Trailer wheel bearings

[cranchi]

How often should I inspect the bearings on my trailer which is used for launching every three weeks or so. And, what brand/sort of grease should I use.

 

[ufm82]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

I used to repack mine every spring before the first trip out but with my new trailer, I no longer have to pack bearings. It is drilled so that I simply put the grease gun on the zerk fitting in the dust cap and squeeze the grease in- the old grease goes through a through-hole out the back of the spindle. It completely fills the hub space with grease so water cannot enter and it has to go throught the bearings to move through. I now buy a tube of Valvoline Palladium Plus 2 commercial grease that I get through my company's supplier. It's expensive but it's the best. I run half the tube through one side and the other half through the other side. No worries about bearing issues. <br /><br /> Pull 'em, pack 'em and run 'em. <br /><br />UFM82

 

[tommays]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

you need a starting point is the trailer old or new ?<br /><br />if its been used for a while and nothing has been done its best to inspect everything and if its good repack with a grease that is rated for you type of use <br /><br />if you have brakes you need to find a wheel bearing grease rated for brakes there are marine wheel bearing grease that are easy to find in the US but i have no idea whats over there<br /><br />bearing buddies work very well and allow you to ad d grease as the trailer is used<br /><br />tommays

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

My philosophy on trailer wheel bearings is when in doubt, do it. If you do it yourself, its a pretty easy DIY. If you pay someone to do it, it really doesn't cost much compared to the downside of letting them go. <br /><br />I do my bearings every fall - it's best if they go into winter all nice and moisture free. If I don't get around to it, I do it in the spring, but more often than not, this results in moisture damage. I also often get them re-done in late summer, because about then I do two long long trips and it's just worth it to me for the peace of mind. (300+ miles in the mountains and pretty remote country). It is a relatively cheap thing either way (DIY or pay someone else), but the consequences of not doing it can be catostropic, and to me peace of mind is very valuable. I have a friend who has had two major axle issues because of wheel bearing failures - coud have been prevented if he'd spent either a couple of hours or a hundred US$ having the bearings inspected or overhauled before starting on the trip.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

PS: I meant 300+ tough miles each way, a couple of times in quick succession - that's why I often get the bearings done just before that time. I didn't mean to imply I do wheel bearings each time I drive 300 miles!

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

There's a lot of opinions out there on this. Most trailer manufacturers will recommend it as annual maintenance. Personally, I stretch it a little and do it every other year. I tow a lot of long distances on interstates. In your case, if you're just launching every 3 weeks...and maybe not going anywhere else at speed? If that was the case I'd honestly probably never do it. Or just wait till they rust & start to grind and then simply replace bearings & races only when they go bad. They're cheap, and at low speeds there's no safety issue of losing or locking a wheel due to a bad bearing. But if you ever get to highway speeds, do regular maintenance to save yourself a potential nightmare. Any automotive high temp wheel bearing grease is fine for freshwater. If you launch in saltwater I'd go with a good quality marine wheel bearing grease.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

I use the 'dunk' method.<br /><br />Ever 10th dunking I jack it up and spin um - feel and listen.<br /><br />Once a year they get torn down and inspected - and ALWAYS new seals at the very least.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Trailer wheel bearings

I use the 'dunk' method.<br /><br />Ever 10th dunking I jack it up and spin um - feel and listen.<br /><br />Once a year they get torn down and inspected - and ALWAYS new seals at the very least.<br /><br />Aldo