[A/S] Re: Wheel Bearings [ Looonng! ]

["airstream_4_sale" <airstream_4_sale@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Trapper,

So you're the guy that's been doing the bearings on every trailer 
I've ever bought... <grin>

When you refer to front and rear, I take it you're calling the inside 
bearing the "rear". Frankly I'm amazed that you never had any trouble 
in ten years of never packing the inside bearing.

First things first... make sure you can even get a replacement seal 
and that it's the right one. After you've already ruined the old 
ones, getting them out, is not the time to discover you can't find 
new ones!  :)

The seals in most trailer hubs are real easy to replace. Use a long 
punch or flat blade screwdriver through the front of the hub to knock 
them out the back side . Be sure not to hit or damage the bearing 
with the screwdriver.

Sometimes there isn't room to punch them out from the inside. In that 
case, sharpen the tip of an old flat blade screwdriver and use it 
with a hammer to punch a hole in the steel part of the seal. Then use 
that hole to pry the seal out against the hub. Again, be careful of 
the bearing. Once the seal is out, the inner bearing is easily 
removed.

Wash the hub with clean kerosene or diesel fuel and dry it off. Wash 
the bearings out in a separate container of kerosene and dry with 
paper towels. [As a side note, resist the urge to spin the bearings 
dry with compressed air. Those needle bearings don't feel very good 
when they rocket out of the cage against your eye at 3,246,825 miles 
per hour.]

This may be old news to those of you who are gearheads, but most 
wheel bearing failures are due to improper greasing of the bearing. 
In order to properly "pack" the bearing, grease needs to fill every 
nook and cranny of the bearing. Simply coating the outside the the 
needles with grease will ensure failure, along with much cussing on 
the side of a remote desert highway in Arizona.  ;)

If you don't have a bearing packer, put a golfball size dollop 
of "wheel bearing grease" in the palm of your hand. Then, holding the 
bearing in your hand with the wide side facing your palm, scrape the 
grease from your palm, up through the needle retainer until you see 
grease coming out the narrow side of the bearing. Turn the bearing 
and repeat this procedure until the whole needle retainer is filled 
with grease. Slop a little extra grease on the outside of the bearing 
for good measure and install it back in the hub.

Once the inside bearing is back in the hub, place the new seal on the 
hub and use a hammer to tap gently around the perimeter of the seal 
until it seats into the recess in the hub. Most seals will lie flush 
with the hub surface.

With the inside bearing and seal installed, place the hub on the 
spindle (cleaned and dry), reinstall the outer bearing, lock washer, 
and nut.

Now the important part!!! Tighten the nut finger tight. Then, using 
the correct size socket on a 1/2 drive ratchet, tighten the nut by 
grabbing the ratchet handle nearest to the socket while 
simultaneously spinning the hub with your other hand. The socket end 
of the wrench should be resting in the palm of your hand while you 
tighten. DO NOT use the leverage of the whole handle.

When there is no play in the hub and it makes about one revolution 
when spun by hand, it's tight enough. Tighten the nut to the next 
available cotter key hole if needed (don't back it off), reinstall a 
new cotter pin and the dust cover.

The bearing will probably need to be readjusted after a few miles. 
Jack it up, pop the dust cap off and retighten it using the above 
method.

Whew... I think I'm done now. :)

Jim