throw away your correct cotter pin and use one way too small.
f: hammer on the cap, bending it.
g: strip the lug nuts.
h: jack it by the axle way inboard.

All of the above was done to one wheel at one PA state inspection by a reputable certified mechanic. I could write a book on other bad inspection work.

[CKNSLS]

Even though handpacking bearings is not that difficult you do need to know what your doing. Not all of wish to do hand packing and get our hands dirty-nor do some of us have the room to back a 30 foot travel trailer on to our property in a city environment. Some of us are at an age where crawling under a trailer is not the most desirable activity we wish to participate in.

S0-we pay others to do this. However not on a maintenance schedule some of us deem unnecessary.

[Godspeed999]

MFL wrote:

CKNSLS wrote:
Here is yet another case where repacking the bearings did more harm than good. All that was needed was to lube the bearings with a gun and inspect the brakes. Instead repacking was done and caused problems and looks like what could be a major expense for the OP.

I have always said the same. Unless an owner truly knows what he is doing, or has a competent mechanic, that he trusts to do the job right, hand packing bearings is just too important to let the kid, with his cap on backwards, and his pants falling down, do this important task.

Jerry

What part of the hand packing process would an inexperienced owner or mechanic mess up and cause more harm than good?

I'd like to be able to say, "make sure they don't ________."

[Lynnmor]

beemerphile1 wrote:
My suggestion is to take all the decorative caps off and toss in the trash. They serve no useful purpose and slow down maintenance chores. All you need is the rubber insert.

My suggestion would be to replace the caps with ones without the rubber inserts. Then keep the grease gun out of there. Hand pack the bearings when you do your annual brake inspection.

[beemerphile1]

My suggestion is to take all the decorative caps off and toss in the trash. They serve no useful purpose and slow down maintenance chores. All you need is the rubber insert.

[fairfaxjim]

CKNSLS wrote:


You can do what makes you comfortable. IMHO servicing the bearings annually is not needed, and for those who can't DIY it would be expensive-and again unneeded. The annual inspection and replacement of seals at 12,000 miles is a CYA that is published by the manufacturers. BTW-these very points I have made and you have mentioned as well have been beat to death on this board. One easy way to see if you have "functional brakes" is to pull the lever on your brake controller before one takes to the road. Something that should be done anyway to make sure you brakes are operating properly anyway each and every time.

Like you said, whatever makes you comfortable. I'm totally comfortable with knowing that when I head out I will make it back. YMMV