Rotate (switch) hubs along with tire rotation?

[gordon2]

So today's project is bearing repacking and brake adjustment.

I do plan to rotate the tires on my Scamp (right to left and left to right).

But I can't find any authoritative information about rotating the hubs also. Seems like there might be an issue with the brake magnet mating to the hub or even wear on shoes... so...

My question is, should I rotate the hubs also, moving the port side to the starboard side and vice-versa?

Yes?

No?

It does not matter?

[floyd]

Of course the brakes and backing plate assemblies are Left and Right and can't be rotated side to side. The brake pads and magnets are mated to the drums through wear.

It is possible to switch the hubs and drums but it is not advisable, necessary, or beneficial.
Same is true with brakeless hubs.
Bottom line... I would keep the hubs where they are, and would and keep the bearings on the races to which they are mated.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by floyd

... The brake pads and magnets are mated to the drums through wear.
...

I was thinking the same thing, thanks for the validation.

[Casita Greg]

I would not switch the brake drums due to the fact that both drums would have different wear patterns and now that they are "set in their ways" so to speak, swapping them would probably create more wear as they would have to settle in and readjust again to different wear patterns. I would just swap the wheels and call it good.

[Glenn Baglo]

The advice I received from Escape is not to rotate the tires side to side on a single axle trailer. On tandem axle, tires are rotated from the front axle to the back axle to the front axle, but not from side to side.
Don't know what advantage there would be, in any case. After six years I aged out my tires with no noticeable tread wear.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

The advice I received from Escape is not to rotate the tires side to side on a single axle trailer. On tandem axle, tires are rotated from the front axle to the back axle to the front axle, but not from side to side.
Don't know what advantage there would be, in any case. After six years I aged out my tires with no noticeable tread wear.

Did they offer any rational or explanation for that advice?

I think it is a fairly universally accepted fact that the curb (starboard) side gets more wear or at least is more likely to be damaged from road debris on the road (or as the name implies) the curb (or shoulder). And in my trailer I have noted slighter higher increases in pressure and temperature when compared to the other side, perhaps because its a little heavier on that side.

Tread wear is not an issue.

At any rate, I cannot for the life of me see where rotating single axle tires would hurt, and it might help even out the wear from slightly uneven loads or exposure to sun, etc.

[Glenn Baglo]

I have no idea what the rationale may be, but I'm fine with not rotating. Less effort.

[Casita Greg]

FWIW, I never rotate my tires. They get replaced at 5 year intervals, and the treads always look like new. Why just make more work for yourself? YMMV

[floyd]

If you were to rotate tires side to side on a torsion axle it would be best to break them down and reverse the tire on the wheel since torsion axles tend to wear toward negative camber.... generally too much work for too little benefit.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

FWIW, I never rotate my tires. They get replaced at 5 year intervals, and the treads always look like new. Why just make more work for yourself? YMMV

The wheels are already off for the bearing work.. the only added work is rolling the tires to the other side of the camper.

But perhaps it makes little difference after all unless you are parked with one tire getting more sun, esp when stored if the tires are not covered. I cover mine but often only when I know its going to be parked for at least a week. Why make more work for yourself covering them all the time?

[Casita Greg]

FWIW, my trailer is always kept under a metal carport out of the sun and weather when it's not rolling down the road, and I'm not one of those who feels that pulling the wheels or repacking the bearings every year is necessary either.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

FWIW, my trailer is always kept under a metal carport out of the sun and weather when it's not rolling down the road, and I'm not one of those who feels that pulling the wheels or repacking the bearings every year is necessary either.

Wish I had (or could have) a carport.. but it is what it is.

Officially I would never suggest that someone can or should go longer between any scheduled maintenance than is specified by the manufacturer. But I am sure it is very dependant on mileage, and to a lesser extent the environment, so if you send me a private message I would then reply in private and say that, with my use, I feel fine going two years between bearing repacks. But here in public, I would not say that

[floyd]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Wish I had (or could have) a carport.. but it is what it is.

Officially I would never suggest that someone can or should go longer between any scheduled maintenance than is specified by the manufacturer. But I am sure it is very dependant on mileage, and to a lesser extent the environment, so if you send me a private message I would then reply in private and say that, with my use, I feel fine going two years between bearing repacks. But here in public, I would not say that

Excellent post! you still repack more often than most. Of course neither them nor I could say that here in public!

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by floyd

Excellent post! you still repack more often than most. Of course neither them nor I could say that here in public!

I was thinking we could contact James Comey's buddy and ask him to leak the information about how often we repack our wheel bearings..

Perhaps someday I will go longer but I also want to keep a good eye on the brakes since I don't know how fast they will wear. And because I had a contamination and /or adjustment issue with the brake on one side and it wore the magnet a little more than it would have normally, and maybe the shoes also. At the time, I had to do that side and now the grease on that side still looked quite good, but the other side was showing its age (at a little over 20 months and about 6,000 miles.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Wish I had (or could have) a carport.. but it is what it is.

Officially I would never suggest that someone can or should go longer between any scheduled maintenance than is specified by the manufacturer. But I am sure it is very dependant on mileage, and to a lesser extent the environment, so if you send me a private message I would then reply in private and say that, with my use, I feel fine going two years between bearing repacks. But here in public, I would not say that

Bearings are interesting in that the more they are used the better. The longer they sit the more likely that are to get flat on side.

[charlsara]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Bearings are interesting in that the more they are used the better. The longer they sit the more likely that are to get flat on side.

Bearing are made from hardened steel. It is very unlikely that a lifetime of sitting in one spot would cause them to flatten. In fact our shop has pulled bearings from old truck that sit for years. They still looked new.

I refuse to say that I went three years and 20,000 miles between bearing packing...rumor is they were ok..

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by charlsara

...

I refuse to say that I went three years and 20,000 miles between bearing packing...rumor is they were ok..

LOL, with all these leaks we are getting as bad the US Federal Government!

I'm starting to see a pattern.. that manufacturers seem to recommend that many scheduled maintenance items be done 2-3 times as often as is usually really needed, to cover the outlier worst cases.

With my prior heat pump (HVAC), I went years between maintenance service and with no problems. When I finally replaced the old Trane unit with a new Trane, I went with the annual inspection to avoid breakdowns and keep the largely useless parts warranty. Yet I still had three complete breakdowns since it was installed, which was five months shy of only four years ago.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Bearings are interesting in that the more they are used the better. The longer they sit the more likely that are to get flat on side.

Machinery, in general, benefits from usage. But this generally has to do with rotating tires, circulating lubricants, inhibiting corrosion, and exercising seals.

Stress is force per unit area. Strain is deformation. Bearings are designed to withstand dynamic stresses. I can't picture why bearings would experience strain under the lower stresses associated with static conditions.

[redbarron55]

In late, but put the hubs back where they came from.
The bearings and their cones need to stay together and not be interchanged.
Just like you don't but new bearings on old cones either.

I believe to some extent in the theory of benign neglect.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by redbarron55

In late, but put the hubs back where they came from.
The bearings and their cones need to stay together and not be interchanged.
...

But if I switch hubs, the bearings can easily stay with the same cones (aka races) as they should. So that (by itself) is insufficient reason to not rotate the hubs. But the other considerations are enough.. no rotating hubs for me.