Wheel bearings, boat trailer, easy changing or installing

[Crudeoil506]

I just have to laugh @ this DIY video.... The video reminds me of a cheap magic trick. Just have plenty of rags on hand , wipe the excess grease off, pack new bearing with grease, ta-da. Too easy....!!!!!!! Worthless. No vise, maybe torch to heat the hub up to help remove old races. Maybe use a socket the same size as race to install new races. Is there a bearing packing tool on the market to properly pack bearings. Can you freeze new races to make the install easier.....?????? Ta-Da Tooo easy

[tapmad]

@Crudeoil506 You obviously don't get it do you! This IS a DIY video for people who might only have a basic set of tools. People, you don't need to buy any heating gear, you don't need to buy a socket as big as a race (what the hell else would you use a socket that big on!), you don't need to buy bearing packing tools - just watch the video and save your money. Ta-Da, yes easy! Oh, and if you put the races and bearings in the freezer you can use them to cool your drinks too (no - just kidding!)

[swimmerB0B]

you don't need to pressurize anything except maybe your volcano vaporizer, h. r. pufnstuf.... any good, synthetic, tacky grease is fine, AQUAman. NATO can kiss my REAREND, trevor. if your hubs need to cool down there's already something wrong with em, spindell. use a cold chisel to remove the dust cover, chip. no wonder all our screwdrivers are messed up, nimrod.

[tapmad]

@swimmerB0B Off your medication hey?!?!! Of course the hubs heat up - its called friction and it even happens to trailers right from new. I could use a cold chisel to remove the dust cover but I think that is overkill. Maybe some NATO approved C4 would work, dickwad.

[swimmerB0B]

mighty- jack up the wheel and feel the tire as it turns around. feel for vibration on the tire and on the axle. does it make any noise? it shouldn't. even if you press an ear against the trailer frame- you should hear nothing. remove the bearing (buddy) protector or dust cap. look at the grease. is it dirty or smelly? remove the pin, retainer, nut, washer (if), and outer bearing. clean/inspect outer bearing/race. if its OK, repack outer bearing and protector, reassemble. if not, plan on service.

[swimmerB0B]

"rear seal usually slides off so easily"......NOT! the seal will have to be pulled or driven out. the inner bearing will fall right out once you have removed the seal. maybe you're thinking of the inner bearing race.

[tapmad]

@swimmerB0B Actually the rear seal DOES usually slide off easy, it is sitting behind the inner bear at 1:07 in the video. It is very flimsy metal and rubber and IF it happen to be stuck it would come off with a little hammer encouragement. If worst comes to worst, borrow or get a bearing puller. The rear seal would be the least likely thing to give you a problem.

[MrTmb55]

Too bad you didn't show how to stuff the grease into the bearing. Also your seal came off , how does one remove one? Not worth my time to comment but I did anywho>

[tapmad]

@MrTmb55 I didn't show the grease packing because it was all get a bit too messy considering that i was operating the camera as well, my apologies. The rear seal usually slides off so easily that I didn't think about it, however, the inner bearing is the one that sometimes becomes a bit stubborn. Usually tapping at the back of it with a hammer with get it off. Worse case, you might need some heating with an oxy-torch to loosen it. Thanks for commenting.

[mightymigga]

@tapmad OK thanks for the info. I'm about to buy a trailer for my boat. I'm planning to drive long distances with it (perhaps up to 1000km) so I'm really anxious about buying one with bad bearings. Do you have any tips for me? The only thing I'm familiar with is jacking the trailer up and try to hear if the bearing runs smooth.

[tapmad]

@mightymigga Just did the same with my last ebay boat purchase, had to come from Sydney to Brisbane. I didn't take any chances. I told the seller that I would get a mobile mechanic to come and change the wheel bearings before it started the journey. Couldn't do it myself because of time constraints. Even if it cost you say $200 all up, it would be the best money spent for peace of mind.

[mightymigga]

Thx, nice video. How often do you have to change the bearings?

[tapmad]

@mightymigga There's no exact answer to that one because we all use our boats differently eg saltwater v freshwater. Funny enough, I've never kept a boat that long that I needed to change bearings more than once, and I always boat in saltwater. Best advice is to keep your grease gun in a handy place an add a coulpe of squirts as often as you like.

[techdavey1000]

In England it is possible to get "agricultural" grease seals that have an extra lip. (the first one keeps the dirt out and the second one keeps the grease in) IMHO it is worth paying a little extra for these and your car won't notice the microscopic increase in friction. Such seals are ideal for unbraked trailers where the rear of the hub is exposed to the elements. Bearing Savers are also very useful.

[tapmad]

@techdavey1000 I agree. They should make a very broad collar with multiple lips. I was surprised and disappointed when I checked the bearings a couple of weeks later. I had only launched the boat once and a small amount of salt water had already seeped in and begun its evil work of turning the grease brown. It made me wonder if the water was actually sneaking in around the metal collar that holds the rubber seal. Where the metal collar sits in the hub. Theories anyone?

[techdavey1000]

@tapmad If you don't have gadgets to pressurise the hub use NATO approved Aqualube (grease that resists water) On arrival at the venue have a cup of tea whilst the hubs cool. If the hubs have grease nipples now is the time to pump in extra grease. This method has served me well over the years and I've never had a bearing fail on the road. Beware of trailers bought from dodgy characters who seem to think that grease caps are just fashion accessories. There is often a pinhole there anyway.

[tapmad]

Note: that punch was too skinny and I scored the surface where the cone sits, this made difficult to insert the new cones. So for the opposite wheel I used a good fat punch with about a 10mm (3/8th) tip on it - all good.

And yes before anybody says it - it is not a stub axle.