Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

M

mrtommy03

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 10, 2009
Messages
46
Hello,
What's the best way to grease the boat trailer wheels? I'm completely new to this.

1) What all do I need?
2) How do I do it?

Thanks
 
tractoman

tractoman

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
370
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

You'll need to remove the wheels and hubs to inspect the bearings. You may be able to clean them and repack them or you may need new bearings. In either case you'll need new seals. Search online for repacking bearings and you should be able to find a step by step guide with photos. On any new to me trailer I always replace the bearings. If your putting new bearings in, you'll need to replace the races or cones as some call them. Not that difficult, just a little messy.
Good luck.
 
G

great gricey

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
33
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

Bearing maintenance is pretty easy (even if you haven't done it before). First, you need to jack up the trailer and remove the wheel. Next, take off the dust cover with a thin bladed screwdriver, being careful not to warp it. Take out the cotter pin, the nut cap, the nut, and the washer and then pull the hub assembly off from the axel. Check the berings for dark spots (this means that they are no longer running smoothly and may have grit damage and uneven ware) and the races need to be inspected also. Repeatedly backing your railer into water with hot bearings leads to sucking in water and possible grit. If the races are scratched and look worn they need to be replaced also. The bearings run against the races. If the races need to be changed you can do this with a long punch and a hammer on a firm surface (like the garage floor or a bench vice). I like to clean the hub thoroughly with a rag and brake parts cleaner. To reinstall new races you need to use a large socket (21 mm or so) and hammer and tap the race until it seats evenly. Pack your bearings with a high quality grease, put the new seal on and put some extra grease inside the hub. Put the hub back on the axel until the seal is firmly in place and pack the other bearing with grease. Put the bearing and washer back on, followed with the nut. Finger tighten the nut and spin the wheel (do not tighten the nut too hard because the bearing may compress and you will need to buy new ones). Use a wrench and seat the bearing (again being careful not to over torque) Check the wheel for movement by wiggling it back and forth. If there is too much play tighten the nut a little more. Put the washer, nut cap, cotter pin and dust cap back on. Repeat on the other side of the trailer. After you take your trailer out for the first time, jack up the trailer again, take off the dust cap and wiggle the tire again to see if you need to tighten or loosen the nut. This is a good idea because if there are any problems you can fix it before serious damage happens. Hope this was helpful!
 
M

milkyway

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 31, 2004
Messages
535
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

periodically, use the grease pump thru your wheel's zerk fitting.
 
J

jaymasta

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
236
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

great gricey said:
Finger tighten the nut and spin the wheel (do not tighten the nut too hard because the bearing may compress and you will need to buy new ones). Use a wrench and seat the bearing (again being careful not to over torque) Check the wheel for movement by wiggling it back and forth. If there is too much play tighten the nut a little more. Put the washer, nut cap, cotter pin and dust cap back on. Repeat on the other side of the trailer. After you take your trailer out for the first time, jack up the trailer again, take off the dust cap and wiggle the tire again to see if you need to tighten or loosen the nut. This is a good idea because if there are any problems you can fix it before serious damage happens. Hope this was helpful!
Click to expand...

I have always understood to seat bearings that you torque them a certain ammount and then back it off and torque it again a lesser ammount and then finger tighten the nut and then 1/8 turn or so with wrench. This is how I was told to do it and have done it on three different trailers now without any trouble. I don't have a tourque wrench so I don't know the numbers off hand(i just go for the feel) but I thought it was something like 70ft lbs and then 40ft pounds and then finger tighten + 1/8th turn?
 
R

robert graham

Admiral
Joined
Apr 16, 2009
Messages
6,908
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

Install Bearing Buddies or similar grease injecting device with grease fitting(Walmart, Northern Tools, Tractor Supply, others), so you can grease the bearings. I usually pump mine with a grease gun whenever I launch the boat, especially in salt water. The Bearing Buddies have a spring which keeps a constant grease pressure in your bearings to keep out the water. Once you get it set up right you probably won't have any bearing problems. Also,Northern Tools sells an entire replacement hub with bearings, seals and all in a package for about $25 to keep in your trunk in case you ever have a failure on the highway. Just be certain that it's a match for the hubs on your trailer. You may want to remove your hub and take it to Northern just to make a perfect match, since many of the hubs have different diameters and bolt spacings. As far as tightening your bearings, just finger tight is fine...no wrenches. Then put your cotter pin in, and you're set to go! Good Luck!
 
mike64

mike64

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
1,042
S

steddy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
126
Re: Best Way to Grease Trailer Wheels? Newbie...

robert graham said:
Install Bearing Buddies or similar grease injecting device with grease fitting(Walmart, Northern Tools, Tractor Supply, others), so you can grease the bearings. I usually pump mine with a grease gun whenever I launch the boat, especially in salt water. The Bearing Buddies have a spring which keeps a constant grease pressure in your bearings to keep out the water. Once you get it set up right you probably won't have any bearing problems. Also,Northern Tools sells an entire replacement hub with bearings, seals and all in a package for about $25 to keep in your trunk in case you ever have a failure on the highway. Just be certain that it's a match for the hubs on your trailer. You may want to remove your hub and take it to Northern just to make a perfect match, since many of the hubs have different diameters and bolt spacings. As far as tightening your bearings, just finger tight is fine...no wrenches. Then put your cotter pin in, and you're set to go! Good Luck!
Click to expand...

These things can be great. Or the most evil invention ever. The folks that have these sometimes think their bearings become maintenance free. They're wrong. Adding grease all the time but never cleaning the bearings is a bad thing. Think of it like adding oil to your engine every 3000 miles, but never draining out the old stuff. The telltale sign of the eventual blown seal is the layer of grease on the inside of the rim. If the grease can get out, that means water can get in.

As stated, make sure you remove/clean/inspect/replace if necessary/re-seal/re-grease your bearings every 12,000 miles or once a year. More if you launch your boat "more than usual." I launch my own boat probaly 15 times per year, and pack its bearings every fall. I tow with confidence.

You know those long single skid marks along the highway that go to the shoulder then stop? Probably a trailer with a seized bearing whose owner hasn't read this thread.
 
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