Posted 2005-04-22 2:27 PM (#24186 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 1416 Location: sc
ops.does anyone have any thoughts on why trailer axle manuf. say to have the bearings serviced at least anually (depending on manuf.) the manual i have (al-ko) states that the bearings are not the same as in a car, so thats why they need serviced more. ive been shade treeing for most of my life and i fail to see any big difference. i originally thought it was a saftey issue, you had to take everything apart to re-pack the bearings, that way youd have to look at brakes etc. now with the ez lube type axles all you have to do is pull the plug and pump away. just curious.
Posted 2005-04-22 2:49 PM (#24188 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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I remember my friend telling me that since the trailers sit more than go, the bearings can develop flat spots, which can cause heat and bearing failure.
A person I know didn't get the annual service and their bearings failed, the wheel locked up and their axle came off. Caused a huge problem, was on the side of 75 going to Lexington after the problem.. the guy had to unload the horses and reload them into another trailer. Worst part was the horses were pretty upset and one stepped on his foot and broke his foot so badly he had to have pins and all sorts of surgery.
Another friend lost a wheel somewhere, didn't even know it came off... the service person said the bearings was the cause.
So I do mine every year. One trailer dealer said I could go two years, but never more than that.
Posted 2005-04-22 3:47 PM (#24191 - in reply to #24190) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by chadsalt on 2005-04-22 4:09 AM
well that makes the most sense of anything ive heard, but i find it hard to believe a bearing could flat spot.
A rolling element bearing at rest is subject to "false Brinelling" This is not from excessive load but vibration. The wind and nearby road traffic is enough to start a small flaw in the bearing. The best prevention is to roll the bearing every week or so. The effect is the same as a "Flat spot"
Posted 2005-04-22 4:06 PM (#24193 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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I'd guess;
a) Anually is easy to remember, a "Spring tune up" before the season starts.
b) If they said every alternate year or every third year (simple) folk would likely lose count and just not get around to it. B'sides, it helps support the dealerships if you have to take it in and have it perfushionally greased (-:
c) If snow has drifted around the wheels during the winter the hubs might have been effectively under water for a period, this possibility makes the case for still pulling the hubs in the spring - E-Z lube spindles notwithstanding. There are all those nasty little brake return springs and stuff (JC and GZ clips) that also rust and fall apart, they're worth an inspection every spring.
Not that I'm fanatical about maintenance, I'd rather RIDE !, but I'd rather not have brake or bearing failure at the roadside either.
Posted 2005-04-22 7:21 PM (#24197 - in reply to #24191) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Originally written by hosspuller on 2005-04-22 3:47 PM
Originally written by chadsalt on 2005-04-22 4:09 AM
well that makes the most sense of anything ive heard, but i find it hard to believe a bearing could flat spot.
A rolling element bearing at rest is subject to "false Brinelling" This is not from excessive load but vibration. The wind and nearby road traffic is enough to start a small flaw in the bearing. The best prevention is to roll the bearing every week or so. The effect is the same as a "Flat spot"
Ummm, for some odd reason I think this doesn't happen with greased bearings - unless the film is actually broken, which I think is unlikely on a parked empty horse trailer...
I do remember a case of this being alleged in some computer disk drives, supposedly if the heads were "parked" for a long time this would happen - and those were dry bearings. The solution was to program in a re-calibration seek and return to park every so often. I don't think I was ever completely convinced, but supposedly it at least helped with some "sticking" that was believed to be caused by this.
Anyway, it is something beyond the capability of most of us to test for and moving the trailer every week or so just to avoid this is also impractical for most of us. "Up on blocks" for the winter ? In theory the wheel is then hanging from the spindle, this would mean lower forces and you could just spin the wheels by hand every time you pass by (-:
I don't think I'll be changing my winterizing practice any time soon - thanks for the pointer though.
Posted 2005-04-22 8:44 PM (#24201 - in reply to #24197) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Did a little search and got this explanation... seems more reasonable than the flat bearing... but maybe I misunderstood the person who was explaining it!!!
"The standard recommendation is that you re-pack your trailer wheel bearings once a year. This is because trailers tend to sit a lot and that can contribute to condensation inside the wheel and that can lead to rust which, in turn, leads to particles which can score surfaces and cause friction and bearing failure. Re-packing the bearings also makes it easy to inspect your brakes and running gear in order to detect and fix potential problems before they become a hazard."
Posted 2005-04-23 6:57 AM (#24212 - in reply to #24201) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by Jbsny on 2005-04-22 9:44 PM
Did a little search and got this explanation... seems more reasonable than the flat bearing... but maybe I misunderstood the person who was explaining it!!!
"The standard recommendation is that you re-pack your trailer wheel bearings once a year. This is because trailers tend to sit a lot and that can contribute to condensation inside the wheel and that can lead to rust which, in turn, leads to particles which can score surfaces and cause friction and bearing failure. Re-packing the bearings also makes it easy to inspect your brakes and running gear in order to detect and fix potential problems before they become a hazard."
Posted 2005-04-23 7:39 AM (#24217 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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I don't believe condensation will make it into a grease packed bearing, there is essentially NO AIR in there anyway. If it did, so what ? All the surfaces that matter are covered with grease anyway, there isn't going to be any "rusting".
I'll continue to pull the hubs every Spring, check for rusted/broken return springs and adjusting cables, grease the brake pivot points, etc., replace seals if necessary, reassemble and adjust - THEN I'll flush the old grease through and out. Already all done for this Sprung(past tense).
Posted 2005-04-23 8:33 AM (#24220 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 534 Location: Zionsville, Indiana
Dear Reg and all - This is a subject I can't keep quiet about. We pack bearings on 10 to 15 trailers per week. First, we never re-use seals unless the axle is a weird or obsolete one that seals are not available for. You can't take them out carefully enough that they are not somewhat compromised. Also, we see LOTS of rusty bearings and pitted races. We recommend packing bearings at least once per year. Due to the situations we see here, my own trailer has the bearings packed much more often. The opportunity to visually inspect the brake assemblies is priceless. Replacing one rusty adjuster spring could prevent a real mess in the future.
ABOUT EZ LUBE AXLES: WE love them,, they are job security for us. Most of them are misused. Pumping grease in with enthusiasm or too often can blow the seal out the back. We get trailers in here with the brake assemblies packed solid with grease, and the owner can't understand why the trailer isn't stopping right. You can clean those assemblies but the brake shoes have already absorbed enough grease that they soon fall apart. New assemblies are the correct remedy, but at $50.00 each or more. As long as there are easy lube axles of any brand, and Bearing Buddies (another long story), we will have lots of repair business.
Most of the new trailers we sell have EZ Lube axles, usually Dexter. We purposely do not point this out to buyers, but do advise them to have their wheels packed at least once a year.
Posted 2005-04-23 9:20 AM (#24222 - in reply to #24220) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Thanks Kay, That was good coming from someone who actually sees trailers coming in for service. I have always had my bearings done since my friend, who had the wheel come off, suggested it to me. I am glad that I do it just for my own piece of mind, even if my trailer never gets used that year. (my horse was injured and the trailers only duty that year was to take him to Ohio State and pick up back up.).
Posted 2005-04-23 2:33 PM (#24228 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 1416 Location: sc
ive seen plenty of rusty bearings and races. pulled a hub off a VW beetle and it actually had water in it. seals can and do fail, its easier for water to get in than grease to get out i guess. makes a rusty pudding.
guess ill just keep on with the owners manual, good thread though.
Posted 2005-04-23 8:30 PM (#24236 - in reply to #24220) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Originally written by Kay on 2005-04-23 8:33 AM
Dear Reg and all - This is a subject I can't keep quiet about. We pack bearings on 10 to 15 trailers per week. First, we never re-use seals unless the axle is a weird or obsolete one that seals are not available for. You can't take them out carefully enough that they are not somewhat compromised. Also, we see LOTS of rusty bearings and pitted races. We recommend packing bearings at least once per year. Due to the situations we see here, my own trailer has the bearings packed much more often. The opportunity to visually inspect the brake assemblies is priceless. Replacing one rusty adjuster spring could prevent a real mess in the future.
ABOUT EZ LUBE AXLES: WE love them,, they are job security for us. Most of them are misused. Pumping grease in with enthusiasm or too often can blow the seal out the back. We get trailers in here with the brake assemblies packed solid with grease, and the owner can't understand why the trailer isn't stopping right. You can clean those assemblies but the brake shoes have already absorbed enough grease that they soon fall apart. New assemblies are the correct remedy, but at $50.00 each or more. As long as there are easy lube axles of any brand, and Bearing Buddies (another long story), we will have lots of repair business.
Most of the new trailers we sell have EZ Lube axles, usually Dexter. We purposely do not point this out to buyers, but do advise them to have their wheels packed at least once a year.
Hi Kay,
Not wanting a fight, but...
I think the BIG difference between what you see on your customers' trailers and what I see on mine is that I only work on a bad hub ONCE ! (-:
There is no further neglect once it has been rebuilt.
I havn't had a bad one yet on a horse trailer, just boat and utility trailers, but a bad one does require bearings and seals - ONCE.
For your techs a seal is at hand, for me its on the other side of town, if I had them at hand they'd be lost in the garage before I'd ever get around to using them anyway.
Save the Seals
(I had to do that)
There was a SAAB joke several (many ?) years ago about the difference between a $25 brake job and a $900 brake job. The answer was "about $874.75".
OK, so it doesn't add up. The explanation was 25c for a roll of teflon pipe tape.
THIS is how I "Save the Seals", I don't drag them across the spindle threads, I wrap those threads. In the case of the SAABs it was to protect the drive shaft threads (light weight, but soft alloy) themselves from the rotors as they were pulled. The $25 brake job just didn't include replacement of the mechanic/technician ruined shafts (-:
SAAB parts were expensive even then.
Posted 2005-04-23 8:34 PM (#24237 - in reply to #24183) Subject: RE: trailer bearings
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Posts: 1416 Location: sc
i can agree with that. there is no reason to have to replace the seal just because the hub was pulled. ill likely do it out of the "fact im already there", of course you can screw up a brand new seal just as easy as reusing the old one. ask the guy at the nissan plant that installed my 02 altima axle, it leaked from the word go due to a torn seal.
trailer bearings
