wheel bearings

[SRehberg]

I recently purchased a 27ft. 5th wheel, that in the manual states the wheel bearings should be serviced/repacked every 6000miles or 1year. This sure seems like a lot of overkill, when our CTD front axle bearings are carrying more weight per spindle, and the service interval is longer. Any ideas? I know the manufacturer's recommendations should be followed, but is this what everyone else is doing?

 

[rdanley]

I REPACK EVERY 5K OR ONCE A YEAR. YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT YOUR TRAILER IS NOT ALWAYS MOVING LIKE YOUR TRUCK. WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR TRAILER SITTING FOR PERIODS AT A TIME IT WILL CREATE FLAT SPOTS IN YOUR BEARINGS FROM SITTING .



SO A GOOD INSPECTION NEEDS TO BE DONE ONCE A YEAR ATLEAST. AND WHILE YOU ARE THERE MIGHT AS WELL REPACK.

 

[Eric_77]

Well I went to the marine supply house and picked up 4 Bearing Buddies. These are designed for boat trailers so to use on a RV or utility trailer you must be careful about how much grease you put into axle. The design has a spring that keeps pressure on the grease. Don't add enough for spring pressure, the grease will get on brake pads/shoes. I put about 2-3 pumps into each one every 3 thousand miles or 6 months. I did goof and overdo one and had to replace the shoes in that axle so much for the little helper.

 

[Okie-Go]

My 5er is two years old and close to 8,000 miles I would guess. Sounds like I need to take a peek at mine before vacation time this summer.

 

[The Sequel]

Most of the advice I've read says to repack once a year. But my dealer said to do it once every 2 years or 10,000 miles. He did say if you live in a wet climate you might want to do it more often, but it is very dry here. I've had my trailer for 21 months now and have towed it around 8500 miles, so I should get it done before too long. I also think since we've used it quite a bit, that should help keep it from having problems that arise from setting for long periods. Since we are in the perfect camping state, we camp year round.

 

[SRehberg]

Well, it looks like it's time to put the gloves on and go to work repacking/resealing the 4 wheels on the fiver. I guess as I get older, I get where it starts to lose its appeal! But I would much rather find a problem at home, than alongside the highway somewhere, so I thank all who answered. It is cheap insurance. I liked the idea of the bearing buddies, but the possibility of getting grease on the linings (for sure with my luck) I'll probably stick with the old fashioned way.



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'96 2wd with 27ft Alpenlite fiver.

 

[Okie-Go]

Sounds like we need to have a bearing packin party.

 

[Shooter]

I have Dexters on my trailer. Put 20k on last year. Pulled the wheels to inspect and ck brakes.

Found the grease grey at the outer brgs still red on inners. outer bearings were frosting and inners still like new. 2 seals seeping and grease had made it to the magnets ( they were encased in all the brake dust ). The bearing preloads were good.

Replaced outers and seals, cleaned the brake parts and sanded shoes and broke the glaze on the drums.

The outer bearings were made in China, the inners were Romainian, seals single lip made in ???. Replaced outers with Timkin ( Canadian ) and Chicago Rawhide double lip seals made in USA.



Bearing buddies are not for use on axles w/ brakes, once the hubs are full of grease and under spring load ( the only way to get grease into the inner bearing ) the grease is forced out the seal and into the brakes.

Come on guys THINK !!!!

Bearing Buddies are only for boat trailers axels with OUT brakes. They are to be greased when the boat is back on the trailer, the hubs are then greased to force all the water out of the bearings and hubs before the boat is towed home. Read the directions!!!

 

[bill threlkel]

Here a thought i use amsoil grease and have found that i don't have the same problems as with regular grease. Heat won't make the grease run out of bearings. If i want to add a little i just add it to the dust caps it works into the bearings 6000 miles and counting.

Bill