How Often To Replace Bearings

[superbenk]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

it only costs $25 to paypal me 1/4 of 100 so why not? an even better deal than throwing away good bearings for new ones and you won't get greasy

Wow. Kind of surprised I'm getting flack over a piece-of-mind opinion that only costs $30 every several years. Certainly wasn't saying that should be a rule, but for a $30 kit when I have the whole thing apart anyhow it seems cheap enough to just do the whole thing new. I totally agree they may not need replacing and if you don't want to replace them that's fine by me. Just throwing out my personal rule if thumb.

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Wow. Kind of surprised I'm getting flack over a piece-of-mind opinion that only costs $30 every several years. Certainly wasn't saying that should be a rule, but for a $30 kit when I have the whole thing apart anyhow it seems cheap enough to just do the whole thing new. I totally agree they may not need replacing and if you don't want to replace them that's fine by me. Just throwing out my personal rule if thumb.

How dare you perform preventive maintenance.
I bet the next thing you tell us is that you drain perfectly good drive oil every fall just for fun!

 

[ricohman]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

I've changed more than a few, but I'm a picky guy. Most were on my car hauler. Even a well adjusted bearing with grease can wear out under loads. When I can see or feel pitting, or that the race is spun I change them.
You can dimple the spindle with punch if the race has spun enought to heat it up or wear it.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Wow. Kind of surprised I'm getting flack over a piece-of-mind opinion that only costs $30 every several years. Certainly wasn't saying that should be a rule, but for a $30 kit when I have the whole thing apart anyhow it seems cheap enough to just do the whole thing new. I totally agree they may not need replacing and if you don't want to replace them that's fine by me. Just throwing out my personal rule if thumb.

Not flak.... Just conversation..... Not intending any insult, jus having fun w the topic.... It isn't that it's a terrible thing to change em but the chances of the new bearings failing is about the same as the chance of the old (good condition) bearings and by changing them a person adds the risks (even if slight) of defective new parts, not properly seating a race, introducing foreign matter upon assembly, etc.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Wow. Kind of surprised I'm getting flack over a piece-of-mind opinion that only costs $30 every several years.

You are way better off than the person who doesn't even bother pulling their wheels until 10 years go by.

On the pontoon trailer I just bought, I had to replace all of the inner bearings and half of the outer ones because of pitting. This on a trailer that was 7 years old and probably only dunked a couple times a year.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

How often do you replace the wheel bearings on your auto? There's your answer!

yea.. true but I still give grease zerks a shot every 2-3 dunks.. complete submersion of trailer tires and wheels... water's got to and does get in even under the best circumstances, fresh grease is nice and a tube of it is cheap insurance

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

yea.. true but I still give grease zerks a shot every 2-3 dunks.

This with a Bearing Buddy? If so, where do you think all this grease is disappearing to?

Yeah, auto axles don't get submerged in water so not sure why that is a good argument.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

This with a Bearing Buddy? If so, where do you think all this grease is disappearing to?

Yeah, auto axles don't get submerged in water so not sure why that is a good argument.

Because properly maintained trailer bearings are no more subject to wear than auto bearings... If dunking in the water is an issue then they aren't being maintained properly.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

yea.. true but I still give grease zerks a shot every 2-3 dunks.. complete submersion of trailer tires and wheels... water's got to and does get in even under the best circumstances, fresh grease is nice and a tube of it is cheap insurance

Time to replace the seals that you have blown out due to over greasing. Might also want to clean the 10 lbs of grease out of your brake drums if it isn't all over the bottom of your boat

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Because properly maintained trailer bearings are no more subject to wear than auto bearings... If dunking in the water is an issue then they aren't being maintained properly.

True, they won't wear faster, just need more maintenance.

 

[bryanzzz]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Wow, hey bearing freaks (ha, ha) try this, jack wheel off ground, spin wheel as fast as you can...if it growls, as apposed to spins quietly, you have a problem. This is what I do... buy new complete hub/bearing assembly, typically 35-45 bucks, comes with new hub, bearings, race, grease seal, studs, lug nuts. Yeah Chinese bearings etc, this is what most supply houses stock. When finished I have a hub I can use in an emergency if needed or put them on a four wheeler trailer to haul out dead animals...deer for example. I agree with the guy that stated, with disassembly you may introduce foreign matter...sand, grit, dirt, broken fingernails.... keep it going, this is great.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Next, let's debate proper tightness of wheel bearings--preload or not. That should be good for another couple of pages. Then we can go over to another forum and debate ethanol gas and oil brands.

 

[mrmamiller]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

I'll bypass the "pre-load or not" and just comment on monitoring the bearings. I carry an IR gun and when long distance trailering at 60-70 MPH, at every stop I shoot the hubs. Generally, they are around 104 degrees F (summer time) and there is only 1 to 2 degrees between hubs. Makes me confident that all is well. And, I don't change bearings any more, same set for the last 20+ years.

 

[JustJason]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Next, let's debate proper tightness of wheel bearings--preload or not

You should ever so slightly pre-load them. The problem with tapered roller bearings on a trailer (or axle) is there is not way to use a dial torque wrench on them to get any kind of measurable preload. So everything is done with the old elbow gauge. When I do them, I put the socket on the axle nut and tighten it down by hand, and then spin the wheel slowly keeping my hand on it, and then when I get just the slightest feel that the wheel is dragging, that's where I leave it. And I do mean the slightest feel, kind of what 0 lash feels like on a pushrod. Depending on how the cotter pin and castle nut lines up I might go a hair tighter or a hair looser depending on my mood that day. But I try to get it to so I can just ever so slightly feel it.

Trailer bearings do not have a huge load on them, and will be fairly tolerant either way. Its not like they are input shaft bearings on a sterndrive. But like any other tapered bearing, to loose and they chatter, and fall apart. To tight, and the rollers drag and get flat spots, and fall apart. And the middle is just right.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

This with a Bearing Buddy? If so, where do you think all this grease is disappearing to?

Yeah, auto axles don't get submerged in water so not sure why that is a good argument.

no I would not use Bearing Buddies, those are good for rear seal blow outs.. that's about it.. I've got easy lube...grease shot in rear, comes out front......

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Time to replace the seals that you have blown out due to over greasing. Might also want to clean the 10 lbs of grease out of your brake drums if it isn't all over the bottom of your boat

new axles come with zerks,, easy lube stype, new grease in, it pushes out old grease to front,,,one or twp pumps, new axle systems produce zero impact on rear seals...that's why the engineers changed them... your confusing Bearing Buddies with Easy Lube systems,, Buddies cause rear seal blow outs,, new technology axles prevent that...

 

[lrak]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Because properly maintained trailer bearings are no more subject to wear than auto bearings... If dunking in the water is an issue then they aren't being maintained properly.

Offroad drivers that do water crossings need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other year due to contamination. Onroad drivers that never encounter a puddle more than 4" deep need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other decade when the seals go bad.

I'm another supporter of using a decent hub design that pushes old grease out when new grease comes in.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Offroad drivers that do water crossings need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other year due to contamination. Onroad drivers that never encounter a puddle more than 4" deep need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other decade when the seals go bad.

I'm another supporter of using a decent hub design that pushes old grease out when new grease comes in.

+1 Bravo!!! :fencing: Under the best circumstances (new hubs/axles/bearings/seals) any bearing system, car, boat trailer, whatever.... water is going to get in.. boat trailer tires sit submerged in water for a lenght of time that would drown most anyone.. we are not talking about driving car on the interstate on a rainy day here...... new axle hub systems with rear to front grease movement are superior, period...... I've used Buddies,, they cause rear seal blow outs.. pushing grease in from front, and those little pin hole pressure release things?? lol... that's like 1 lb of grease going in and .01 lb coming out that pin hole... where does rest of grease go? out the rear, when the seal lets go.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

Offroad drivers that do water crossings need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other year due to contamination. Onroad drivers that never encounter a puddle more than 4" deep need to replace their auto wheel bearings every other decade when the seals go bad.

I'm another supporter of using a decent hub design that pushes old grease out when new grease comes in.

My jeep has been in the water hundreds if not thousands of times.... The rear bearings are lubed by the diff oil and are original with 240,000 miles on em..... The fronts have been replaced a couple times but unlike boat trailer bearings they are non serviceable and probably at least as much caused by from the big tires as the water since I've seen the same issue on street queen jeeps...

there's no excuse for letting water destroy trailer bearings

 

[oldjeep]

Re: How Often To Replace Bearings

new axles come with zerks,, easy lube stype, new grease in, it pushes out old grease to front,,,one or twp pumps, new axle systems produce zero impact on rear seals...that's why the engineers changed them... your confusing Bearing Buddies with Easy Lube systems,, Buddies cause rear seal blow outs,, new technology axles prevent that...

Not confused at all. My Bayliner trailer has easy lubes and they push grease all over the place. In the spindle, out through the holes near the bearings, out the front, out past the seals and into the axle tubes on a lot of trailers.

If it makes you feel better to constantly be greasing something that does not need to be regreased then go for it