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Old 08-22-2019, 04:35 AM   #1
mwemaxxowner
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Wheel Bearings

I've always greased and/or replaced the wheel bearings in my trucks myself. My dad uses "feel" and experience to determine how tight to get the nut after putting the bearings in. I've never been very good at it, and always feel a need to have him close by to double check for me. All that said, I never pulled the bearings on my old camper. Few pumps in the grease fitting now and then is all I did.

I'm aware now that that's not the best practice, but also this trailer doesn't have bearing buddies.

Is there a certain torque spec I can follow to get the axle nut set? Or do I need to go all ratchet whisperer like my dad does?

I've got a few trips under our belt. I know the camper is a good fit for us, everything inside works, pulls well, etc. Now it's time for me to go through the suspension, hubs, brakes, etc. I'm going to install a wet bolt kit, grease the bearings (or replace if it looks necessary), and adjust my brakes.

I don't have any indication of problems. The brakes work, none of my hubs have felt excessively hot, but also all trips have been short. Since the trailer is old, and I really don't know the state of those maintenance items for sure, I want to do it all now.
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Old 08-22-2019, 05:00 AM   #2
fjr vfr
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With wheel bearings I tighten the nut down to seat them, then back off loose while holding the drum in place. I then turn the nut back in till it just stops with no added torque.
If you have to move the nut at all when placing the retainer it's better to move slightly loose than more tight.
I've expressed my opinion about grease zerts on the axle. They are a disaster waiting to happen. I would NEVER use them.

And btw, bearing buddies are something different. They are used on small boat trailers that don't have brakes. They're there to push out any water after the trailer was part submerged. They are not the same thing as "easy lube" axles...the disaster waiting to happen.


You are right to inspect and service everything before your next big trip....good thinking.
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Old 08-22-2019, 05:23 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fjr vfr View Post
With wheel bearings I tighten the nut down to seat them, then back off loose while holding the drum in place. I then turn the nut back in till it just stops with no added torque.
If you have to move the nut at all when placing the retainer it's better to move slightly loose than more tight.
I've expressed my opinion about grease zerts on the axle. They are a disaster waiting to happen. I would NEVER use them.

And btw, bearing buddies are something different. They are used on small boat trailers that don't have brakes. They're there to push out any water after the trailer was part submerged. They are not the same thing as "easy lube" axles...the disaster waiting to happen.


You are right to inspect and service everything before your next big trip....good thinking.
Wasn't going to add them anyway, but good to know nonetheless! Lol
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Old 08-22-2019, 07:54 AM   #4
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In another thread someone has posted a dexter bearing maintenance video, it's the same way I was taught to do it in the Navy 50 years ago. It still works, you might Google dexter and check it out. It will explain everything you need to know. About checking bearings.
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Old 08-22-2019, 08:08 AM   #5
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I just found it, thanks. I'm adding it to this thread:

https://youtu.be/GnH-h3W9XvI
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Old 05-20-2020, 06:24 AM   #6
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I never did replace the bearings, but I have loaded drums on the way for all 4 corners. My hope is that what I pull off won't be in bad shape, and I'll be able to grease the best two and put them up in the camper as spares. I have a trip planned Jun 20, and will swap them out between now and then. I ordered them from etrailer. The price makes ordering just bearings almost seem silly.
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Old 05-20-2020, 07:19 AM   #7
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You've been given good advice. As for "dad's hand" you have to do it on your own at some point. Listen to his voice in your memories while doing it and trust your past learnings.

As for short VS long trips and bearing failure there is no data that I'm aware of to indicate any correlation. For someone who only drives 5 hrs at a time guess what, it'll happen on a long trip. For those that drive only less that 2 hours/trip it'll happen on a short trip. Same with tire failures. The rotational components reach operating Temps and forces rapidly. Of course we're talking NORMAL conditions, not overloading the weight or driving high speed slalom races.

When you look at zerk fittings on bearing buddies they work because the water and "old" grease has somewhere to go without consequences. Pumping grease in a "easy lube" system the only exit is into the brake drum.
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Old 05-21-2020, 02:43 AM   #8
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I popped the dust caps off, and there is lots of fresh looking clean grease behind them.

With that said, if I jack the camper up, and check each wheel I may be good to go? If I put my hands on each side and rock them with opposing forces and don't get much movement, then spin the wheel and it spins smoothly with no grinding, my bearings should be good, right?

Would you guys go ahead and replace or continue checking first? It's more about the time constraint for me right now than saving any money.
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Old 05-21-2020, 05:51 AM   #9
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Clean grease in the dust cap does not assure that the rear bearing (4" away) is undamaged. There can easily be a "self destructed bearing or cage" on that bearing that will never "show itself" in the grease that's at the bearing cup.

The purpose of pulling the hub, cleaning the bearings and then repacking the bearings and hub space with fresh grease is primarily to give you the chance to fully inspect the bearings, their condition, check for any hot spots, worn or damaged areas on the bearings, to check the races to make sure they are not damage or show any evidence of a bearing problem (wear, overheating, imbalanced rollers) as well as to make sure the hub surfaces are not scored, damaged, that they don't show any evidence of bearing problems, corrosion, moisture, etc.

Just seeing "clean grease around the bearing cup and the tires don't wobble" is most assuredly NOT a sign that everything inside the hub is OK, serviceable and undamaged....
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Old 05-21-2020, 06:18 AM   #10
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But lifting it up, checking for play by rocking the wheel, and spinning the wheel, does check the condition of the bearings, no?

Lifting and supporting the camper is probably the most time consuming part of the process anyway. I'm guessing swapping the loaded hubs doesn't take long once you're at that point.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:07 AM   #11
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No, lifting the trailer and wiggling the wheel while "listening carefully for grinding sounds" does not constitute a "wheel bearing inspection and repack". If you're going to do it right, then the wheels need to come off, hubs removed, bearings cleaned and inspected, races and spindle inspected and then bearings repacked and properly reinstalled with a new seal.

Doing what you're doing is similar to taking your truck to the dealership for an oil change, they look at the dipstick, determine it's not dirty, the level is OK, so they tell you, 'It's ready to go".... Not the same as doing the job correctly.

Is what you propose better than nothing ??? Maybe, maybe not. If it were me, I'd either leave them alone and worry about the bearings the entire trip or repack them correctly. If I "spun the tires and they don't wobble when I jerk on them" I'd do the same worrying as not doing anything... It's your trailer, your trip and your decision, but half-a** doing any job is still a "half-a** job" YMMV

ADDED: I see you edited your post to include changing out the hubs in lieu of repacking the bearings. If you do that, be sure to clean and carefully inspect the spindles before installing the new hubs.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:29 AM   #12
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You must have a lot of available storage to haul 4 loaded drums around for "just in case". If carrying the hubs you just as well carry 4 of the brake backing plates also, then you can completely rebuild all 4 axles "just in case".
For 10 years I carried a set of bearings, a couple seals, a handful of bronze spring bushings & grease for " just in case", never needed the bearings or bushings, thankfully, but did use/replace the seals & grease annually when I packed the bearings.
If you've bought an older used RV with unknown maintenance I'd definitely be tearing the hubs apart before taking a long trip, pick up a set of spare bearings & seals then no need to haul the truck load of spare parts.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:32 AM   #13
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I do. This camper is loaded with storage. But I only plan to keep 2 spares loaded in the camper. There's plenty of room for them in the compartment where I keep a few tools. I plan to keep two spares in the camper regardless. Once I swap the new ones on I will keep the best two old ones greased and ready in the camper.
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:12 PM   #14
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"You don't know what you don't know". If you don't disassemble and clean the bearings then you "don't know" their condition. You also "don't know" the condition of the break lines and associated parts if you don't remove the drum and take a look.
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Old 05-21-2020, 01:56 PM   #15
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We have experienced a red hot hub on our enclosed trailer at the border crossing. Needless to say we were cleared quickly. It was loaded with two motorcycles at the time. Bearing failure at the worst. Lesson learned ..... don’t let husband grease bearings using the zerk fitting. Blew out the back seal and lost all the grease from travelling down the hwy on a long trip.
We now don’t travel without a hub with packed bearings and tools on longer trips from home and he doesn’t touch the bearings.
Bearings need to be inspected and repacked yearly depending on the amount of travel you do.
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Old 05-21-2020, 02:01 PM   #16
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We have experienced a red hot hub on our enclosed trailer at the border crossing. Needless to say we were cleared quickly. It was loaded with two motorcycles at the time. Bearing failure at the worst. Lesson learned ..... don’t let husband grease bearings using the zerk fitting. Blew out the back seal and lost all the grease from travelling down the hwy on a long trip.

We now don’t travel without a hub with packed bearings and tools on longer trips from home and he doesn’t touch the bearings.

Bearings need to be inspected and repacked yearly depending on the amount of travel you do.
It seems like the best thing I can do to prevent issues is be prepared. If I have the parts and tools to handle problems, I don't have any. If I am unprepared, whatever can go wrong seems to. We are traveling further from home than I used to. I like to be prepared. 4-5 hours from home is not uncommon. We want to go to Disney next year, 11 hours or so.
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Old 05-21-2020, 04:47 PM   #17
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I’d recommend following Dexter Axle procedure for EZ Lube bearing and hand grease and follow their recommended initial torque of 50 ft lbs then back nut off and finger tighten nut and install the retainer
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Old 05-21-2020, 04:51 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwemaxxowner View Post
It seems like the best thing I can do to prevent issues is be prepared. If I have the parts and tools to handle problems, I don't have any. If I am unprepared, whatever can go wrong seems to. We are traveling further from home than I used to. I like to be prepared. 4-5 hours from home is not uncommon. We want to go to Disney next year, 11 hours or so.
We left Michigan last February, spent 2 weeks in Nashville, then to Memphis for another 2 weeks, then to Las Vegas, via 4 corners, southern Colorado, parts of Utah, then Las Vegas, Lancaster, CA, and back home through Colorado with a week in Denver, another week in Cheyenne, then through St Louis and finally home. All told about 3 months on the road I never had a minutes trouble with the trailer. After being home for 2 weeks, we towed the trailer about 100 miles south for a week with DW's family. As we were pulling into the campground, we lost the roadside rear wheel/hub. We were only going about 3-4 MPH, there were several speed bumps at the check in building at the campground, so minimal damage as I stopped without a couple of feet after seeing the wheel wobble.

Why'd I bring this up? It doesn't much matter if you're 3000 miles from home or "around the corner". When something decides to "turn loose and stop working" it'll do it without regard to whether you're close to home or not. And, for the record, it was no easier getting repair parts and getting the trailer back on the road being 100 miles away. I honestly believe it would have been just as easy to find parts and tools in Las Vegas as it was in Mount Pleasant, MI.

So, don't count on "if you're close to home, it won't happen"....
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Old 05-21-2020, 05:50 PM   #19
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Yes, but I have resources close to home. When something happens help is close by. If something happens 5+ hours from home it gets a lot more expensive. (Tow bills and shop repairs.) That's why I want to be prepared more so than ever with the right tools and a few spare parts. (Such as the spare loaded hubs)

Closer to home I have family members who can/will come either help me make a repair or tow me home for the cost of fuel and a meal. That's too much to ask when we're further from home.
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Old 05-21-2020, 07:11 PM   #20
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I think maybe you posted the wrong link. My water pump actually works pretty well! [emoji846]
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