Trailer Bearing near disaster (PART 2)

[Cheech]

After fixing the disaster bearing, I decided I would do all 4. Even though they were suppose to have been done 5 months prior.

Tried to get the wheel off the left front, but it will not come off. #???

Decided to do the other side and get back to that one last.

Both left wheels had the same problem. But with a bit of wood wacked against the tyre, they loosened and came off. Was a lot of what looked like salt buildup. (Both hubs internally were in great condition).

Anyway, back the the left front.... I just cannot get it off.

So what do I do now?

About the only thing I can think of is to try to get the bearing buddy off. Though this will be difficult as it is actually flush with the wheel on the fronts.

Then if I can get it off, then try to remove the split pin (which will be about 40mm down the hole) and then unscrew the nut. Then remove the whole assembly.

With it off, I should then be able to knock out the hub.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

By the way, when I bought the boat 5 months ago and the trailer had the roadworthy, apparently the trailer place actually only replaced 3 bearings and said that the left front was good and did not need replacing. Yeh right!! My bet is that they could not get it off either and as the bearing seems ok when you spin the wheel, they just did not do it.

Cheech

[dfox]

Craig- do you mean that youve undone the wheel nuts and the rim wont come off?

[blaze]

give your bearing buddie a light tap with hammer handle sideways (if it was my bearing buddie I would hit it with a sledge hammer), then just precede to redo wheelbearing as normal, to get the wheel of if you keep rotating the wheel and give it a real good smacking from inside, hit it long enough and hard enough it will come off. Not a bad idea to give the wheel a good cleanup with emery cloth and run a bit of antisieze around that area.
cheers
blaze

[Kerry]

Certainly starting to sound like a very UNprofessional job :( as really after only 5 months things certainly should not be in that state.

Cheers, Kerry.

[dfox]

On a bright note you'll be a trailer expert after this cheech, lol ;D ;D

[noluck]

mate spay bit w40 aroud rim and use big ruber malet and hit in rim from outside should come off if u do not have big ruber malet i wil lend u

[Big_Kev]

Sounds like you need to meet my good friend mister Oxy torch. ;D

[blaze]

I call it the red steer
works at all times

[Cheech]

Foxy, yep. The wheel just will not come off. As mentioned, the right hand side was the same, but I managed to break the seal after a few good whacks. But this one just will not give. I have never come across it before. With this, and the prop (refer other thread) it is amazing that the engine runs so smooth, has great (and even) compression, and the rest of the boat is in very good condition.

The same white corossion was behind the hub as was inside the prop when I eventually got it off. Looked a bit like a mixture between salt and fine sand. Probably salt. With the prop after removing the salt and giving it a clean it was as good as new. And with the salt on the hub, after removing the salt, it was also as good as new.

[bungie]

Just stating the bloody obvious, if you are gonna beat the crap out of the wheel/rim then make sure the trailer ain't gonna come off the jack

[blaze]

tandem trailers dont fall far with three wheels on them, still a good idea to have good supports
cheers
blaze

[jamesmcjim]

Hi cheech. Mate undo wheel nuts but leave on about 3 threads or so. Make shore axle is on stand or blocks? Take sledgehammer and hit the inside of tyre don’t hit the rim only the tyre. Should get it off after a few hits. A bit of inox or whatever wont hurt either. Best of luck. Cheers janesmcjim.

[scubapro]

With all this discussion about bearings has anyone used the so called oil hubs ??? ??? ???

[phewy]

james, great way/suggestion to get stuck bearing out in hub (using loose wheel on hub and pulling lot off), but think cheeches problem is wheel is stuck to hub?

[reelcrazy]

Here's something else you can try.

Put all wheels back on, tighten all nuts to finger tight, then back off a half turn.

Go for a slow drive around the block making sure you make a few turns, this should break the salt corrosion, or loosen it enough for the rubber mallet. Sometimes even the length of your driveway is enough, but by the sound of it, the corrosion (salt/rust) has set rock hard so you may have to drive further.

When you get the rim off, clean up the hub with a wire brush and give it a thin coat of silicone or marine grease all over the contact area. Do this to all the hubs.

Good maintenance is to do this every 6 months - nothing is more corrosive than a salt water environment.

[Cheech]

James, tried that as well. Just will not budge.

Good idea Reelcrazy. Will give it a try.

[Cheech]

[smiley=2thumbsup.gif] [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Thanks Reelcrazy. Worked a treat. Only needed to go half a block and checked and the seal was broken.

Good thing I got into the other wheels, because after pulling that hub apart, there was a heap of gritty particles in amongst the grease. The bearings although still rolled ok, looked like there were quite a few scores that look like possible fracture lines.

I also checked the brakes and adjusted them as well.

Thanks again all for your input.

Cheech