Wheel Bearings Packed? Yearly Maintenance

[Aadkins101]

How often do you have the wheel bearings packed on your trailer? And do you take it in for a yearly maintenance inspection?

[Ron3rd]

Aadkins101 wrote:
How often do you have the wheel bearings packed on your trailer? And do you take it in for a yearly maintenance inspection?

I do mine about every 5 years. If no problems or symptoms I do not tear down and inspect.

[spike99]

For all my trailers (re: Boat, Utility and RVs), each spring I manually remove each hub, grease their bearings and while brake hubs are off, inspect their inner brake parts as well. If brake parts needs replacing, I replace them. I also replace their seals every other year as well. Can do each hub under 20 minutes. Under 20 minutes per hub to ensure trailer has brakes and bearings properly grease are worth it to me. Very easy DIY task.

BTW: If one doesn't remove their hubs to inspect their inner brake drums / brake parts, how do you know condition of its brakes? I never trust others in this life saving area. Especially when it involves trailer brakes (that saves lives).

[gmckenzie]

I'm like others here. Don't tow a lot, mostly short weekend trips.

Checked my bearings when I bought the trailer new. Based on Dad's advice as he had shown me a few years back how little grease was on one of his bearings. Mine were fine.

Beyond that, every 2 years. It's a pain for me as my driveway is not big enough to do the work so I end up doing it on the road. One side at a time and turn the trailer around in between.

[Bad_Brad]

My Raptor is 7 years old now. I greased via the EZ lube fitting once per year until this year when I had a feeling that I had better check the bearings visually prior to making a long trip from Salt Lake to Oregon. Glad I did as the viscosity of the grease had broken down considerably. While I may have been alright, it is a really good feeling and peace of mind to know the bearings are repacked with new grease (and of the same type) with all the old grease pressed out and replaced.

[fallsrider]

Lynnmor wrote:
You can't even allow them to jack up a trailer. I stopped one idiot from placing the jack near the center of the axle....

True. When I had new tires installed in the fall of '13, I mentioned to the person at the desk, and again to the technician, that I didn't want a jack touching my axles. I went over and watched where the technician placed the floor jacks. He did it correctly.

[fallsrider]

atreis wrote:
What right do they have? You use their roads - so they have the right to inspect what you put on those roads....

In my opinion, that is the wrong attitude about government. They build our roads, not theirs. It is our money they are using, not theirs. We are supposed to be living under a constitution where the government is by the people, and for the people.

The vehicle inspections we have here in NC are non-intrusive. They check emission levels, but this is just a probe up the tail pipe. They check that lights are working, no "check engine" light is on, the parking brake works, etc., but they don't disassemble your car/truck and have to put it back together. Thankfully, they don't touch our trailers.

[JIMNLIN]

I pull the hubs each spring and do RR on the bearing and brake components even with bearing buddies or a never lube type axles. At that time I visual the bearing.
When your on the road pulling a trailer to make a living tires/wheels and bearings are #1 priority....especially on a trailer. I'm anal about whats going on in the hub.

A full repack job ?? Probably every 2-3 years.

The current 5er has 5.2k axles and around 110-115k miles and the same set of bearings and on the third set of brake shoes.

Some one mentioned oil bath axles ??
Not a good idea for a trailer that sits a lot as many RV folks found out. The bearings aren't full of oil so some of the bearing/race contact surface (above the oil) can form rust which may lead to pitting and pitting ruins the bearing.
Most equipment trailer mfg recommend a grease type axle if the trailer is going to sit more than 30 days at a time.

Do a google on the subject.

[coolbreeze01]

path1 wrote:

fireman41 wrote:
Kinda off topic,but it still has to do with bearings.
Does any one make an oil bath hub? I would seriously think about upgrading to those.

Not that I've found.

Here are some to look at: http://www.amazon.com/TowZone-Turbo-Lube-Bath-Trailers/sim/B0030I9190/2

[time2roll]

Neverlube is not equivalent to Bearing Buddy.
EZ lube maybe similar to Bearing Buddy and still designed to reduce boat trailer issues from submersion.

Inspection is also just as important... so you may as well pack by hand and skip just pumping more grease in.

I believe Neverlube also recommends annual inspection even if no grease is applied. Inspection is looking for increased runout or loss of lube that indicates need for replacement. And not always easy to find on the road so carry an extra set.

[jfkmk]

CKNSLS wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Bearing buddy is for boat trailers that submerge the axle to launch the boat.
Keeps pressure on the grease to keep the water out.

No use for an RV trailer. JMHO

If you would read at least two of my posts you would have seen OR Equivalent! OK-NEV-R-LUBE.

Never Lube

Item #1 From the above link
No need to pull the hubs to repack the bearings OR replace the seals when checking the brakes.

Are you referring to the never lube or the EZ lube? I'm not a big fan of the permanently sealed bearings. No matter what the warrantee claims, I've replaced enough hub assemblies on vehicles for them to leave a bad taste.

If you're referring to the EZ lube bearings, I'm not sure the cost of converting the existing bearings over is worth it, at least not to me.

That being said, whatever works for you is best for you. That's why they make vanilla and chocolate ice cream, right?

[CKNSLS]

smkettner wrote:
Bearing buddy is for boat trailers that submerge the axle to launch the boat.
Keeps pressure on the grease to keep the water out.

No use for an RV trailer. JMHO

If you would read at least two of my posts you would have seen OR Equivalent! OK-NEV-R-LUBE.

Never Lube

Item #1 From the above link
No need to pull the hubs to repack the bearings OR replace the seals when checking the brakes.

[time2roll]

Bearing buddy is for boat trailers that submerge the axle to launch the boat.
Keeps pressure on the grease to keep the water out.

No use for an RV trailer. JMHO

[CKNSLS]

jfkmk wrote:

PapillonOne wrote:

CKNSLS wrote:
That's one of the issues with repacking bearings. More often than not your better off just using the bearing buddy (if equipped)and leaving the bearings alone as far as dismantling everything IMHO. I can't count the number of posters who say they repack their bearings every year, every two years, etc., and when they take them out they really even didn't need repacking. I'm going the bearing buddy route and checking temps with an IR gun.

Could you provide more info or a link as to that the "bearing buddy" route is that you spoke of? And what is an IR gun and what does it do please. Thank you.

Janet

Janet,
Just do a quick search on bearing buddy and it'll take you right to their web site. The IR he's refering to is an infrared thermometer. You can "shoot" it at the hub and get an idea if one is running hotter than the other, indicating a potential bearing failure. These thermometers are now very cheap, especially at places like harbor freight.

Unfortunately, once the bearing starts to run hot, damage is already starting. If you're on the road, this could mean an expensive repair. Bearing maintenance, at least in my opinion, is preventive maintenance. In other word, do the maintenance before it is needed, not once a breakdown has begun.

Bearing maintenance, at least for even the most mildly mechanically inclined, is very basic and quite inexpensive, especially compared to a breakdown on the road. To each their own, but I'll invest a little time and a couple of dollars each spring to help ensure a trouble free camping season.

Repacking bearings is an EASY JOB in the sense that everything is basic. However, jacking up the trailer, pulling the bearings etc., is not an easy operation and it's even a messy affair and shouldn't be attempted by those who don't even change oils in their own vehicles. Once a year is overkill. For everyone on this forum that repacks their bearings annually, there are several that use the bearing buddys (or equivalent). There is no anecdotal evidence to suggest one way is better than the other.

[atreis]

What right do they have? You use their roads - so they have the right to inspect what you put on those roads. I've lived in places with and without inspections, and have to say that I prefer those with. All too often I see things one shouldn't ever pull on a road in the places without inspections.

That said, I wouldn't expect them to cause damage (and haven't ever had damage as the result of inspection), and wouldn't accept that without complaint. If they do cause damage, go elsewhere if you have a choice and write to the appropriate agency with proof of the damage so that they know they need to train their people better.