Servicing my trailer bearings

[rickasbury]

I have a 10k tandem axle trailer I need to service the bearings. I did this when we first bought the boat 10 years ago - which sounds alarming but that's probably 2500 miles tops. The water is more the concerns than the miles.
I did it the one time having never done it before. I'm bringing the boat home which draws the ire of the city so I need to do this like a Nascar pit stop.
I have a temp gun and I keep an eye on the hub temps even on the short runs. I have one that is always about 20 degrees hotter.
I saw one guy on you tube who said the red shop rags should not be use as threads can get on the bearing surfaces..not sure what I should be using.
I do not know any of the bearing or seal numbers. That will be the first thing I get and check with my local shop for inventory. The one that is running hot I for sure will replace, I'd like to have a second set on hand plus replace the seals.
If I have any pitting or rust on the spindle or seal surface, what should I clean that up with? What grit paper can I use?
Clean parts with brake cleaner? How many cans for 4 hubs?
How many tubes of grease and what kind?
Type of rags?
I'm also doing this on asphalt in front of my house. I'll put a tarp down, I have buckets I can spray into and will find something to catch fluid from the spindles.
I'll look at some you tubes on hand packing the bearings..I see contraptions available to press the grease through consistently but I have not priced them.
The boat will be on the trailer- but another goal would be to replace the carpet on the bunks - is that special material? What is used to attach it? I should ve able to do that at the ramp after I slide the boat in the water quickly? That I will do later but want to line up what I need.
Thanks! I need to complete in 2 days max. If I find something that needs additional repair, that will be a come back to or park it if its not safe.

 

[alldodge]

Many times the heat coming from the bearings is actually coming from the brakes. Might need to replace the brakes, or any of it's parts, won't know until you get into it

Bearing sizes are pretty standard, getting the right ones should be easy

Using shop rags is no issue same as most any other rag (old Tee shirt, other). You have 10K axles and if a small fiber is in the bear it will be smashed up quick.

If there is just very slight pitting it can be cleaned up with emery cloth
I can of brake clean should do all axles. If pitting is deep you would need a speedy sleeve or replace the axle, all depends on how bad

Tubes of grease? If you have easy lube type axles you might need 2 tubes, if they are you pack type, then one will work

Hand packing is easy enough just messy. This is the way I do mine, just take your time and ensure you see grease come through every spot. Bearing packers are pretty cheap (under $20)
Can use any kind of carpet for bunks, even some old carpet someone just removed from there floors. They sell precut carpet. Use stainless steel staples or galvanized roofing nails

 

[tpenfield]

I just did the brakes on my Tri-axle trailer. In doing so, I also took a look at the bearings. some are better than others. On the wheel that gets hotter than the others see if the bearing is tighter than the rest. else it could be the brake dragging on that wheel, as AD said.

Depending on the type of bearing system you have pumping them with grease can be a good way to do a quick check to see what the exiting grease looks like. That can tell you which wheels may need attention vs. some others.

My axles are the 'posi-lube type, so the grease zerk is on the spindle. I think most are that way now.

 

[Captain Caveman]

When dealing with a lot of grease, I use those cheap, disposable nitrile gloves. For packing, I put grease into the palm of the glove and then start working the bearing into the grease. As alldodge mentioned, make sure that you see grease coming out of every crevice.

If you're doing one bearing, I would do them all. Then you know that they are all done correctly and should wear at the same rate in future years.

 

[Jeff J]

I almost never wipe a bearing with a towel or rag. I typically clean my bearings in a can of mineral spirits, sometimes use gasoline, by letting them soak a little bit then using a brush to knock loose any grease that doesn’t want to rinse off. Then I slosh them around until I can see through them followed by a little Brake Clean to flush out what remains. To dry the bearings, I cup them in a blue shop towel and give them a blast of compressed air (don’t let the bearing spin) or I give the Brake Clean a change to evaporate on its own.

Packing is either manual or with the $20 press. Many years ago I used a needle fitting on my grease gun to fill each hole.

Thicker nitrile gloves are a good idea for the entire process. Don’t get the thin ones the doctors use because they are too easily damaged.

 

[flashback]

If your gonna do one then do them all. It's a messy job. One time and done.

 

[captmello]

regarding the bunks, I would buy new wood and carpet, attach the carpet ahead of time and install the new bunks at the landing or wherever before you pick up the boat. I bought bunk carpet on Amazon. Good luck!

 

[Lou C]

To add to all these suggestions before starting watch a few videos on how to set the wheel bearing preload, this is very important and if not done right you will have continuous problems.
Make sure the grease seals you get are the right size for your spindles.
I started doing my own bearings back in the early '70s and we had this disgusting, evil smelling Castrol bearing grease (yellow crud for the old timers) man that stuff was nasty. Today's grease is much nicer! I would use a bearing packer just take your time. I have had good luck with Lucas Marine grease (blue stuff) it is a calcium sulfonate grease that is one step above most lithium complex greases.
The Super Lube style greasing system works well but you have to rotate the trailer tire when greasing and take it slow, you do not want to over pressurize the seal on the back end of the hub/rotor/drum.
With this system and the minimal trailering that I do I have not had to replace even one bearing over all the years I have used axles with this system.

 

[airshot]

regarding the bunks, I would buy new wood and carpet, attach the carpet ahead of time and install the new bunks at the landing or wherever before you pick up the boat. I bought bunk carpet on Amazon. Good luck!

I would recomend leaving the bottom if the bunk ooen, meaning no carpet on the wood on the bottom side if the bunk. I have found the wood lasts much longer if the water can escape. Bunks fully enclosed in carpet have a shorter life. I would also mount the bunk with stove bolts under the carpet that go thru to the bottom side with a nylon nut. Lag bolts are often used but they can and will fall without you knowing. About the time your ready to load your boat the bunk will fall off and your in trouble. By bolting thru with nylon nuts You won't ever loose the bunk board

 

[rickasbury]

I just did the brakes on my Tri-axle trailer. In doing so, I also took a look at the bearings. some are better than others. On the wheel that gets hotter than the others see if the bearing is tighter than the rest. else it could be the brake dragging on that wheel, as AD said.

Depending on the type of bearing system you have pumping them with grease can be a good way to do a quick check to see what the exiting grease looks like. That can tell you which wheels may need attention vs. some others.

My axles are the 'posi-lube type, so the grease zerk is on the spindle. I think most are that way now.

My spindles do have zerts, but, doesn't that just take grease to the inner bearing?

 

[tpenfield]

My spindles do have zerts, but, doesn't that just take grease to the inner bearing?

It takes the grease to the rear bearing and then the grease pushes to the front bearing. with that you can see what the existing grease looks like

 

[rickasbury]

If your gonna do one then do them all. It's a messy job. One time and done.

I'm for sure doing all of them...

 

[rickasbury]

I would recomend leaving the bottom if the bunk ooen, meaning no carpet on the wood on the bottom side if the bunk. I have found the wood lasts much longer if the water can escape. Bunks fully enclosed in carpet have a shorter life. I would also mount the bunk with stove bolts under the carpet that go thru to the bottom side with a nylon nut. Lag bolts are often used but they can and will fall without you knowing. About the time your ready to load your boat the bunk will fall off and your in trouble. By bolting thru with nylon nuts You won't ever loose the bunk board

The wood on the bunks looks solid and the carpet is on 3 sides...I wonder no more why it was done that way. I'd have to measure but these are large pieces of wood.. like a 4 x6 or maybe larger.