Servicing my trailer bearings

[rickasbury]

I have it all cleaned up ready to install my new parts and will get pictures of all ready to install with new pads.

 

[tpenfield]

It all makes sense now . . .

 

[rickasbury]

L

It all makes sense now . . .

Lol,,sorry...

 

[BrockLenser4]

I have a 10k tandem axle trailer I need to service the bearings. I did this when we first bought the boat 10 years ago - which sounds alarming but that's probably 2500 miles tops. The water is more the concerns than the miles.
I did it the one time having never done it before. I'm bringing the boat home which draws the ire of the city so I need to do this like a Nascar pit stop.
I have a temp gun and I keep an eye on the hub temps even on the short runs. I have one that is always about 20 degrees hotter.
I saw one guy on you tube who said the red shop rags should not be use as threads can get on the bearing surfaces..not sure what I should be using.
I do not know any of the bearing or seal numbers. That will be the first thing I get and check with my local shop for inventory. The one that is running hot I for sure will replace, I'd like to have a second set on hand plus replace the seals.
If I have any pitting or rust on the spindle or seal surface, what should I clean that up with? What grit paper can I use?
Clean parts with brake cleaner? How many cans for 4 hubs?
How many tubes of grease and what kind?
Type of rags?
I'm also doing this on asphalt in front of my house. I'll put a tarp down, I have buckets I can spray into and will find something to catch fluid from the spindles.
I'll look at some you tubes on hand packing the bearings..I see contraptions available to press the grease through consistently but I have not priced them.
The boat will be on the trailer- but another goal would be to replace the carpet on the bunks - is that special material? What is used to attach it? I should ve able to do that at the ramp after I slide the boat in the water quickly? That I will do later but want to line up what I need.
Thanks! I need to complete in 2 days max. If I find something that needs additional repair, that will be a come back to or park it if its not safe.

With a trailer that heavy and 10 years between services, I'd be more concerned about water intrusion than mileage too. I'd have new bearings, races, and seals ready for all four hubs rather than counting on a simple repack. Lint-free shop towels are a better choice than regular rags, and I'd use a quality water-resistant marine wheel bearing grease. Check the spindle surfaces carefully for pitting, especially where the bearings and seals sit. If there's significant damage, I wouldn't risk towing it until it's addressed. Do you know what brand of axles are on the trailer? That should help narrow down the correct parts.

 

[Lou C]

If replacing bearings/races, and keeping the same hub/drum/rotors make sure you have the right tools to remove and replace the races without damaging the new ones. You cannot install new bearings on old races and expect them to last.

 

[rickasbury]

With a trailer that heavy and 10 years between services, I'd be more concerned about water intrusion than mileage too. I'd have new bearings, races, and seals ready for all four hubs rather than counting on a simple repack. Lint-free shop towels are a better choice than regular rags, and I'd use a quality water-resistant marine wheel bearing grease. Check the spindle surfaces carefully for pitting, especially where the bearings and seals sit. If there's significant damage, I wouldn't risk towing it until it's addressed. Do you know what brand of axles are on the trailer? That should help narrow down the correct parts.

As far as I got on the bearings was to use the spindle zerk to push grease through bearings. The hub seemed to be nice and full- some disclored old grease came out but I did not see any water.the rear seals seemed good so I did not pull the wheels apart at this time. I had the calipers off as well as the wheels to be able turn the hub while I was greasing- none of them had any play, turned freely so I'm concentrating on the breakes. I will add a hub tare down. All my rebuiimlt brakes (3) and the new one...while each line disconnected pumped fresh fluid to clean the system. Should be able to get them bled in the am unless this sudden deep freeze we are in sticks around..

 

[rickasbury]

So...talked to my buddy chat...chat gbt and I would have never thought of it..local hardware store for a Greek zerk, installed where the inlet to the brake line is...i left all the liquid I sprayed in there...starting pumping...couple of pumps more...some pops and walah!

Not Greek zerk, grease zerk!

 

[rickasbury]

So, for better or worse I got it all "done". I still need to pull the hubs to really look at the spindles...bearings...I have another I need to dig into...I haveca titan surge breake set up. It's clunking pretty hard both stopping abd starting...i know there a couple of shock absorbers in there..I'm not sure i understand how it slides back and forth without exploding in a mangled mess of metal looking at the parts diagram...and the little shock, 2, are not cheap. I was able to flush the system to where the reservoir was clear which I did not think I was going to get there. It was 3 large bottles of brake fluid to get the crap cleared and bled. The last two calipers I re did took maybe 20 minutes of cleaning things up and ready to go back on.
If anyone can get me going on the titan- through the bleeding/pumping out the old fluid I used the o crap brake to pump the master cylinder so that all seems to be in order. It would pump the reservoir pretty quick. I replaced that, the reverse lock out cylinder when I re did stuff 10 years ago and that seems to be holding up.

 

[bruceb58]

Hand pack the bearings...don't use the zerk. When installing new bearings, remove all the grease, clean the hubs and hand pack ONLY!

 

[tpenfield]

Got more pictures to share?

 

[Lou C]

Hand pack the bearings...don't use the zerk. When installing new bearings, remove all the grease, clean the hubs and hand pack ONLY!

agreed, even the so-called bearing packing tools don't really do a good job. Just get a nice pair of nibrile gloves and a clean work area and go at it.

 

[rickasbury]

I don't 100% agree- but all of you have much more experience than I. When i pulled that end cap, you can see the grease pushing out the front bearing from the back of the hub. You can see it coming around each roller and when you add turning the wheel as your doing it I felt it was really doing a great job. You could see it change from old to new grease.

 

[rickasbury]

Got more pictures to share?

I really didn't think I had any pictures worthy of posting...the rebuilt caliper looks the same with new parts so nothing to update. I did make sure to buy specific grease for the slide pins- I for sure had a bum steer from someone on that who recommended an aluminum anti seize permatex crap which turns into a real mess. I put some also on studs for one wheel and may have to put new lug posts as i have one lug I can't get back on...

 

[rickasbury]

Hand pack the bearings...don't use the zerk. When installing new bearings, remove all the grease, clean the hubs and hand pack ONLY!

Thos is not a bearing buddy type zerk as it pumps the grease from the back bearing forward not just filling the hub.

 

[Lou C]

I was referring to the initial
packing of new bearings. After that I have used the grease zerk and never had a problem with grease leaking onto the drum brakes like some have reported. Why? The proper way to do it is jack up that wheel, turn the wheel while slowly pumping in grease. 22 years of having this system all salt water use & no problems.

 

[bruceb58]

Thos is not a bearing buddy type zerk as it pumps the grease from the back bearing forward not just filling the hub.

I understand that. Do not use the LAZ-Lube system.

It also sounds like you are relying on that system to actually pack your bearings which is a horrible mistake.

There is a trailer guy called Trailer Smith on YouTube. He NEVER recommends using that system. He does trailer repair for a living.

 

[Lou C]

I saw his vid on this and many of his others, but I stand by what I said, 22 years of use with this system, and I have not had that happen. And the trailer gets greased about 2x a year. I just do it the way you're supposed to. Don't know why others are having failures, but maybe it has to do with the quality of the grease seals you use.
Another point not mentioned:
when you remove the bearings, hand clean and hand pack there is always a chance of getting a bit of grit or something in the bearings, but with the easy lube/spindle lube, not so. JUST DO IT THE WAY IT SAYS!
Never had water either in this system. And being in 100% salt water for sure I'd be having problems if that was the case.