Trailer Bearings

[adriancorrea]

Well after picking my boat up this morning and having to work tonight I opted for not going out today and tinkering around with the boat for an assault tomorrow.
Decided to pull the tyres off and the bearing needed replacing, I only done them at the begining of last year and remember the boats been in the garage for the last 6 months not in use.
So my question is how often do you change the bearings on your trailers.
Hope the weathers good tomorrow so I can get out in the bay.

Tight Lines
Adrian

[mackmauler]

Adrian, I look for heat in the hubs after a drive or vibration coming through the steering as a sign they may be wearing out, on average once a year ill replace them and I dont wait for them to fail before they get replaced...carry a spare hub loaded and you can save a bit of mucking around if one fails on your way out.

Rob

[Fin_Addict]

Hi Snappyone ;D...I change my bearings once a year....I've never had to do a roadside repair on my own trailers(3 of them) but i seem to be the guy who gets the call to "Come and help me out mate,my wheelbearings are shot and i'm up near whoop whoop"...Being a Fitter by trade i can't emphasize the importance of prevenative maintenance [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] An hour in the shade of your shed changing out a bearing assembly is better than doing it on the side of the road....Ross

[Morlers]

I've got bearing buddies on my boat trailer and top them up with grease every few trips or so. Also, I have inspected and repacked them each year and they still seem ok after 2 years. I only back my trailer in until the water is just under the axle so as to avoid water ingress. I find it is still easy enough to winch on and off. However, I still carry spare bearings with me just in case.

:) :)

Morlers

[Kerry]

If everything is in top condition on the outside and no water gets in then really the wheel bearings should outlast the trailer.

A lot has to do with the seals, type of grease, amount of use and just how quick one can get a boat on and off.

Honestly can't remember the last time I replaced my wheel bearings, generally pull them off onece a year but if they ain't stuffed and there's no water then why replace them ???

Without looking up the log I'd only be guessing but probably sometime in the last 10 years.

Cheers, Kerry.

[Fin_Addict]

I still reckon its best to replace them after 12months ::)...I'm probably towing further than the average fisho aswell...How many blokes have had a bearing failure on the side of the road that you have seen ???...I bet when they left home they thought the bearings were in great shape ;D It just comes down to personal maintenance regimes....Ross ;D

[spen175]

Having helped a mate for 2 hours on the freeway, luckily he made to a a rest stopand replace the bearings, only to find that the hub had been stuffed by the bearing, preventative maintence is the way for me.

if you can avoid dumping above the axle then that is best as water can not get in. if not bearing buddies are good insurance between annual maintenance.

always carry a spare set and the tools to replace. I have a trailer kit of tools that stays with the trailer locked in a box fixed to the draw bar. the day i leave it at home is the day I will need it.

regards

[blaze]

Been boating about 20 + years and replaced my first set the other day,from memory (and thats slipping these days) mind you though that aint the same trailer.

Dont like bearing buddies

as the hub is over filled with grease and causes the bearings to become hot. The correct way to pack a bearing is to force the grease through the cone, put a smear on the cup, lubricate the seal and reassemble. It is unwise and un nessary to fill the hub with grease. The best way to look after your bearings is the service annually and if you have towed the trailer any distance, let it cool down before lauching the boat. The reason for this is that the cooling of the hub creates a vacume in the hub and cause water to suck into the hub.
cheers
blaze

[Big_Kev]

Bearings are cheap.
I check mine before any trip longer then the local ramp by jacking each wheel and giving it a spin.
I run bearing buddies and give them a shot every couple of trips and have never had a problem, apart from arseholes pinching them. I have spent more money replacing buddies then I have replacing bearings.
Cheers Kev. :)

[dugong]

Hi Adrian
Your wheel bearing must have taken in some water, its not so much a question of when do i replace them as how often do i service them, if you constantly dip your hot hubs into the drink keep a very close eye on them, even with bearing buddies you can take in water and ruin them.
Bearings are cheap and usually fairly easy to replace, better to do it at home than on the side of the highway.
Any time you are planning a longer than usual trip pop them off and check i went down to brissy one long weekend last yrs and counted 10 boats on the side of the road ppl working on the hubs and that was just from gympie to brissy.
Cheers
dug

[Dignity]

I check mine at least annually and usually replace them. I keep the last replaced set as spares. Previously used to keep a spare hub already packed and set up - hardest part was finding the right container to keep it in - plastic bags were useless as the grease used to perish them. I don't keep any bearings if they have any marks on them as I feel they will only let me down. I always change the cones at the same time although I know of one friend that didn't and he ended up with a collapsed bearing.

Like Blaze I don't overpack my bearings but I do use bearing buddies to help avoid water ingress, Like Reel Hard I have also lost quite a few although I think the odd one falls off. No longer a problem, I use self amalgamting tape around the hub and bearing buddy, wont fall off and won't be easily knocked off. A bit of a pain but haven't lost one since.

Sam

[blaze]

I carry my spare wheel on my spare hub, its all on stub axle welded on my winch post, fully packed ready to go and hope i never need it
cheers
blaze

[macca]

Hi fella's

When removing the bearing buddies, is it just a manner of tapping them off to get to the bearings or is there a trick to it.

All this talk of replacing bearings is making me nervous.

I have been squirting some grease in every three to four trips.


Any idea what brand of bearings, special/sealink trailers use?

I will take them off this week for a look, any tips for a novice as my Dad normally helps me, but he's layed up recovering from a back operation.

Thanks

Macca

[Needmorerum]

I wouldn't be replacing bearings once a year. As a mechanical fitter in large industry, I am involved with servicing, replacing, and failure diagnosis of thousands of bearings. If the bearing isn't damaged or showing signs of wear, why replace it.
Once a year, I would recommend to remove the hub and inspect the bearing. A detailed clean to remove all the old grease, and a repacking is what is required. This could be done more frequently, but once a year should suffice. I would reccomend replacing the seals everytime they are tampered with.
Never replace the inner race without replacing the outer race. They are a matched pair. When removing the inner bearing, don't hit the inner race with a punch and hammer. Most hubs will have recesses in them to allow you to impact the outer race for removal. You may have to clean some grease out to find them. It does pay to have a spare set of bearings with you when doing this, as if you do hit the inner race or scar the outer race, they then need to be replaced. And a spare set won't go astray. Make sure you use a good bronze punch, and the edges aren't damaged or mushroomed.
As for the amount of grease that goes into the hub, this can be debated until the end of time. What I can tell you is that too little grease will create heat and destroy the bearing, too much grease will also create heat and destroy the bearing.
Most industrial bearings have bearing buddies on them, or what is called Permalubes or the like, the only difference is, is that all industrial bearings that have a Permalube system will also have a grease drain, this means that there is no pressure in them.
Data collection and RCA (Root Cause Analysis) or Autopsies of failed bearings, has indicated to me that SKF make one fo the best bearings available. If you purchase your bearings from somewhere like this, they will also be able to tell you what the recommended capacity of grease is, and the time interval for repacking, for that bearing, and what torques the hub should be tightened up to.
Hope this helps.

Corry

[Willdoe]

Hi Guys
I had a bearing collapse many years ago. Fortunately the small bearing held together but it cost me a new axle and hub as well as the bearing kit. Since then I check/service them every couple of trips.

Bearings will last for years provided they are adjusted correctly and water and dust is kept out which means good seals. I use the marine type seals with the stainless sleeve that inserts into the hub.

I agree with most of the advice given previously re not to submerging the axle, only fill 1/3 of the hub with grease and feeling the hubs for heat at the first pit stop (a little heat is normal).

Willdoe

[Dignity]

Willdoe, I would like not to submerge my axle but as I drive my boat on and off I find I need to. I suspect the trailer could have been the next size up and I may not have had this problem.

Corry, I think I know what a bearing in good condition looks like but I am sure that a lot don't. My brother in law (bit of a tight @rse) put bearing back in that had some marks on them (really needed close examination), to me they were going to cause trouble and eventually they did.

[Needmorerum]

Your right there Dignity, alot of people would not know what a good and bad bearing looks like. If anyone pulls out a bearing and they are not sure, either turf it and replace it, or take it with you when getting a new one, and ask the bearing shop that you are getting your new one from. As long as it isn't from somewhere like supercheap and your being served by some pimply little freak.

Corry

[cooky]

i happily dunk my trailer in well over the axle. Couldn't give a rats if it makes loading and unloading the boat easier. I drive-on the trailer most times and I like not having to worry about things - I go boating for relaxation - so I don't worry about the science of bearings or keeping an eye on EXACTLY how far the trailer goes in (depends on the driver).
Bearings are possibly one of the cheapest boating expeditures there is and therefore keep an eye on them (I think every few trips is too much - but heh if you've got the time) and buy new ones when necessary - keep a spare kit and learn how to replace them. If they do fail on the road, then fix them and think about the chances (or lack of) of it happening again.

My father has worked for almost 40 years in the bearing industry, I'm pretty sure my first toys were bearings. If you'd like an experts opinion on anything I'll be happy to ask him.

[peterbo3]

macca,
Ford slimline bearings are the go for special tlrs. This is a generic term only. The actual brand of the bearing set will depend on where you buy them.

[Dignity]

macca, the bearing buddies just need to be tapped lightly for them to come off. the hardest part of the whole process is once you have the hub off and decide you need to replace the bearings is replacing the cones - the part the bearing runs against in the hub, In some hubs they are in very tight and they sit up against a ridge which should have 2 gaps in it so that you can put a dowel punch in to get them out. putting them in is easier as I usually get a set of old cones grind down the outsides a little so that they are a slide in fit into their old positions - they are quite hard so it will take a little effort. Then it is a simple matter of putting the new cones in place, reversing the modified old cone on top and tapping away with a hammer till the new cone is sitting hard up against the ridge. This is much easier than getting a brass bush with which to try and tap them in. make sure you keep the modified cones for future use. BTW make sure you have lots of newspaper to work on and plenty of rags on hand as you are going to end up with grease all over the place.

Good luck, Sam

[Anne-T-Dote]

Does anyone have any clues on how to re-insert dust caps without smashing dints into them? (I don't like bearing buddies, so still use the dust caps).

I was thinking a short peice of gal steel pipe, just the right diameter (big enough to slide over the main section of the cap, but small enough to get a full seat on the pressed lip), then whack the pipe with the hammer, transfering the force to the strong lip instead of the weaker end of the dust cap?? But do you think I can find the right size pipe?

What I have found though is that there are 2 basic styles of dust cap out there. One with an almost rounded end, and the other with an almost flat end - actually even slightly recessed in the middle with a strong outer lip. The second type is a thousand times easier to re-insert coz you can just place a flat peice of timber or something over the end and smack the cr@p out of it and it won't dint the cap one bit.... But they're hard to find as most places only stock the first type, so knowing how to insert those puppies would be a great help if anyone can tell me ??? ???

[mini696]

I dont have to hit my dust caps that hard. They just slide into place with a gentle persuader. I have the flatter ones you mention and find them less prone to dinting than the rounded ones. I cant see any problems if you only dint the top of the cap, but if the cap is out of round then you'll have some problems.

[Dignity]

maccamania, without checking I suspect that an old cone (the small one) in reverse would do the trick- will check when I get home
Sam

[Anne-T-Dote]

hmmmm,... Sam, I hear what you're sayin', but I suspect that it won't work, as the outer diameter of the small cone is the same as the outer diameter of the dust cap, therefore it won't slide over the dust cap, But I too would have to check to be sure about that....

[Dignity]

bugger - thought I had a spare dust cap but couln't locate one - have to get the old box trailer back from dear bros before I can check out

Sam

[PG]

All this talk about bearings...I didn't see mention about marine bearings. Normal trailer bearings are just fine until they hit water. When I bought my trailer I had trouble within 6 months because the knob that made it had a pathetic seal on the inner side of the hub. When I replaced the bearings I bought proper marine bearings and in the past 2 1/2 yrs haven't had a trouble at all. I submerge the axle each time I launch the boat and still noi problems.
I don't use bearing buddies or the like, just the normal dust caps that are tapped on using a hammer around the edges of the cap. No need to wale on them, they go in easy enough and for peace of mind I always put a big smear of grease around the inside of the cap and hub to help seal.
Annually I regrease the hubs by cleaning out with clean petrol and if they look dodgey then I'll toss them, until then I let them drain and push grease back into the bearing as you would a car bearing.
Be very careful when you remove the seal off the back of the hub, that's the biggest problem I could see, otherwise it should all go smoothly.

[PG]

By marine bearings I'm referring to the kit which contains a better seal than a standard trailer bearing seal

[Dignity]

Macca - found my spare cap and, no the cone is too small, By coincidence the cap fits nicely into my rod holders on the 4by. Also into the base of a tube of No More Gaps but I would think you would need something more substantial as the plastic is very thin. Thinking a piece of 50 mm PVC piping would do the job but none at hand.

Paul, I can understand Macca's problem as I have 4 hubs and all are as tight as, it was a real battle to get the old cones out. My previous trailer, a couple of gentle taps and they were out. I kept losing the bearing buddies as they would fall out (or easily stolen).

Sam

[familyman]

To re insert your dust caps make sure the hub is FREE of grit around the cap seat then clean up the burr on the outside edge of the inserted section with a file,put it in straight and tap it gently with a piece of wood.If the cap is ok it will go in but like the bearing coned it MUST be straight or it will foul on the hub edge.I check the bearings by feeling the hubs every trip as I mostly do highway towing at 80-90kmh and mine dont get over about 40 deg.
regards jon

[Anne-T-Dote]

Yeah, that's right Sam - the dust caps are VERY tight on my trailer. I just figured they were all like that, but now realise I'm wrong. No wonder some of the other guys were thinking I was a bit weird, not being able to do such a simple task as insert a dust cap????

[Dignity]

Macca - I've helped my mate replace his and it's a wlk in the park compared to mine. Will see if I can get a piece of ally pipe the right dimensions for you.

Sam

[banshee]

G'day Macca,I had the same problem with dust caps until my local outboard mechanic told me to use a large flat head screwdriver,start it off by very gently taping the cap on the top edge 'till it just sits there,then work your way around the lip of the dust cap by taping the screwdriver onto the lip,once it is in a way you can get a litle more physical with it.I've had four trailers and this method has worked a treat for all of them,it can be a pain in the arse starting them off but once you get a "feel" for it your right.

[ugboot]

hi bearing Buddies :D
I sink my trailer and use buddies, one side failed after 3 years use with no service or teardown just monitoring hub temperature wasnt enough to warn of impending failure on the run back from the local ramp (max speed 80 for 5k) i luckily made it home before the wheel parted company ;D.
The other side was perfect so go figure.
I gave it a birthday with new gal hubs and Sea Bears, these are special back seals that have plastic tube top and bottom that loop up above the hub on the trailer frame and allow the hub to be filled with Automatic trans fluid so eliminating the ingress of water(or that is the theory) You monitor the oil
level in the tubes that will drop if a leak developes or will go milky if water gets in.They have quite specific instructions on seal fitting and recommend a qualified mechanic The kit including seals, gaskets, ATF and dust caps costs about $70
It took me a couple of hours each side to fit them cos you have to linish the seal seat and grind a relief on the top and bottom of the axle for the tubes to exit the seal I also used dulac sealer on metal exposed by the grinding and behind the seal because it left some of the linished seal seat exposed
thats all ive got seeya

[Anne-T-Dote]

Awesome Sam, I'll also be looking around for the right pices of pipe - steel or otherwise...

[macca]

Well thanks to Snappyone for starting this thread.

I am replacing my bearings at the moment and they are absolutely stuffed.

I have found alot of corrosion and pitting on my bearings and cups. Also there was alot of water inside the hubs.
I bought a BMT package about 18 months ago, the bearings used in the trailer were poor quality and we could not even find a branding on the casings.

I have bearing buddies and they have made me think in the past that if you have these on the hubs you will be right to pump grease in every two to three trips. I can now say that I will be checking my bearings every 6 months and maybe when I back the trailer in I will try not to sink the hubs, however this is not always possible because of the ramp angle.

The guy in the bearing shop gave me a tip today, when he tows his boat for a long distance,before backing in he throws a bucket of water over each hub to cool the hub before entering the water. He reckons because of the build up of heat the water is drawn into the hub if it is still hot.

All I can say, if you have a relatively new boat package and if you have bearing buddies and you have not checked your bearings bearings yet, do so, you might be suprised what you find. I certainly was.


Macca

[Anne-T-Dote]

Yah Macca, I couldn't agree more - check them every 6 months.

If anyone is interested I did a bit of hunting around (a very small amount) and found out that the two most common brands of dust caps are ARK and AL-KO. Of these two, ARK are way more common, but the AL-KO brand are the ones that are much stronger and can be inserted by placing a flat plate over the end and tapping in with a hammer. The ARK brand are harder to insert coz if you tried doing it this way you'd cave the end in. You have to knock them in as per the method Banshee describes about 4 posts up from here....

If you see the AL-KO ones in the shop, buy them even if you don't need them straight away, coz they're harder to find, and they'll make the job a lot easier (if you've got tight hubs like mine that is...)

Macca

[macca]

Recently replaced my bearings

After a long run of no fishing weekends I finally took the boat out on the weekend.

The bearings/wheel was getting very hot after the trip home, we checked them on the way to fishing but they were cold. So we were suprised to find them very hot when we got home.

I checked then tonight and the bearings are not tight. However the disc from the override brakes is rubbing so much on the outside disc pad it causes the wheel to bind when rotating, I think this is causing the excessive heat. One wheel was hotter than the other and they both have this problem.

Can anybody relate to this problem ???

So I now think I will replace the whole hub as it appears the disc is out of shape.

Will this fix the problem or is there another solution ???

Thanks

Macca

[Dignity]

macca - when I replace my pads they do rub a little but not enough to get that hot. you did adjust the bolt at the back of the hub which regulates how close the pads are? be interesting to see if anyone else has this problem - going away for a week or so and will be off air