Author Topic: trailer bearing issues (Read 1767 times)

sbishop · « **on:** October 22, 2009, 09:29:07 pm »

Hi, for the last year or 2 i've been running into lots of problems with bearings on my utility trailer.

i'm blowing bearings now every 2-3 months. i had to replace both sides in July, taking it on the road this saturday and decide i should check them tonight. Well both were shot. i can't figure out why they ain't lasting. i'm greasing them in the spring and fall.

When i first got my axle, it was almost 5 years before i blew a bearing. But i did blow a beaing on each side around 2-3 years ago, could i have ruin the spindles?

Thanks
Sbishop

Don_Papenburg · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2009, 09:38:08 pm »

Check the spindle to the bearing ID . do you use the best bearing grease you can? pack the bearings ? are your seals up to snuff? Did you tighten properly ? Not too tight or loose? Are the hubs ingood shape? Oh and have you by chance been overloading the trailer

?

sbishop · « **Reply #2 on:** October 22, 2009, 09:49:53 pm »

Yes to all above

i'm 100% it's the right bearing kits i'm using, the grease seems good, packing the bearings, always using new seals. i thighten the nut by hand then use a wrench and tighten a little more, spin the tire a few times, loosen the nut, tighten by hand. hubs are new less then a year.

Haven't been overloading the trailer in the last couple of years

Don_Papenburg · « **Reply #3 on:** October 22, 2009, 10:00:17 pm »

Guess I ain't no help then.

WH_Conley · « **Reply #4 on:** October 22, 2009, 10:26:21 pm »

I have been having the same problem. Bearings going out too soon. I just go in the local NAPA store and throw end labels from the boxes down and tell them to give me another set. Yes, I do overload.

I do think you can score the axle, or something, once you lose a bearing on an axle, it seems that is more prone to going out again.

Gary_C · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2009, 03:03:45 am »

I hope you are replacing both cup and cone.

When you "pack" the bearings, are you forcing grease inside the cage till it comes out the other side or just filling the wheel bearing cavity with grease?

Are you properly preloading the bearings?

After you replace the bearings, do you periodically check for hot or warm bearings under load? It could be too tight or loose. This should tell you when the preload is not right or a bearing is failing prematurely.

Toolman · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2009, 04:58:58 am »

That nut should only be hand tightened. Have you checked the bearing race? If the race is scored, it could cause excess heat. Other than that, unless you submerge your axle in water alot, those bearings ,properly packed in grease ,should last for years. I just replaced my bearings in my utility trailer this spring after 17 yrs. of use.

Woodchuck53 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2009, 05:10:06 am »

We repack every spring with a quality grease and replace with only Timken bearings. I would check both as well as mike the spindles. Have a safe one

fishpharmer · « **Reply #8 on:** October 23, 2009, 05:19:16 am »

Woodchuck beat me to it. Quality of bearings can
make a difference in life.

JayG · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2009, 02:04:39 pm »

I am having more bearing issues in the last few years also. Using the same technique I've used since I started doing that stuff 50 (WOW) years ago. My parts guys indicate there are no more bearings made in the USA. If somebody knows different, I'd love to know. He asked if I wanted Chinese or Japanese? I keep an extra full set (for one axle)of packed bearings for each trailer on the trailer in a small tool box. You notice they never go out in your driveway!

Toolman · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2009, 02:49:57 pm »

Add that to the list of "goodies" that are'nt manufactured in the USA anymore.

Gary_C · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2009, 03:26:53 pm »

Quote from: Toolman on October 23, 2009, 04:58:58 am

That nut should only be hand tightened.

I believe you are supposed to torque to a certain setting and then just back off to the first hole for the cotter key. What I do is tighten till I can feel it bind when turning and then back off just till it's free. I may do that a few times to see if the setting changes and then put the cotter key in the first hole when backing off.

You may have to reset the cotter key later on some bearings if it does not stay preloaded. That is why I always check for temperature after running. Even good bearings will sometimes be too tight or loosen up after break-in.

isawlogs · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2009, 05:56:11 pm »

I have never heard of tightening a wheel bearing by hand. I do the same as Gary_C Tighten it and back off to the closess hole , I think your bearing issues are do to the instalation procedure you are using . I beleave you are running the bearing to loose and causing premature wear on them .

Toolman · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2009, 06:06:21 pm »

I was always told to hand-tighten which usually lines up to the hole for the cotter pin. That's how works on mine anyway. I do go just slightly beyond hand tighten with the wrench, but not much.

caver · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2009, 10:02:41 pm »

Tighten with wrench, do not turn the wheel while doing this. Back the nut off and tighten finger tight. Then, back it off until the first nut castellation lines up with the hole.
This is for a Dexter axle. 50K+ miles on camping trailers and never a failure.

Dexter instructions.
http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/Instruction_Sheets/059-831-00A.pdf

Don_Papenburg · « **Reply #15 on:** October 23, 2009, 10:57:11 pm »

Just bought 18 bearings from Motion industies Made IN USA anmd at a better price than furen bearings .

rebocardo · « **Reply #16 on:** October 23, 2009, 11:04:39 pm »

Are your axles bowed? Your 3500# axles should have a slight upward bow (or straight) unloaded and then once loaded should be straight. If you are very good with a tape measure, jack up the trailer, take the wheels off, and measure the axle flanges left to right on the top and then the axle flanges on the bottom. Helps if a second person holds the tape. Now load it and look at the difference and measure again.

If the top and bottom do not match or the top is less then the bottom, you have a problem.

IMERC · « **Reply #17 on:** October 24, 2009, 01:29:33 am »

are you using offshore made bearings???
are you changing the races when you changing the bearings???

is water getting in to the housings???

and is the grease yur using high temp...

suspect bad race/alignment then mounting then incorrect grease/lube proceedure...

IMERC · « **Reply #18 on:** October 24, 2009, 01:30:19 am »

you could need a wheel/axel alignment...

scsmith42 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 24, 2009, 07:08:11 am »

Things that I would check are:

1 - are the bearings fully greased - ie grease coming out from between the cages and the races? Hand greasing a bearing is becoming a lost art...
2 - Were the races replaced with the bearings, and are they fully seated in the hubs?
3 - Are you using a very high quality grease designed for use in axle bearings?
4 - The correct tightness of the axle nut should allow you to move the tire (from top to bottom) about 1/16" - 1/8", measured in the center of the tread on a 30" diameter tire(or similar size). To measure, grasp the tire on the top and the bottom, and try to rock it back and forth - alternatively pulling the top towards you and then pushing it away. If you have smaller diameter tires, reduce the amount of movement accordingly. For a 20" diameter tire I would shoot for 1/32" - 1/16" movement.

Scott

sbishop · « **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2009, 06:07:45 pm »

Scsmith42.

1. to the best of my knowledge, they are fully greased.
2. I always replace the races when i change my bearings, i bang them in until i can't push them in no more.
3. the grease i'm using is for bearings, i'll take a look and see if it says "axles" on it.
4. i tighten them up with a wrench, then back off the nut and tighten by hand and put the key in.

i drove 100miles yesterday and the trailer was making a racket. Stopped and the bearings were really loose, i was able to turn the nut one full turn on both wheels.

Not sure why i can't get it right the first time.

when you install the seal, do you put it flush with the back of the hub or tap it until it hits the innner bearing? i've seen video's on youtube and they just tap the seal flush with the back of the hub. when i try that, i can't put the pin in...i need to tap the seal all way in...as far as i can, is that right? or is that my problem?

IMERC · « **Reply #21 on:** October 25, 2009, 06:17:43 pm »

are you using a castle nut and cotter key???

IMERC · « **Reply #22 on:** October 25, 2009, 06:20:19 pm »

what are you doing different...

http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/bearing1.html

http://searchwarp.com/swa211385.htm

got one for aiding and abetting comprehebsion..

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=trailer+bearing+how+to&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7TSHB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=K87kSo_1EtHj8AaWx4iIBw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CBsQqwQwAw#

sbishop · « **Reply #23 on:** October 25, 2009, 06:28:58 pm »

yes a caslte nut and coter key

looks like i'm not putting my seal on right...it looks like it's suppose to be tapped flush with the back of the hub, not any further...think that is my problem?

caver · « **Reply #24 on:** October 25, 2009, 08:30:20 pm »

On my Dexter axles on the various campers I've owned, I tap the seal flush.

Ironwood · « **Reply #25 on:** October 25, 2009, 09:01:19 pm »

"Bang it in flush" that might be an issue. "Pressing" might be a better verb to use, and for that matter practicing it as well.

Ironwood

IMERC · « **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2009, 09:31:31 pm »

Quote from: sbishop on October 25, 2009, 06:28:58 pm

yes a caslte nut and coter key

looks like i'm not putting my seal on right...it looks like it's suppose to be tapped flush with the back of the hub, not any further...think that is my problem?

try pressing the seal in....

also....
are you using the correct bearings???

olyman · « **Reply #27 on:** October 25, 2009, 10:31:11 pm »

Quote from: rebocardo on October 23, 2009, 11:04:39 pm

Are your axles bowed? Your 3500# axles should have a slight upward bow (or straight) unloaded and then once loaded should be straight. If you are very good with a tape measure, jack up the trailer, take the wheels off, and measure the axle flanges left to right on the top and then the axle flanges on the bottom. Helps if a second person holds the tape. Now load it and look at the difference and measure again.

If the top and bottom do not match or the top is less then the bottom, you have a problem.

when i first started to read this post, this was the first thing i thought of.

sbishop · « **Reply #28 on:** October 26, 2009, 08:38:14 pm »

I think i finally figured it out, I don't think i was tighten up the nut enough.

This is how i did it tonight, tell me if this sounds right!

Pack the inner bearing, place inner bearing in cone, tap seal lightly until flush with back of hub.

Install hub, then packed outer bearing, then washer, the nut.

Tighten nut while turning until i can't turn any more (binding). back nut off then tighten by hand.

With the wheel on, i've got a small play in the wheel and i mean very small.

If this sounds right...THANKS EVERYONE for your help!

Sbishop

PS...now i've got another problem, how do i remove all this grease on my keyboard?

IMERC · « **Reply #29 on:** October 26, 2009, 08:46:49 pm »

might not be tight enough..... by a schosh...

nas · « **Reply #30 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:24:01 pm »

Quote from: sbishop on October 26, 2009, 08:38:14 pm

PS...now i've got another problem, how do i remove all this grease on my keyboard?

Pressure washer

scsmith42 · « **Reply #31 on:** October 26, 2009, 11:49:30 pm »

Quote from: sbishop on October 26, 2009, 08:38:14 pm

I think i finally figured it out, I don't think i was tighten up the nut enough.

This is how i did it tonight, tell me if this sounds right!

Pack the inner bearing, place inner bearing in cone, tap seal lightly until flush with back of hub.

Install hub, then packed outer bearing, then washer, the nut.

Tighten nut while turning until i can't turn any more (binding). back nut off then tighten by hand.

With the wheel on, i've got a small play in the wheel and i mean very small.

If this sounds right...THANKS EVERYONE for your help!

Sbishop

PS...now i've got another problem, how do i remove all this grease on my keyboard?

Sounds like you've got it figured out. Personally I like to grease all of the bearings at the same time, and lay a clean rag over them until I install them in the races. That helps to keep my hands cleaner during assembly.

IMERC · « **Reply #32 on:** October 26, 2009, 11:58:36 pm »

Quote from: nas on October 26, 2009, 09:24:01 pm

Quote from: sbishop on October 26, 2009, 08:38:14 pm

PS...now i've got another problem, how do i remove all this grease on my keyboard?

Pressure washer

why bother...
it'll be coffee/beer resistant and shouldn't squeak...

Tom · « **Reply #33 on:** October 27, 2009, 12:00:39 am »

I usually put the nut on and tighten it until the wheel drags. Then I loosen it (usually a eight turn) until I can get the key into the hole. the wheel should turn freely. I don't like any wobble.

D._Frederick · « **Reply #34 on:** October 27, 2009, 02:48:51 pm »

Did you change tire rims? The tire should be centered over the spindle, the out side bearing should not be carrying most of the load.

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Author Topic: trailer bearing issues (Read 1767 times)