Cross country trailering advice/tips

[jlh3rd]

yep...it's impossible to overtighten just using hand strength. Where a mistake can be made is after hand snugging the castle nut, some see that the cotter pin hole is just slightly ahead of the "slot"...so they take a tool and use it to snug to the hole. That might make it too tight. I always go loose.
and I see timken says 50lb/ft.....so use that if you want,...no debate.

 

[ratdude747]

yep...it's impossible to overtighten just using hand strength. Where a mistake can be made is after hand snugging the castle nut, some see that the cotter pin hole is just slightly ahead of the "slot"...so they take a tool and use it to snug to the hole. That might make it too tight. I always go loose.
and I see timken says 50lb/ft.....so use that if you want,...no debate.

Agreed. With tapered roller bearings, always go loose rather than tight.

Also why regular nuts with sheet metal retainers are better than castle nuts for tapered roller spindles:


These are available at most auto part stores. But the shorter nuts... I don't know. Never tried the swap.

The idea being that once you have the nut "where you want it", there is almost always a retainer positioning available that will allow a slot to line up with the cotter pin hole (due to there being 8 slots and 12 "points, but such not being directly lined up with each other giving more possible alignment options). And unlike the Asian method of using a keyway with a "dentable" nut end, the setup is fully reusable other than the cotter pin.

 

[gsbarry]

This seems to roughly follow JLH's approach. 200 ft lb seems like a tremendous amount of torque to set the bearings initially. I guess my general sort of thought on this... get it really tight at first, back off full turn, then get it kind of tight, back off 1/4 turn and pin it, then check for excessive end play.

 

[jlh3rd]

200?...I've never seen that....but maybe I've been wrong?
dunno...what site/source is that?

other point is..I don't carry all that "equipment" on the road, nor at the marina,...or on the side of the road........200lb/ft ?...seriously, that's a lot'a force.

 

[dingbat]

200?...I've never seen that....but maybe I've been wrong?
dunno...what site/source is that?

Timken bearings.......

The purpose of the torque is to make sure the bearing is seated in the race.

other point is..I don't carry all that "equipment" on the road, nor at the marina,...or on the side of the road........200lb/ft ?...seriously, that's a lot'a force.

That's why I carry a ready to install hub at all times.

 

[jlh3rd]

well...this is where the internet gets off the rails....and disagreements start.
The post about 200lb/ft as an initial torque didn't sit right with me....didn't make sense.
and I found out why.
A tiny bit of info was left out. That being the procedure is for class 6,7, and 8 trucks and trailers....not boat trailers.....truck trailers..the big boys. Not my little 1 1/16 axle or my chevy's silverado.
Like I said, in 51 years of doing this stuff I had never seen 200lb/ft initial torque for common, everyday cars and trailers....and still haven't.

ready to install hub.....yeah, I can carry one too...but I still have to install, set the bearings and secure the castle nut.
think I'll just continue do'in what I've been do'in.

 

[bruceb58]

That has to be a mistake...20 lbft is what I use.

I use this procedure:

1) While rotating the wheel clockwise, tighten to 20lb.ft.
2) loosen the nut and then finger tight.
3) insert cotter pin or keeper without tightening the nut. If anything, back off slightly to make cotter pin/keeper fit.

 

[dingbat]

well...this is where the internet gets off the rails....and disagreements start.
The post about 200lb/ft as an initial torque didn't sit right with me....didn't make sense.
and I found out why.
A tiny bit of info was left out. That being the procedure is for class 6,7, and 8 trucks and trailers....not boat trailers.....truck trailers..the big boys. Not my little 1 1/16 axle or my chevy's silverado.
Like I said, in 51 years of doing this stuff I had never seen 200lb/ft initial torque for common, everyday cars and trailers....and still haven't.

ready to install hub.....yeah, I can carry one too...but I still have to install, set the bearings and secure the castle nut.
think I'll just continue do'in what I've been do'in.

Here is the passenger car and light truck version

https://www.timken.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Timken-LV4-Wheel-Bearing-Replacement_7562.pdf

 

[jlh3rd]

That has to be a mistake...20 lbft is what I use.

I use this procedure:

1) While rotating the wheel clockwise, tighten to 20lb.ft.
2) loosen the nut and then finger tight.
3) insert cotter pin or keeper without tightening the nut. If anything, back off slightly to make cotter pin/keeper fit.

it's not a mistake for class 6,7, and 8 truck/trailer.....which was not what we are talking about.
20 is fine, 25 is what I've used...timken says 50, eh, ok, maybe I'll try that.
I'm not having any problems so, if it ain't broke , I'm not fix'n it.

 

[gsbarry]

Here is the passenger car and light truck version

https://www.timken.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Timken-LV4-Wheel-Bearing-Replacement_7562.pdf

That makes a lot more sense… 50 ft lbs initial, then 10 ft lbs second pass

 

[Horigan]

Dexter has you go 30 ft-lbs initially, then finger tight, then only loosen to align cotter pin. Been working for me a long time.

 

[BRICH1260]

A proper sized jack and cordless impact gun if you have one.