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Old 09-01-2018, 04:41 PM   #21
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Name: Shelby
Trailer: Casita SD
Tennessee
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ion View Post
Get a vacuum sealer

Take a bag and fill it with the grease of choice and bearings

Vacuum out air and seal

Your bearings are now pre-greased and bagged away from dirt.
Dig it! Martha Stewart bearing pack!
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Old 09-01-2018, 05:15 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ion View Post
Here is a suggestion for those who wish to carry a spare set of bearings;

Get a vacuum sealer

Take a bag and fill it with the grease of choice and bearings

Vacuum out air and seal

Your bearings are now pre-greased and bagged away from dirt.

You do know that it is not just the bearing that you require? You need a replacement outer race too. So; How are you going to replace that outer race, while on the side of some boondock road?

To replace a race I lay the wheel on the ground then lay the hub in it and use a socket extension that is 8 to 12 inches long for a punch and tap it with a light hammer, place the big end of the extension through the hub and hook the edge of it on the edge of race. Tap it a little than move the other side. Keep moving the "punch" and tapping so that the race works out evenly. They come right out in about 10 seconds. To install the new race place it over the hub opening with the correct side out and very lightly tap it around the edge so that it starts in and is driven in evenly. I carry a set of race seater discs but they are not necessary. You can work it in tapping with a short punch until it is seated against its stop. I replaced one in a parking lot less than a month ago. Once I had the wheel and hub off, removing and installing races took about an extra five minutes.
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Old 09-01-2018, 05:33 PM   #23
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To properly adjust the castle (hub) nut using a wrench or battery pliers tighten it until it is snug, not real tight. Spin the wheel, which should be off the ground, by hand. Snug the nut one more time to take up any slack spinning the wheel caused in seating the bearings against the races. Then BACK the castle nut off one full notch which will be 1/6th of a turn. Install the cotter pin. Backing the castle nut off relieves unnecessary pressure on the bearing and races but is not enough to loosen the wheel on the spindle.
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Old 09-01-2018, 06:12 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by ShelbyM View Post
This is interesting and warrants further research. I didn't realize such was available. I think most of us would have paid the additional cost if a modern bearing system had been an option.
Not all that modern... Ever seen a U-Haul travel trailer?
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Old 09-01-2018, 07:50 PM   #25
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Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
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Not all that modern... Ever seen a U-Haul travel trailer?
Mentioned by mmeyer in post 12. And isn't anyone going to comment on Bruce's statement of "snug" ? I said that once and got jumped all over about it, like what is the torque spec for snug and other such comments. That was the last time I gave an opinion on how to adjust bearings. Don't know how you did it on heavy equipment Floyd, but the company I worked for wanted us to adjust wheel bearings using a dial indicator to measure free play. Of course we did it every time.
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Old 09-01-2018, 08:16 PM   #26
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Name: Greg
Trailer: 2008 Casita 17' SD
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Originally Posted by Stephen_Albers View Post
Now, let us talk Dexter trailer bearings. Prior to 2009, Dexter manufactured a 3,500#, #10 torsion axle with SEALED BEARINGS, GOOD FOR 100,000 miles. But they discontinued it because they could not sell it.
I don't agree with your statement. I have a 2008 17 SD with the 3,500 Lb. #10 axle, and I don't have sealed bearings on mine. I just replaced mine, including hand repacking the new ones and installing them. My trailer never had sealed bearings. Just sayin'.
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Old 09-01-2018, 10:05 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by mary and bob View Post
Mentioned by mmeyer in post 12. And isn't anyone going to comment on Bruce's statement of "snug" ? I said that once and got jumped all over about it, like what is the torque spec for snug and other such comments. That was the last time I gave an opinion on how to adjust bearings. Don't know how you did it on heavy equipment Floyd, but the company I worked for wanted us to adjust wheel bearings using a dial indicator to measure free play. Of course we did it every time.
I could take issue with other parts of Bruce's comment,
but he is pretty close to the way I have done it for 50 years.
Same for those who taught me as a kid and those who worked with me over the years.
It wan't me who jumped on you.
Torque Spec...
Tighten'em until they break, then back off an eighth of a turn!
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Old 09-02-2018, 07:16 AM   #28
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🤔I would bet there are way more bearing failures due to improper adjustments or lubrication than country of origin. I’ve seen people smear grease over a bearing and call it packed, watch people wash a bearing clean in gas then spin in with an air blast to dry it. Pack a hub full of grease and think somehow that grease is going to work it’s way into a spinning bearing 😁 Cleaned and packed probably hundreds of bearings over the years, replaced a few only when necessary (visibly damaged). Never used anything but a slip joint pliers to adjust. Hey just saying✌️
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:39 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by Bruce H View Post
To properly adjust the castle (hub) nut using a wrench or battery pliers tighten it until it is snug, not real tight. Spin the wheel, which should be off the ground, by hand. Snug the nut one more time to take up any slack spinning the wheel caused in seating the bearings against the races. Then BACK the castle nut off one full notch which will be 1/6th of a turn. Install the cotter pin. Backing the castle nut off relieves unnecessary pressure on the bearing and races but is not enough to loosen the wheel on the spindle.
I do it a bit differently, and I didn't post it earlier because I wasn't sure we wanted to go there. I take no responsibility for someone doing it this way and it not working for them.

I use a ratchet driver and a deep socket to tighten the wheel bearing nut. I take it as tight as it will go, and this is an important part of this step, WHILE also spinning the hub/drum/whatever by hand. When you can no longer spin the hub/drum/etc. by hand that is tight enough.

I then loosen the nut with the ratchet & socket to "not quite wobbly". Pull the socket off the ratchet and use the socket ONLY to tighten the nut. If I can't drop in the cotter pin I back the nut off until I can. I never tighten it past what I can do with just my grip on the socket.

Over the years what I've found is that the size of the socket "adjusts" my max tightening torque with respect to the size of the nut. Bigger nut (= bigger bearings) = bigger socket = more torque required.

This has been my method for the last 25+ years. Coupled with using brand name, quality bearings and the CV-2 grease I have never had a hint of trouble. Usually when done this way it is a life-time install. I wear out my interest in the vehicle before the bearings become a concern again.
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Old 09-02-2018, 10:41 AM   #30
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Trailer: Roamer 1
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Originally Posted by Bruce H View Post
To properly adjust the castle (hub) nut using a wrench or battery pliers tighten it until it is snug, not real tight. Spin the wheel, which should be off the ground, by hand. Snug the nut one more time to take up any slack spinning the wheel caused in seating the bearings against the races. Then BACK the castle nut off one full notch which will be 1/6th of a turn. Install the cotter pin. Backing the castle nut off relieves unnecessary pressure on the bearing and races but is not enough to loosen the wheel on the spindle.
This is how I've always done it too, but it's not exactly how Dexter says to do it. They say to actually torque the nut to 50 ft lbs and then back it off and re-tighten to "just snug", by hand. Snug is actually the described torque in their procedure.

Here's how Dexter puts it:

1. After placing the hub, bearings, washers, and spindle nut back on the axle spindle in reverse order as detailed in the previous section on hub removal, rotate the hub assembly slowly while tightening the spindle nut to approximately
50 Ft. Lbs. (1" wrench or pliers with full hand force.). Then loosen the spindle nut to remove the torque. Do not
rotate the hub.
3. Finger tighten the nut until just snug, align the retainer to the machined flat on the spindle and press the retainer onto the nut. The retainer should snap into place. Once in place, the retainer/nut assembly should be free to move slightly.
4. If the nut is too tight, remove the retainer and back the nut off approximately one twelfth of a turn and reinstall the retainer. The nut should now be free to move slightly.

Anything close to this procedure is fine, as you've pointed out.

Using a proper "packing' technique is important such that the grease is completely through the bearing assembly. Grease anywhere else in the hub does nothing.
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Old 09-02-2018, 01:41 PM   #31
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Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
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Just for the fun of adding to the debate; I have an old torque wrench from Bower bearing company, made specifically for adjusting wheel bearings. It has specs for both roller and ball bearings. For roller bearings: "while rotating wheel, torque to 50 ft lbs, back off 1/8 turn, then to cotter pin hole".
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Old 09-04-2018, 04:05 PM   #32
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Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
Florida
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Just for giggles how much grease remains in the race of a tapered roller bearing after a few revolutions?
Any guess?
Since each roller pushes the grease ahead of it out of it's way it is not much.
If there is so much grease that the rollers can't push it out of the way the churning of the grease will over heat it and cook the soap and clay into a cake that cannot hold the oil that actually does the lubrication.
This is why you might find that a newly packed bearing runs hotter when first put into service.
I a previous life as a maintenance manager I could tell when motors and pumps had been regreased as the the temps in the SCADA system increased.
Over a few hours the temps dropped unless over greased.
We expect a properly maintained motor to run for well over 30,000 hours before requiring overhaul, which would include cleaning, Vacuum epoxy insulation impregnation and new bearings.
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