Question about bearings

[rochester]

Hi... just a question for those mechanically inclined among you. I pulled the hubs off my trailer to repack the wheel bearings. The bearings and races look good all the way around. I'm replacing the seals. I've been told to make sure that I put the bearings back into the race they came out of, because they become mates by their wear characteristics. However, my son inadvertantly picked them up and now I don't know which bearing was outside and which was inside on one of the hubs. They are the exact same bearings. How likely is it that I will have a problem if I get the bearings reversed? Should I replace the bearings?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Question about bearings

Boy, thats a tough one. I tend to do things sometimes that I shouldnt, Myself, I would probably take a chance but keep a close eye on them the first trip and check to see if they were getting hot. Its a toss up though. Im sure that most are going to tell you to change them to be safe. Probably what I should tell you to do too.

 

[wayne h]

Re: Question about bearings

replace them its not worth the chance

 

[rochester]

Re: Question about bearings

I'm replacing the bearings. I've never done it before, but I got the four races out fine. I've got one race most of the way in, but the mosquitoes chased me out of the garage into the house. My question: is there any way of knowing whether the races are fully set? To me, it looks as though the race is fully set, but I didn't feel or hear anything that leads me to believe it is all the way in like I read I would.

 

[wayne h]

Re: Question about bearings

when setting them in u will feel a more solid hit i dont know how u are setting them in or if u have a peice or wood under them but the whole hub should bounce once they are all the way set also u can feel with your fingernail in the back the the race where it meets the hub u should not be able to even get your nail in that space it should be pretty right again the hub. if you worked it in from side to side while driving them in u should be ok just make sure its not cocked and the race is set against the hub when changing races i use and old socket to get them back in u can hit them pretty hard just make sure the socket is on the rim of the race on not on the race surface.

 

[rochester]

Re: Question about bearings

Thanks Wayne,<br />Got the races in with a socket. That worked pretty well. I had been trying to use a brass rod, but the socket worked much better. Ran the trailer about 100 miles over the weekend and the hubs didn't even hardly get warm. It was a great weekend for boating up here this weekend. It had been raining for about the last month. We had the wettest May on record, so it was nice to have some sunshine!