Trailer wheel bearings - standard or stainless

[Lpgc]

For a trailer that gets dipped in seawater and freshwater is it better to fit standard spec wheel bearings or stainless steel bearings?

It's my understanding that standard will withstand more weight and wear less at least if they don't get wet, while stainless shouldn't rust if it does get wet. Would stainless be strong enough to take the weight of the boat? Do some wheel bearing greases cause stainless to rust or degrade?

My wheel bearings seem all good for now but I want to at least buy a spare bearing set and relube the existing bearings that are fitted. I contacted the trailer manufacturer who gave me the following information about what bearings etc my trailer uses...

PE1101 is the part number to the bearing kit ( see below )

BEARING KIT 1-1/16″[UFP STYLE]
Kit Includes:
Part Description QTY
PE1400 BEARING 1-1/16″ [44649] 2
PE1710 RACE 1″ OR 1-1/16″ [44610] 2
PE2015 1-1/16″SEAL [UFP] [198-138] 1
PH2012 COTTER PIN 1/8″X1-1/4″[UFP AXLE] 1

I've seen some of those components for sale in standard and in stainless.

 

[jlh3rd]

my trailer uses the same bearing size. I have Timkens on mine....but I thought all bearings were SS. Regardless, I've been happy with my tandem and in brackish water.

 

[alldodge]

Every bearing will rust "IF" water gets in.

 

[bakerjw]

Make sure that you only use good bearings. We had some cheap Chinese ones in our hubs and had one disintegrate on our way back from the coast. Luckily it was within 20 miles from home.

 

[Lou C]

Remember “stainless” means stain-less but not rust proof…I have used standard bearings (not sure if they are stainless or not) and as long as you keep water out and grease once a year or so they last a long time. I have some spares in the garage now I’m curious to check with a magnet….

 

[Ifishmuskie2]

Lots of grades of SS some rust some don’t.

I never knew trailer bearings are available in SS. I’ve never pulled a rusty bearing out but I’m not on salt water.
I’m just greasing my old bearings because they seem too be ok and I’m afraid of the quality of new ones.

 

[jlh3rd]

I just learned something, as my timkens are not SS. Seems most are not.

 

[Bugzilla46310]

I’ve been in equipment reliability for 40+ years and can’t say I’ve heard of stainless roller bearings, but that is with industrial equipment and I never considered a stainless roller bearing for my applications. I would be wary of stainless myself. You can’t beat a good Timken bearing assuming you keep it lubricated. Ceramic roller bearings are out there. Never used one and I believe they are $$$$, but they won’t rust.

 

[Scott Danforth]

410 stainless used in bearings will rust

 

[racerone]

Worked in a facility where a machine used stainless bearings.-----And lubricated by water.-----Fairly low operating speeds.

 

[dingbat]

Stainless bearings….no thank you

Won an all expense paid trip over the Memorial Day weekend to replace 8- stainless bearings that failed a month after commissioning the equipment

One of our engineers thought SS bearings would resolve a rusting problem the customer experienced with the previous equipment.

Long story short, engineer replaced the carbon steel bearings one for one, not realizing the load and life expectancy was 50% that carbon steel bearings we normally use.

 

[jimmbo]

The Engineer should have been the One sent to Replace them, it would teach him that Engineers don't know Everything

 

[Lpgc]

Thanks for all the comments, seems to confirm what I thought, I'll buy standard bearings.

As said I won't be fitting new bearings straight away but do want to regrease the existing bearings. To regrease the existing bearings I'll need to throroughly clean everything up, which means removing the rear seals.

I'm in the UK and the PE numbers (which I think are manufacturer codes) don't mean much here but I can use the part numbers such as 44649 to match them up and there's a lot of manufacturers / suppliers I can buy them from.

The only part I'm struggling with is PE2015 1-1/16″SEAL [UFP] [198-138], I believe this is a seal 1.98" outside diameter and 1.38" inside diameter. Will a seal 2" x 1 3/8" (1.375") fit? Does anyone know how deep this seal is?

I removed the hub once to take pics and measurements to send to the trailer manufacturer who then gave me the parts list, but I put it back together without removing the grease or removing the rear seal to measure how deep it is. Thought I'd likely damage the seal removing it and didn't want to damage it before getting a replacement. Plan is to buy 1 or 2 complete sets to keep as spares plus buy at least 4 extra seals to use when I clean and regrease existing bearings.

 

[bakerjw]

Always buy extra seals.

 

[jlh3rd]

I have that same bearing and seals for my trailer
There are 2 seals listed with different inner diameters but the same outer diameter, 1.98".
where are you finding a 2" outer diam. seal ? Would it fit?, maybe. You're talking just 002" larger minimal, which might be forceable but might deform it .
Unless your trailer hubs/axles are "weird", seals for these hubs for this axle/bearing combo are correct.
Who makes your trailer?...which shouldn't matter.
Why not just get one of these pictured.

 

[dingbat]

Bearings and seal numbers are for the most part standard sizes. with some odd ball, proprietary sizes thrown in

Pull the seal out and look the part number up in a bearing and seal interchange catalog. It will give you a number of different seals/manufacturers to choose from

One other thing, do yourself a favor and stop buying the cheap, stamped, single lipped seals found in most trailer supply houses. Multi-lip seals cost a bit more, but you get what you pay for.
Seal catalog

 

[Lpgc]

I have that same bearing and seals for my trailer
There are 2 seals listed with different inner diameters but the same outer diameter, 1.98".
where are you finding a 2" outer diam. seal ? Would it fit?, maybe. You're talking just 002" larger minimal, which might be forceable but might deform it .
Unless your trailer hubs/axles are "weird", seals for these hubs for this axle/bearing combo are correct.
Who makes your trailer?...which shouldn't matter.
Why not just get one of these pictured.

The trailer was made by MagicTilt in Florida, they gave me the list of parts numbers I posted at the top of this thread, out of the 2 seals you pictured the info they sent me says I need the 1.38" ID seal.

I'm in the UK, not sure if the company who's website you got the pics from ships to the UK but if they do I don't know how much shipping would cost or how long it'd take.

It seems to make more sense to source a seal locally but I need to know how deep the seal is and can't find that information, the site you got the pictures from doesn't give that information.

I wondered if some of the seals I've seen for sale in the UK listed at 2" OD x 1 3/8" ID will fit, maybe they're even the exact same size...