Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

[airdvr1227]

On my way to a local lake. One more time out before layup. Looked in the rearview and there was a copious amount of smoke coming off the passenger side rear tire. At first I thought I'd blown a tire out until I piulled over and realized I'd completely destroyed a wheel bearing. Grease everywhere...bits of rollers...and a good display of blue smoke. <sigh>

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

So how did you deal with it? I've started carrying a spare hub ready to go.

 

[Starcraft Enterprise]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

Just replaced the bearings on 1 of my two axles do to impending 800 mile trip. I jacket up each axle, spun the wheel and listened. 2 of the 4 howled. I popped off the dust covers on all of them. The quiet ones looked good but the howling ones had some salt water run out along with a line of greassy rust.
Local parts store each had a kit over in the trailer accessory section made by Reese that contained my 1inch bearings, races, seal kit and cotter pin for $14. I thought that was very reasonable.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

So how did you deal with it? I've started carrying a spare hub ready to go.

Fortunately my marine mechanic was an exit away. Closed on Wednesdays but since I already had an appointment I just limped the rig over there and left it.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

Fried bearings are fun. I leave my boat 300 miles away at my dad's place over winter. He's pretty deaf. This spring when he towed it back I heard him coming from 2 blocks away. Not sure exactly what happened but there was nothing left of the bearings, not even an inner or outer race. Spindle had a groove about 1/3 of the way through, and the wheel and tire were completely coated in grease. There was an extra long cotter pin stuck through the lock nut, that and gravity kept the wheel on. He stopped twice to check, so it happened in the last 100 miles. Pretty scary.

 

[bobkyle2]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

...same here...... last week was about 40miles from home... looked in the mirror ..smoke everywhere looked like the tire was about to fly apart.....had spare bearings and seals... no races... put them in.. and went with it.. yesterday i started to take it all apart and replace everythig... was drivng to my buddys house ..less than a mile away... and wtf..... the other side started smoking... haha thats my luck...... so i picked all new bearings and seals and races before i came to work

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

Y'all are lucky, I lost a wheel on US1 between Titusville and Oak Hill at 1 AM one night.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

Y'all are lucky, I lost a wheel on US1 between Titusville and Oak Hill at 1 AM one night.

That had to be a tough landing, was the boat okay or did it get banged up?

 

[camaro_z28]

Re: Fried a wheel bearing today..it was impressive

I lost one coming down a 2 lane highway in the middle of nowhere. It came off the right side of the trailer, but the time I got her slowed down, the wheel went around the back of the trailer, across the road, by the drivers window, then I watched it go through a ditch, get about 20 feet airborne, and came to rest about 50 yards into a cow pasture. So, here I am stuck on the side of the road missing a wheel ( thank goodness it was a tandem). I sum up the damage, say a few loud 4 letter words then take off to retrieve my wheel. At this point I'm not a happy camper, so I dont even stop to think this might be an electric fence, so I go right through the 2 pieces of wire, and get a nice zap down my frontside and backside! Then after that, having to carry a wheel and tire through knee high grass dodging cow patties and back through an electric fence was a bit too much. got it back in the truck and limped it 2 miles down the road to an amish trailer repair shop, and sat on the farm for 3 hrs while they fixed the bearings. And did I mention, this was the day I bought my boat and was bringing it home? Guess the bearings were a little dry:redface: