lost wheel

[MASTER Brian]

Well, it's definately Friday the 13th!

Went to pick boat up from having crack in hull fixed. Pulling out onto the road, I noticed my wheel wobbling a bit. I pull over and look, wheel feels fine, get back in and go a bit further, it seems to be going straight without wobble. I decide to pull over again and re-check.

1st place I find is not-so-great residential area with tall grass in only area I can pull. Not looking great, but I figure I can get to a better area. I pull out, all good....bearing buddy flies off...wheel starts wobbling, I find a much better area, that I figure I can work on it and/or leave it safely. Right after turning the corner the wheel falls down and tears a chunk out of trailer!!

Needless to say, I'm not going anywhere and it's 7pm Friday night. Get a tow company to come out, 1st guy doesn't know what to do, 2nd guy finally arrives and we get the trailer bairly loaded onto flatbed and home to my house.

I plan on pulling good wheel off and using that to find new bearings as the other side is TOAST. Wonder if I can get a new fender from Ranger or get this one fixed. My repair guy had stopped as well and he said that it would be a tough fix, fiberglass and metal flake.

I always check the hubs for heat and I just re-packed the bearings. Is there another way to test so this doesn't happen again??

OH, what a day!!!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: lost wheel

Missing cotter pin, bearings adjusted too tight? Bearings improperly packed.

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: lost wheel

Cotter pin was still there. Actually not a cotter pin, it was a metal "dowl" type of pin. I've put probably several thousand miles on the trailer since I purchased the boat, I regularly greese the hubs and feel them for heat, but I hadn't done anything to the bearings. So if the bearings were too tight, then I don't know, but would be shocked they survived that long.

I suppose I will start pulling the entire assembly apart each spring to check things out. I would have thought they would have given more notice than that! One minute they were there, the next they were gone!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: lost wheel

I usually take apart and check my bearings when I put it away for the winter, that way if there is any water there, it won't sit and rust the hub or bearing.
I don't have much faith in Bearing buddies or any other grease adding hub or cap. The only real solution is good seals, and plenty of good waterproof grease. I use a synthetic grease that seems to hold up well. Most of the bearings I have seen, the damage is done by corrosion, not water in the grease. The problems start when the water is left in the hub and it rusts the bearings.
The Bearing buddy only pushes in more grease, it doesn't guarantee that all the water is out.
I did away with the bearing buddies years ago and just made sure that the seals and bearing caps are tightly sealed and I repack every fall. I haven't had a bearing fail yet. My one trailer has had the same bearings since 1988 and they still look like new.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lost wheel

check that axle for being bent. still going round and round with tire dealer. last year had the bearing replace at dealer. on the way to the keys the lug nuts came off.. no noise of warning. 65mph on interstate. axle dug into road. bent both sides of axle, as the axle shifted. $500 new under carriage, of course 7PM another $500 for towing and motel.

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: lost wheel

Well, I plan on pulling the good wheel off, so at least I have a good set of bearings to get part #'s for. I may at the same time pull the axle off and look into a new one. I want to check the U bolts/Nuts on the side the wheel came off of, since it dug into the asphalt. I also plan on carefully checking the hub as well, to make sure there is no damage.

I'm hoping a new single axle without brakes will be under $150. I have a good friend who has a connection at Red Neck Trailer Supply.

Can I ask how you check to make sure the seals are tight? I always thought the bearing buddies were the way to go, but I have seen them push water out of the hubs...not sure if it was on this trailer or my jetski trailer.

Thanks for the replies....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lost wheel

if there not tight you will see grease slung around the inside of the wheel and tire.

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: lost wheel

Well, there is grease on the inside of tire, so the seels must have went out. Both axles were still full of grease, but I try to greese at least several times a season.

I was also wrong on the bearing buddy thing, the zert's are part of the axle.

I think I might be able to salvage the axle, as the outside race stayed in place, so it protected that area and there doesn't appear to be much if any damage to the inside of the spindle where the race goes. Same is true of the hub. The center area is fairly chewed up, but nothing goes there, so I'd just clean that up if ok. I'll try to get a picture up.

I am also going to check with Ranger on the axle, as I found out they would make me a new fender if I wish. Gel coated to factory colors, etc. $359, is the cost of that, which isn't too bad, but I'm not sure I'll spend that on a 20 year old trailer.