Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

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MichFish86

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I recently replaced my wheel bearings, races, and seals in my small, single axle Sprint EZ Loader boat trailer in preparation for my 1,100 mile move that is happening next week. After taking it for a test drive, one of the hubs was getting warmer than I would like (although far from hot), the other stayed cold. I had driven it about 50 miles at 60 mph during the test. I took apart the bearings that were getting warm and found metal shavings in the grease around the outer bearing and inside the brand new Bearing Buddy. There were no shavings when I first removed the hub to change the bearings, so this must be something that I did wrong. Also, there appears to be a very minor wobble in the tire and I do not know if it was doing that before the bearing replacement. Here's the potential issues as I see them:

1) Race was not seated perfectly (although it sounded like it when I installed it)
2) My bearing packing job was poor and I missed a roller or two
3) The tire or rim is shot, causing the wobble and making the bearings wear against the races or spindle incorrectly

Is there anything else it could possibly be?? I'm going to start by putting new bearings and races in tomorrow. I'll also likely pick up a new tire and wheel. As I mentioned, I'm preparing for a 1,100 mile haul so I really need the trailer in perfect shape.

Thanks for your input.
 
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Fed

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

Bearing Buddy piston hitting the end of the axle or split pin.
 
bruceb58

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lrak

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

bruceb58 said:
How would that even be possible?
Click to expand...
The bearing buddy spins with the hub. The cotter pin through the axle does not spin. If the cotter pin isn't squished down enough it could scrape grove on the inside of the bearing buddy. The metal removed becomes shavings.
 
dingbat

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

The problem Irak is a very common problem. One of the biggest culprits of mystery BB/bearing cap lose and the only possible source of "shavings". Harden Steel (bearings) doesn't shave. Hubs are cast steel and wouldn't "shave" either.

Item 1 and/or improper bearing pre-load was the most likely culprit.
Item 2 is pretty much irrelevant. Grease liquifies and turns to oil at operating temperature.
Item 3 is off the list. A tire that out of balance would shake your trailer to pieces long before it applied enough radial or thrust load to overheat a bearing.
 
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bruceb58

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

lrak said:
The bearing buddy spins with the hub. The cotter pin through the axle does not spin. If the cotter pin isn't squished down enough it could scrape grove on the inside of the bearing buddy. The metal removed becomes shavings.
Click to expand...
I meant hitting the end of the axle but the cotter pin is also FAR away from the end of the bearing buddy.
 
bruceb58

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

dingbat said:
Item 2 is pretty much irrelevant. Grease liquifies and turns to oil at operating temperature.
Click to expand...
I have seen a poor packing job cause a bearing to fail within a hundred miles. Happened to my family's vehicle when my brother packed some bearings improperly.
 
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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

bruceb58 said:
I have seen a poor packing job cause a bearing to fail within a hundred miles. Happened to my family's vehicle when my brother packed some bearings improperly.
Click to expand...
It depends on what way the packing job was deficient. If he didn't a good job filling the bearing with grease prior to installation, the odds of being the primary cause of the failure 100 miles later is small. A "dry" bearing failure would have been almost immediate.

It's impossible to tell without looking at the bearing, but I suspect that excessive bearing preload was the primary culprit. Setting preload with inadequate lubrication in the race would affect bearing clearance which is essential for proper lubrication. If the housing was under filled or the incorrect viscosity of grease was used, the probability increases exponentially.
 
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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

dingbat said:
It's impossible to tell without looking at the bearing, but I suspect that excessive bearing preload was the primary culprit. Setting preload with inadequate lubrication in the race would affect bearing clearance which is essential for proper lubrication. If the housing was under filled or the incorrect viscosity of grease was used, the probability increases exponentially.
Click to expand...
Totally agree.
 
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MichFish86

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

I borrowed a bearing race installer, so those should be OK. I repacked the new bearings for several minutes and made certain all rollers were lubed, so those should be OK. I preloaded by the book, so that should be OK. I replaced the tire and wheel, so that should be OK.

I drove about 20 miles at 45-60 mph and the troubled side got slightly warm to the touch. I then drove about 10 miles at 70 mph and the bad side only got slightly warmer (still not hot), and the good side also got slightly warmer. I got home and took the bearing buddy off and couldn't find any metal shavings. Would you call it good or should the slight warmth after freeway speeds bother me?
 
bruceb58

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

Are there brakes involved on this axle?
 
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MichFish86

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

No, there are no brakes. Just a very simple setup for a 14' boat.
 
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MichFish86

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

Figured it out. The bent part of the cotter pin was rubbing on the inside of the bearing buddy. I shortened the cotter pin and bent it differently and it could no longer contact the wall of the buddy. That also explains why there was no heat right after I filled the buddy: the piston was giving the cotter pin enough room. Apparently my spindle is slightly longer than most. Thanks for your advice, everyone.
 
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Fed

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

I shortened the cotter pin and bent it differently
Click to expand...
I did exactly the same thing but didn't bother with repacking, just gave the exposed end and bb a wipe and banged it back on. That was 4 years ago.
 
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MichFish86

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

Fed said:
I did exactly the same thing but didn't bother with repacking, just gave the exposed end and bb a wipe and banged it back on. That was 4 years ago.
Click to expand...

Thanks for mentioning this. Glad to hear a success story. Unfortunately, while trying to make sure the BB piston was sufficiently above the bent over pin I blew out the rear seal. Got it back together and now consider myself initiated to BBs. Yeah, rookie move.
 
bruceb58

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Re: Metal shavings after new wheel bearings

The piston should be far away from the cotter pin. You only pump grease in the Bearing Buddy until the piston just starts to move.
 
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