How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

[imwithstupid]

I'm confused a bit.

Within the hub you have racers, bearings, and seals. Those parts are "locked" onto the spindle by the castle nut which is "locked" onto the spindle by a cotter pin.

All of that fits within the hub - so what keeps the hub from just rolling off the axle?

Does the break system somehow keep it on the axle? what about trailers that do not have breaks?

 

[seaboo]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

Just what you said. The castle nut and washer keep the hub locked in place. If the BEARING goes out the hub can roll off but short of that the washer/nut is LARGER than the bearing (the bearing is pressed in and sits on a lip) so it can NOT slip off. Maybe this can explain it better.
http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wheelbearingpack.aspx

I'm confused a bit.

Within the hub you have racers, bearings, and seals. Those parts are "locked" onto the spindle by the castle nut which is "locked" onto the spindle by a cotter pin.

All of that fits within the hub - so what keeps the hub from just rolling off the axle?

Does the break system somehow keep it on the axle? what about trailers that do not have breaks?

 

[DBreskin]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The bearings are shaped like a cone. The inner and outer bearings each have truncated conical shapes pointing toward the center of the wheel (toward each other); this keeps the wheel in place. Here's a picture:


You can see how the castle nut forces the bearing race inwards.

 

[boat1010]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

Since it has already been 'splained, and drawn out with diagrams,

I'm goin' with - "Ancient Chinese Secret" - as my final answer.

 

[j_martin]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

 

[wifisher]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

ummm... I don't think that means what you think it means.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

"How can you be knowin' where Ima' goin', if you ain't been where I be? See where ima' comin' from?"

 

[DBreskin]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

The lug bolts hold the wheel to the hub. They have nothing to do with holding the hub to the axle.

 

[rickryder]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The bearings are shaped like a cone. The inner and outer bearings each have truncated conical shapes pointing toward the center of the wheel (toward each other); this keeps the wheel in place. Here's a picture:
View attachment 87773

You can see how the castle nut forces the bearing race inwards.

That also adjusts your bearing preload....too loose and the hub will rock on the bearing...too tight and the hub won't spin freely and premature bearing failure will be the result.

 

[boat1010]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

So if the lug nuts have nothing to do with holding the hub to the axle then what steps do you take to removethe hub? You take off the lug nuts and pull the hub off.. Nothing else holds on the hub. I am with the understanding what he is calling the "hub" is the brake drum... Maybe I am out in left field. Sorry if I don't understand..

 

[wifisher]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

So if the lug nuts have nothing to do with holding the hub to the axle then what steps do you take to removethe hub? You take off the lug nuts and pull the hub off.. Nothing else holds on the hub. I am with the understanding what he is calling the "hub" is the brake drum... Maybe I am out in left field. Sorry if I don't understand..

The hub is the part that houses the wheel bearings and seal. The brake drum is the brake drum. The lug nuts hold the wheel and the brake drum to the hub. To remove the hub, you pull the cotter pin and remove the castle nut. The hub is now free. This can be done with the wheel, brake drum, and lug nuts all in place.

 

[boat1010]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

SORRY!!! I was out in left field.. I was tinking of my truck not a trailer... Hope I didn't cause anyone any problems... Thanks for getting me on the right track...

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The lug bolts go through the hub and the lug bolts are attached to the Axel. So when the lug bolts go through the hub it holds it all together. When you put the tire on and tighten the lug bolts it holds it all together. Trailers wthout brakes just have the lug bolts and no hub. Hope that helps answer your question.

Want to try again??? Lug bolts are definitely NOT attached to the axle. In fact they don't go anywhere near the axle.
Trailers without brakes most definitely have a hub but they don't have a brake drum or brake rotor.

The hub is held onto the spindle by the nut, washer, and cotter pin. The wheel is held to the hub by the lug bolts or nuts.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

The axle bone's connected to the...
hub bone.

The hub bone's connected to the...


You get the idea.

 

[mark mcj]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

It can really be a little un-nerving to look at, everything is held together with a .50 cent washer, $1.25 nut and a .20 cent cotter pin.
We all load thousands of dollars worth of equpiment in it all the time.

 

[j_martin]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

If you know any geometry and do the math, there really isn't much load on that nut compared to what it could hold. The threads take the force that is there, and the cotter pin just keeps the nut from turning. The force held by the cotter pin is ounces.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

And of cource there is NO mention of Pre-Load ... hmm..

Races are the Housings of Bearings..

Seals are to keep the grease in the bearings ..

You just dont slip in races..you have to press those babies in Square ! Then the bearings ride on those ( pre-loaded ).

Now there are common "sealed" race/bearings sold for Most trailers. You still have to pre-load..

I could be wrong..but we allways had to preload bearings/races after packing them..

YD.

 

[Lou C]

Re: How does a hub stay attached to the axle?

What is confusing to some is that boat trailers use bearings that were common on old school rear drive vehicles, for the front wheels. On all of them, to remove the front brake drum, or rotor, you had to remove the spindle nut, no way around it. However on the rear axle of rear drive vehicles, most had a drum or disc that fit over a hub with studs coming through it. So once the wheel and tire was off, the drum or disc could come right off (but often was held on by a small retaining ring that you pried off, or a lot of rust after years of not being removed). Now modern vehicles, use front unit bearings, with a hub/stud assembly that the rotor slides over. You can remove those brake assemblies without having to do anything with the front bearings. I don't know if any rear drive vehicles still use the old school spindle nuts, but none of the 4x4 vehicles that I have worked on recently have anything but the unit bearings, similar to front wheel drive cars.....