Trailer tech - bearings mostly

[AJMBLAZER]

I've got a smaller trailer my dad and uncle built sometime in the early 80's. Nothing special, we used to use it to haul wood out of the forest and also general moving duties. Dad hasn't owned a pickup truck, or anything with a hitch for that matter, since 2002 so it sorta became mine. I plan on using it during the upcoming move to Kentucky so I'm working on it a bit. Just had new tires put on the rims today. Even put two of the beauty rings off of The Blazer's rally's on it's wheels. Dad had some old Crown Vic hubcaps on it and I hate putting those bastards back on.

Anyways, I have three questions:

-Any general procedures to regreasing/rebuilding the bearings in a trailer axle? I really have no clue about the make/size/type of it's axle and bearings other than I know it had inner and outer bearings like our trucks do. Beyond that...lord knows. Hell, dad might have gotten it off of something my uncle had on the farm and then lord knows how old it is. I want to say it has a nut on the end of the spindle to hold the bearings in and all that. Any clue how I should set and torque it?

-Anybody used the Bearing Buddy from www.bearingbuddy.com ? This thing sits a lot and I figure that would be cheap insurance to make them live a happier life.

-13/16" lug nuts...smaller studs, no bigger than the ones on my Tracker and maybe The Blazer's. 5x4.5" pattern. 72ft/lbs like my Tracker? 90ft/lbs like The Blazer? 100ft/lbs like my Ranger? Something randomly different?

 

[toomany]

For the bearings, if they are trailer bearings...any Napa or good parts store (TSC even) can get them. There should be some numbers on the races. As far as I know, most trailers use a standard sized bearing (not saying all do....but there is a common size).

When I do my trailer bearings, after packing them, tighten untill the wheel becomes hard to spin. Then back off, spin wheel each direction a few times, tighten nut again until wheel/hub is hard to spin again. My trailers have a retainer that slips over the nut and is held in place with a cotter pin. I'll back the nut off untill I can put that on, usually 1/8 of a turn at most.

Bearing Buddies are OK, not to be used in place of regular packing though. Both of my trailers have them. Have to becareful when pumping grease into them though. It's easy to blow out a seal with the presure.

Whenever I, stop at a rest stop/get gas/food/whatever, I have a habit of feeling the hubs to see if they are overly hot. I have only had one sieze up on me before, and once is enough. But I still carry spare bearings/races, a hammer and puch/chisel in the tool box. Along with some grease and seals. Rubber gloves are tossed in there too.

For the wheels, I have no idea what they should be torqued too. My trailers have the 5x4.5" pattern with the 13/16 lug nuts. I run'em down with the impact gun, then crank on them with the breaker bar. The only down side I've found to this method is, trying to get the wheel off when there is no load on the trailer. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a lug wrench and check them when you stop for gas no matter what you end up tightening them to.

 

[Supergas]

Timken Bearings

Do not use Peer or any other chinee bearings if you want good life out of them. Use Timken Bearings which you can buy at a bearing house & use National Seals. If you buy at NAPA or TSC you will get chinee bearings...

I use a marine #2 grease in mine as it has a higher water resistance than el cheapo grease...

If you check them annually you should be in good shape...


SG

 

[toomany]

Do not use Peer or any other chinee bearings if you want good life out of them. Use Timken Bearings which you can buy at a bearing house & use National Seals. If you buy at NAPA or TSC you will get chinee bearings...

I use a marine #2 grease in mine as it has a higher water resistance than el cheapo grease...

If you check them annually you should be in good shape...


SG

Not always. If you say "Give me the cheapest ones you've got." Then you'll get China parts. I buy Timkens at Napa all the time, just have to ask for them.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Okay, so I finally got around to it and it's in the garage with the tires off and one side's hub/bearings removed. Inner bearing has what looks like brown baby poo for grease.

I take it there's a seal on the back and I'm supposed to pry that off and then remove the bearing? Kinda looks like it under the filth. Think I left my seal puller at my buddy's (3 hours south of here).

Are the races removable? So much grime and crap and it's hard to tell if they're built in or removable.

The hub has "DEXTER", "8-208", and "310" cast into it. Probably maker and model...anything else important?

Figure I'll head over to NAPA tomorrow and see what they can tell me and pick up another seal puller.

The spindle and nut are definitely setup like toomany said. Big washer after the outer bearing and a cotter pin going through the spindle after that.

 

[YZEATER]

dexter is the maker. got calipers? measure the axle, then compare that too the bearing you find. take the hub with you.

what do you need a seal puller for? beat it ourt from the backside.

putting it back together, it's like a ff axle.

yes, the races will come out.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Never taken a FF apart...or done much with the internals of an axle other than change the lube. We just rebuilt the front of The Blazer but really it was my buddy showing me what was going on most of the way. I'm far from an expert.

No calipers but I can scam some from work.

I do plan on taking the whole hub with me.

 

[sweetk30]

remove front bearing.

set hub back on spindle.

install bearing nut.

pull and drag down to you.

this will catch the inner bearing and pop it and the seal out all in 1 swift move.

and wont hurt anything.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

doh, why didn't I think of that?

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Yeah, gotta take the race out first.

 

[lectric80]

I never recommend using those Bearing Buddies. Think of it this way, if you pack your bearings once a year or so, maybe less on a trailer that isn't used much, the old grease get's cleaned out. If you use those, at least the way nearly everyone does, you keep packing more grease into the hub and eventually that grease pushes the seals out. I can't tell you how many grease seals, and eventually bearings, I have replaced because of those things. Not to mention that occasional repacking gives you a chance to ensure that you aren't going to have a bearing failure or other issue on the trip.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Yeah, pretty much gave up on those.