Trailer Bearings

[Duece22]

I did not want to Hi Jack the other trailer bearing thread so here it goes......

How often should you change your trailer bearings? How difficult is it? Is there a write up or an explanation on how to do it? And how much cost is involved in replacing the trailer bearings? Right now I have bearing buddies on and keep them greased cosistantly. I am interested because I do have an older trailer and would like to keep it in good working order with preventative maitenence if at all possible. Thanks for the help!

[Cpt.Chaos]

Repack your bearings yearly, even with the bearing buddies. Set the tension on the adjusting nut appropriately. When you clean your bearings before repacking them, give them a good inspection. Look for any abnormal signs of wear on the cones or rollers, replace then if necessary. Remember to also clean inside of the hub too, alot of people often overlook this area. When you remove the rear seal, make sure it is not damaged in the removal process, if so replace. If properly maintained, bearings will last the life of your trailer.

[just ducky]

have you watched this video?

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-repack_trailer_hub_bearings.aspx

one of the members here posted this for me when I had similar questions, and if your trailer is a smaller one like mine, it's pretty simple to do yourself.

[Burksee]

Repack your bearings yearly, even with the bearing buddies. Set the tension on the adjusting nut appropriately. When you clean your bearings before repacking them, give them a good inspection. Look for any abnormal signs of wear on the cones or rollers, replace then if necessary. Remember to also clean inside of the hub too, alot of people often overlook this area. When you remove the rear seal, make sure it is not damaged in the removal process, if so replace. If properly maintained, bearings will last the life of your trailer.:yeahthat: Very good advice! But let's ask another question, how far & how often do you use your trailer? I'm a firm believer in proper maintenance but sometimes if you don’t use it all that much minimal at best maintenance like zapping the bearing buddy's every trip out is more than adequate. ;)

[det07]

:yeahthat: Very good advice! But let's ask another question, how far & how often do you use your trailer? I'm a firm believer in proper maintenance but sometimes if you don’t use it all that much minimal at best maintenance like zapping the bearing buddy's every trip out is more than adequate. ;)

You don't HAVE to re-pack every year if the grease is still in good shape. Pull the cap off and inspect the grease. If it there is any water present or if the grease is black or milky it is probably best to re-pack and check the rear seal for damage. If your bearings are rusty or show severe wear from grease breakdown your looking at probably $30-$40 per wheel for a new bearing kit. Grease is CHEAP insurance that can prevent very costly damage. I ALMOST lost a wheel on my trailer going 60mph down the hwy. I was about 10 min into a 4 hr trip so luckily I came home and got some tools and went to a marine store to get replacement bearings. It would have been a lot easier doing the job at home rather than on the side of the road. Had the wheel actually fell off it could have damaged the spindle and cost a lot more than some grease and a new bearing kit.

[just ducky]

have you watched this video?

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-repack_trailer_hub_bearings.aspx

one of the members here posted this for me when I had similar questions, and if your trailer is a smaller one like mine, it's pretty simple to do yourself.

Here's another link that someone sent me a while back that gives both words and video of the process. I actually like this one better than the other one I posted.

http://www.sailingtexas.com/Movies/TrailerBearings/trailerbearings.html

[waterfoul]

Do NOT hit your bearing buddies with the grease gun before every trip!!! If you don't see grease all over your wheels or the bottom of your boat... it's not losing any!!! All you will do over time is force the rear seal out of the hub and cause issues that would not have occured if you had just left them alone. Once a month a single shot maybe (if you trailer once-twice a week or so) but do not hit them every time out!!!

[pwiethe]

Do NOT hit your bearing buddies with the grease gun before every trip!!! If you don't see grease all over your wheels or the bottom of your boat... it's not losing any!!! All you will do over time is force the rear seal out of the hub and cause issues that would not have occured if you had just left them alone. Once a month a single shot maybe (if you trailer once-twice a week or so) but do not hit them every time out!!!

Good advice. If you over-grease it, the rear seal will just open up from the grease pressure and blow out the back. The point of the bearing buddy with the spring and plate is to allow for thermal expansion and contraction. You want to give it enough "headroom" so that it can do it's job properly. If you over-fill it (so the plate is pushed all the way against the stop), when the grease heats and expands, it will have to go somewhere, and squirt out the rear seal.

My new trailer has oil-filled bearings - I've heard good and bad about those. We'll see how they hold up.

[Burksee]

Do NOT hit your bearing buddies with the grease gun before every trip!!! If you don't see grease all over your wheels or the bottom of your boat... it's not losing any!!! All you will do over time is force the rear seal out of the hub and cause issues that would not have occured if you had just left them alone. Once a month a single shot maybe (if you trailer once-twice a week or so) but do not hit them every time out!!!Good point and maybe overkill on my suggestion. I usually "zap" mine with a single pump before hitting the road for the longer trips up north but never if I see the spring in the BB is close to being compressed. ;)

[just ducky]

Do NOT hit your bearing buddies with the grease gun before every trip!!! If you don't see grease all over your wheels or the bottom of your boat... it's not losing any!!! All you will do over time is force the rear seal out of the hub...

I can attest to this, because I made this mistake with a previous trailer I owned, and yep, I blew the seals out the back.

[ScavengerMan]

Do NOT hit your bearing buddies with the grease gun before every trip!!! If you don't see grease all over your wheels or the bottom of your boat... it's not losing any!!! All you will do over time is force the rear seal out of the hub and cause issues that would not have occured if you had just left them alone. Once a month a single shot maybe (if you trailer once-twice a week or so) but do not hit them every time out!!!


I see there are several on this thread who have learned that lesson, me included.

Unless you don't have bearing buddies or are trailering your boat like a multi state tournament fisherman, there is no need to repack properly prepared and maintained wheel bearings every year. I've got five boat trailers and repacking them every year would be a giant pain in the ****. Rule number one is start out packing new bearings with premium synthetic grease. The difference in water resistance and corrosion protection between synthetic and dino grease is like night vs day. I've personally used and had great results with Royal Purple, Amsoil and Mobil 1, but hear Red Line might be the best of all. Since I've gone all synthetic over 15 years ago and learned not to overdue pressure from over greasing, I haven't had a single bearing assembly wear out, much less suffer that dreaded side of the road experience.

[WALLDADY]

I just inspected the bearings on my trailer yesterday . Everything was in great shape . In order to get the inside bearing out for inspection , you must pull the seal out of the hub . Damage my occure at that pt. to the seal . It cost me $10. for 2 new seals . a cheap insurance policy . That spot is where water will / can get into your hub . In my opinion you have to pry em out , change em for new . It had been several yrs, since I checked my bearings , but I also have the bearing buddies , that I greased regularly . and was pleasantly surprised . Go for it . It took me about 1 1/2 hrs to do both sides , with a trip to the boat shop for seals . It is a little intimidating at first , until you get into it and find out how easy it really is . ;)

Good Luck and Safe trips ........................... Walldady

[just ducky]

I'm getting ready to repack mine this week, and I have a question about the seals. I assume there are different sizes in seals, so how do I know what size I need without taking them off first? I have a Trailmaster trailer that came with my Lund, and from the owners manual for it I believe it has a 1" spindle size. I crawled under and measured where the seal hits the axle, and it appears to be about 1 -5/8". Is there a chart anywhere to determine what size seals I need? I know taking them out and then going to get new ones would be best, but I was trying not to.

[just ducky]

I'm getting ready to repack mine this week, and I have a question about the seals. I assume there are different sizes in seals, so how do I know what size I need without taking them off first? I have a Trailmaster trailer that came with my Lund, and from the owners manual for it I believe it has a 1" spindle size. I crawled under and measured where the seal hits the axle, and it appears to be about 1 -5/8". Is there a chart anywhere to determine what size seals I need? I know taking them out and then going to get new ones would be best, but I was trying not to.

bumping this up for more thoughts.

I found a chart on-line that says a 1" spindle should take a 1 1/4" seal. Guess I'll have to pull the old one out first and take it with me to be sure.

[brdhntr]

bumping this up for more thoughts.

I found a chart on-line that says a 1" spindle should take a 1 1/4" seal. Guess I'll have to pull the old one out first and take it with me to be sure.

Once you get the right size, keep the part #'s handy for future use. I have the tabs off the boxes of the ones I did so I can have the part# at a moments notice.

[FERG 06]

Once you get the right size, keep the part #'s handy for future use. I have the tabs off the boxes of the ones I did so I can have the part# at a moments notice.

Better yet, buy an extra set. They're cheap, you can take them on an out of town trip for an emergency and when you want to replace them in the future you got 'em and can replace your spares after you're done.

[just ducky]

Better yet, buy an extra set. They're cheap, you can take them on an out of town trip for an emergency and when you want to replace them in the future you got 'em and can replace your spares after you're done.

Good point. In other words, buy a case once you get the right ones :lol: Honestly, if I'm going to check them each year, might as well have extras.

[FERG 06]

Good point. In other words, buy a case once you get the right ones :lol: Honestly, if I'm going to check them each year, might as well have extras.

Yea when I get the time to do my bearings I want to do them NOW and don't want run out for seals only to find the closest place is out of them.

Another point is if your trailer has brakes you won't be able to see if the seals are leaking. Found out last year one spindle had rust on it and wore down the seal. Sanded it and hope for the best. I'll find out this year if it held up, if not I might have to replace the spindle.

I've also found that General Trailer has good prices on parts and a good quaility seal. Just take your old one in and they'll know what size it is.
At least the one down here is good. Use to by from a discount place but the seals were a lesser quaility and about the same price.

If I could find the time I'd help a couple of ya do yours and show you how then you'll be able to do it on your own from then on.

Ya know what? If someone wants some help on this, and you want to make the trip I'll help ya out if you give me equal time helping me out in my shop.

[just ducky]

Yea when I get the time to do my bearings I want to do them NOW and don't want run out for seals only to find the closest place is out of them.

Another point is if your trailer has brakes you won't be able to see if the seals are leaking. Found out last year one spindle had rust on it and wore down the seal. Sanded it and hope for the best. I'll find out this year if it held up, if not I might have to replace the spindle.

I've also found that General Trailer has good prices on parts and a good quaility seal. Just take your old one in and they'll know what size it is.
At least the one down here is good. Use to by from a discount place but the seals were a lesser quaility and about the same price.

If I could find the time I'd help a couple of ya do yours and show you how then you'll be able to do it on your own from then on.

Ya know what? If someone wants some help on this, and you want to make the trip I'll help ya out if you give me equal time helping me out in my shop.

My trailer has no brakes, so I think it's pretty straightforward. A friend who has done his before is going to help me through it the first time, but after watching some of the on-line videos and getting advice from people, I really think I have a good handle on it now. Just gotta get some seals, grease, etc. and I'll "git er done". Oh yeah...and it needs to STOP RAINING for gods sake. I have no indoor location to do them, and I'm not sitting out in the rain to do it. :gaga:

[Duece22]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the tips and the links to the videos. I tackled this project this afternoon. It was the first time I had done it and it went suprisingly smooth, It amazed me the amount of old dirty grease that did not look that good that was in my hubs and bearings, I am hoping this will save me any trouble in the future. Thanks for all the help!
Ric

[just ducky]

Okay guys, I'm in the middle of repacking the first wheel on my trailer. Everything went fine getting it off, pulling the outside bearing, etc., but the inside grease seal just will not come out!!! I'm using a dowel to tap on the inner bearing, and have gotten to the point where the taps are pretty hard. If I look at the outside of the grease seal, it's actually bending a bit in a couple spots from my "taps". So I stopped, thinking there must be something I'm doing wrong? I'm afraid my tapping is going to damage the inner bearing, which I guess I could always replace. Is it common to have that grease seal stick so hard that it's actually bending when you try to get it out? Or is there a special tool that I should be using? What am I doing wrong???

I'm going to call a friend tomorrow who works on cars and stuff all the time and see if he has any advice.

[ENCORE]

............ I ALMOST lost a wheel on my trailer going 60mph down the hwy.

Had the left front wheel come off a "57" Chevy at 70 mph one day on a car that I was riding in. Couldn't figure out where the tire came from that passed us.......... until he let off the gas! What a ride !!! :lol:

[Duece22]

Okay guys, I'm in the middle of repacking the first wheel on my trailer. Everything went fine getting it off, pulling the outside bearing, etc., but the inside grease seal just will not come out!!! I'm using a dowel to tap on the inner bearing, and have gotten to the point where the taps are pretty hard. If I look at the outside of the grease seal, it's actually bending a bit in a couple spots from my "taps". So I stopped, thinking there must be something I'm doing wrong? I'm afraid my tapping is going to damage the inner bearing, which I guess I could always replace. Is it common to have that grease seal stick so hard that it's actually bending when you try to get it out? Or is there a special tool that I should be using? What am I doing wrong???

I'm going to call a friend tomorrow who works on cars and stuff all the time and see if he has any advice.


On my trailer I was fortunate that they both came out pretty easy, but I did my brothers trailer last night and had the same issue you are having. I ended up just forcing them out and replacing the bearings and seals, for thirty dollars it is a pretty cheap fix to make sure it is done right. I trailered my boat today and all went well!

What i saw with my brothers being stuck is they were pushed out to the edge of the hub instead of being seated down in a quarter inch or so, I think this means they were over greased or for some reason got pushed out a little and ended up stuck.

[FERG 06]

Okay guys, I'm in the middle of repacking the first wheel on my trailer. Everything went fine getting it off, pulling the outside bearing, etc., but the inside grease seal just will not come out!!! I'm using a dowel to tap on the inner bearing, and have gotten to the point where the taps are pretty hard. If I look at the outside of the grease seal, it's actually bending a bit in a couple spots from my "taps". So I stopped, thinking there must be something I'm doing wrong? I'm afraid my tapping is going to damage the inner bearing, which I guess I could always replace. Is it common to have that grease seal stick so hard that it's actually bending when you try to get it out? Or is there a special tool that I should be using? What am I doing wrong???

I'm going to call a friend tomorrow who works on cars and stuff all the time and see if he has any advice.

No it's not unusual the destroy the seal when taking them out. Some of the seals (the better quality) have a sealer or rubber coating on the outside edge which makes them tough to get out.
They sell a seal puller at auto supplies, not expensive and worth it.
You can also try a pry bar on the seal side.
If you are trying to knock out the seal from the inside you might be hitting the bearing instead of the seal. and wood dowel obsorbs the shock from the hammer. You need a steel punch.

[just ducky]

No it's not unusual the destroy the seal when taking them out. Some of the seals (the better quality) have a sealer or rubber coating on the outside edge which makes them tough to get out.
They sell a seal puller at auto supplies, not expensive and worth it.
You can also try a pry bar on the seal side.
If you are trying to knock out the seal from the inside you might be hitting the bearing instead of the seal. and wood dowel obsorbs the shock from the hammer. You need a steel punch.

Ferg,

Whew! You gave me some peace of mind for sure. Now that I know it's common to destroy them when taking them out, I feel better, and will just continue on. Yes, those are the exact seals I have, with a rubber coating on the edge. And they're tighter than...oh well you understand. And I thought about the fact that I was beating on the bearing, not the seal, so I swiveled the bearing sideways (perpendicular?) to the seal, and put my dowel right on the seal itself. I was beating on it pretty good, but since this is my first time at this, I was afraid I'd damage something. And you're right, a wood dowel obviously isn't the right tool for this. I have a steel punch, which I guess I'll put to it today.

I may just invest in a seal puller since I plan on doing this regularly. Thanks for the advice.

[just ducky]

Got the bearings repacked this morning. Just took a pipe wrench to the old grease seals and they popped out fairly easily. Course they were bent and ripped up real good by the time I had them out. But now that I know you basically destroy them every time you do this, it was simple.

I took my time repacking the first one, making sure I cleaned the bearings up real well, and inspected the hell out of them, so that one took me a bit longer. The second one was very quick. Had it done in probably 20 minutes.

Can't tell you how much I appreciate the help you guys gave me on this. I realize in hindsight that most of my hesitation in the beginning with attempting to repack the bearings was simply lack of confidence. But now that I've done 'em, and I see how really simple it is, I'm confident I can do them any time I need to. And I'll feel a hell of a lot more comfortable traveling down the road knowing I can fix a bearing should one go.

Thanks guys.;)