Bad Replacement spindle...

this is A Continuation of "Grease Slung on inside of rim"

So I got replacement spindles and they arrive in a torn up box with dings on the bearing journals. Is this gonna fly? Posted is the worst spindle.

Thanks

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

ah, forgot the pictures... Here you go.





This is the box the spindle arrived in. The holes were there when the package arrived from FedEx. Not sure if the spindles where shipped with the nicks or if it was damaged on shipping due to poor packaging (news paper in between spindles) or if this normal for the spindle.


thanks.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

I would not risk it. There are some pretty big nicks in the races and that can effect the bearings and or seals. I would call the vendor and tell you to send some new ones. If they don't comply I would stop payment and return them.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

The pic you included really don't show much of the damage, the seal area isn't even in the pic.
Just a few nicks won't hurt anything so long as they can be smoothed over and the bearings fit fine. If the seal area is damaged, then I'd send them back for sure. I'd complain either way, chances are any legit vendor will just replace them. Be sure to take good pics to send to the vendor.

Some of the spindles I've seen on new axles were pretty rough, so long as the seal area was good, all was always fine.
Most trailer spindles are just plain steel, not hardened or anything these days.
If they were too hard, they'd break vs. bend on impact.
A few brands do surface harden them, but from what I've seen it's no more than a flame hardened surface.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

Those are the the replacements they sent me for the defective rusted seal surfaced ones.

So the jounalas (where the bearing sits on the spindle) does not have to be perfectly smooth. I thought it should be. The seal surface on the new spindles are good and smooth.

Thanks!!

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

What Reelfishin means is that the dings on the bearing surfaces can be smoothed with crocus cloth or fine emery paper. Slide the bearing on and off the journal. If it binds, buff it some more. The bearing will "creep" on the spindle during operation but they don't obviously spin at wheel speed. The seal surface however must be ding free or it will be eaten up.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

Most tapered bearings only need a slip fit, they don't need to rotate since when you preload the bearing it helps to spread the load over the entire surface of the bearing race.
If the bearing is preload adjusted, as on most trailers and cars, the race is pressed against both the shoulder and machined surface area by both weight and preload torque which all but eliminates any movement. If the bearing is allowed too much ability to to 'creep' it's more apt to spin in the event of a failure meaning almost certain spindle destruction. The normal fit is snug but hand removable with no interference fit or force needed to install or remove the bearing cone from the spindle.

Simply put, if the seal areas aren't damaged, I'd just sand or file down the dings so the bearings fit on smooth, and all should be fine.
Which supplier sent you two pair of bad or damaged spindles in a row?
I think I'd rather polish off rust than file nicks if I had a choice, unless they were badly pitted.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

Your supplier may have a batch of "seconds" that they are selling cheap. Anything to do with wheel bearings has the rule "if in doubt then don't" in my opinion. Nothing worse than regretting it at the roadside somewhere.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

As stated above, if you can clean up and get a smooth slip fit of the bearing race to the spindle you will be good. In my years as a heavy truck mechanic I have gone to trailer with 80,000 lbs that had burn up a wheel bearing, had to cut off with torch, smooth surface, put on new bearings and he was back on the road again and it run for years. There have been times that a center punch has been used on the inside of a hub to make the bearing fit tight and it run for years after.

Re: Bad Replacement spindle...

Ditto on the center punch thing, I've done that in the past with no ill effects.

DougV>