Servicing my trailer bearings

[Lou C]

Ok, so I'm re thinking what little I know about these bearing systems. I just watched a you tube from Rockwell showing how their system works. I do have a zert on my spindles so I assume I have a posi lube system. According to the video, to repack the bearings on the hub you slowly squeeze grease into the system until you have clean grease exiting around the castle nut and everything should be good! ?? I could do that right where the boat sits with a pile of rags and a grease gun? I would check those rear seals to make sure they have not been leaking. This company, in the display they had, there was only a rear seal and then the cap with the rubber piece you can pop out to get to the zert. I'm sure the old school will be to tare it down...

Jack up the wheel on that side and spin the wheel while pumping in grease….

 

[rickasbury]

For the most part yes, than take your finger and dig out all the grease around the castle nut and put the seal back on. Your digging most of the grease out because heat will build pressure and if no grease is removed it will push the seal out, it needs a little air space

I know there is a seal in the rear but I don't think there is one in the front?

 

[Jeff J]

The dust cap or bearing buddy provides the seal on the front. That’s why those rubber pieces need replaced on the caps used with axles having zerk fittings when they deteriorate or tear. I just install standard caps since I don’t use the zerk fittings

 

[rickasbury]

Sorry for the spell checker mistake....I meant NYLOK nuts, A metal nut with a nylon insert to keep it from vibrating loose.

Lol....

 

[rickasbury]

Thanks for all the input, I know enough to be real dangerous! I'll bring it home, inspect those inner seals first. If they look good I'll go to pumping. If a seal is bad then obviously that wheel comes apart but otherwise I'm going to use the posi lube system and see how that works out....
Thanks Again, I appreciate all the input!
Rick

 

[jlh3rd]

use the same base grease.

 

[airshot]

use the same base grease.

Yes....if the prior grease is unkown, better to clean out everything and use a known grease to rebuild. Some types of grease do not mix well with others. Experienced it myself many years back. The different types turned into a liquid and ran out and destroyed the bearings and races.

 

[rickasbury]

Yes....if the prior grease is unkown, better to clean out everything and use a known grease to rebuild. Some types of grease do not mix well with others. Experienced it myself many years back. The different types turned into a liquid and ran out and destroyed the bearings and races.

I hear what you are saying but I feel like if I do this right and no seals are leaking, everything in the hub and bearings will be flushed out. Not 100% but certainly most of it. I will pull the wheel that has been running hotter and if i see some wear other than for out of adjustment I will pull the next one too. The hotter wheel the hottest point on the hub was 120? The others were all around 20 cooler. I understand sometimes the difference is more important than the number. Its feels like 110 degrees in Florida. The hottest wheel is 10 degrees hotter than the air! What should be a normal temp for the hub away from the rotor?

 

[jlh3rd]

well,
I have a karavan trailer with the sure-lube system. I can't be sure that if I change a grease base that using that system only will remove enough of the residual grease.
So it could still cause a problem.

 

[rickasbury]

Got the boat home and got to work. I bought medium gloves- would not fit. First time any latex on my body needed anything larger than medium.
The trip from the marina is maybe 5 miles? The wheel I was concerned with was now like 216 degrees, the others around 110. I checked the rotor temp and it was there too so suspected the brake caliper and found that it is. So the pads were wore down to about nothing, the piston is jammed. I went ahead and greased the bearing and left the brake off which leads me to a question- with the brake off I could easily spin the wheel. No rocking when I grabbed the wheel. With the caliper on, there is always a slight drag so when you are trying to adjust the castle nut, how do you know if you are to tight (or lose) with drag from the brake? I moved on to the 2nd tire, those pads were badly worn but not as bad as the 1st. For sure looks like pads are in order.
Back to the frozen caliper..Will the piston go crooked because of the uneven pad wear or did the pads get trashed because the piston froze? Chicken or the egg...when i first went through the trailer when we bought 10 years ago, I got all of calipers apart, new seals and dust boots...do I try to service it or at some point are they not serviceable? If i try to service, how do i get it out? I have a compression tool to push it back which I hoped would straighten out its path but it does not budge..compressed air i don't think would work.
I'm going to continue greasing the other wheels and inspecting...

 

[jlh3rd]

standard practice for castle nut adjustment is to snug the castle nut up as you rotate the wheel. You are setting the bearings, not tightening the nut.
Some say up to 25 lb/ft. torque on the nut .You can remove the drag by spreading the pad and pushing the caliper in a little. I've done so many for decades it is second nature. Then you loosen the nut without turning the wheel until you can turn it by hand. Then you tighten the nut by hand. If I'm off a little for the cotter pin, I go to the loose direction.
Pads trashed because of frozen caliper.
with that overheat I'd be at least replacing the seal and the bearings would be suspect. You don't really know how hot it got. If you weren't throwing grease, maybe ok.
"chicken or egg"..... doesn't matter. bad pads, bad caliper fix 'em.
I would replace the caliper, wouldn't try to service it. I've never serviced a frozen caliper and wouldn't, but it is your time and money.