trailer bearing pack

[david craft]

I promised this a while back. I watched entirely too many vids online, trying to find one i felt covered the pack job properly. I chose the "dexter bearing pack" a 6:55 minute video on youtube. If you google that, it will be the top link. Other vids will cover the brake check and adjustment but they dont get the preload right. Thats the most important factor. So watch some vids. Mike Thompsons is loaded with special tools where the dexter vid uses common tools. So study the dexter vid and pay attention to detail. I will expound a little..

1.jack and support- jack close to the spring pad so as not to bend axle.
if you do all hubs at once, build a bearing board ( a board with a nail for each bearing set)to keep bearings oriented to their respective hub.

2.remove dust cover-if you dont have a puller, then screwdriver to loosen and channel locks to remove. Try not to damage the cover. the replacements are too large ive found. I make a driver from a piece of pipe to drive the cover by the flanges. I use news paper to wipe surfaces. One string left behind from a rag will destroy a bearing.

3.remove zirk fittings from axle stub-if so equipped, these things have destroyed more brakes than you can imagine. people pump in too fast and force a seal out, or pump a different grease. If packed properly there is enough grease and it dont evaporate.

4.remove cottar or keeper, nut, washer, and outer bearing-once the nut is out of the way, I just bump the far edge of the drum with the heel of my hand towards the spring and catch the bearing with the other hand as it scoots off the spindle. I do a little preload check before I remove the nut to assure myself that it was done correctly.

5.remove hub-check brakes for grease contamination, loose, damaged, or missing parts. The magnets have wear bars on the oval shapes. The screws are the limit on the round. If you see the windings on the magnet their toast. A smidgeon of grease will prolly clean with some brake clean, otherwise its replacement time. I just do whole assemblies anymore, if either the magnet OR shoes need replacement, they are that cheap. If your coach is older, then new assemblies may not fit and you will need to do part by part.

6.remove seal- dont drive this out with pressure on the inner bearing, you can bend a cage. always replace with a double lip seal.

7.remove inner bearing- clean and final rinse bearings,washer,nut, with brakeclean but be sure to grease immediately after brakeclean evaporates. dont spin dry bearings with compressed air.

8. Inspect bearings for heat discoloration (brownish,purple, rainbow), pitting, bent cage, scoring( run fingernail lengthwise on roller to feel striations) and replace if necessary. a little brown is stain discoloration and okay.

9. pack bearings- hand packing is good, unless you got a packer. I cup my palm a little more than the video and get the grease to ooze the other side of the cage. I work all the way around the bearing and then give a good smear on the entire outside. I like the valvoline red or black high temp disc brake grease

10. clean hubs and spindle- I dont blow compressed air on the backing plates and I dont brakeclean them either. I just wipe the spindle and hub inerds with newspaper. check the races and the seal surface for damage.

11. assembly of inner bearing-drop the inner bearing in the hub and install seal. i dont use the permatex on the seal as described...i view that as overkill. double check the seal on the spindle for proper size before install.

12. hub install-place the hub on the spindle followed by the bearing, thrust washer and nut. proceed exactly as described in video. spin the hub while torquing to 50ftlb. freeze hub and back off nut. run up finger tight and back off to first castellation. .001 to .010 endplay. reinstall keeper or cottar and cap. The reason why you dont just backoff 1/4 turn is that may not get you to zero lash. Some spindles are coarser than others and some bearings/races may have annealed. I've seen some back off a 1/3... the reason you spin the hub is so you dont brinnel the bearings(little dents in the race that match the bearing)

13. Install wheel- 75ftlb torque on nuts. dont get crazy here...

14. refreshment-seems unlucky to have 13 steps so go get a beer...you earned it...

[Russell E Johnson]

Very good detail here David.  As usual you give great instructions.  I do all of our steps with one exception to step 9, I turn the bearing after the first packing and then do another round of grease, then run grease around the outside.

[david craft]

Hey Russell, I know that packers pack from the small side prolly because they would require some fancy engineering to pack from the large end. I actually tried to hand pack from the small side and found it very difficult to do. The grease just does not seem to want to go from the small area to a large area. So I figured if I pack from the large end and it excretes from the small end, and I chase that excretion all the way around the bearing, then there are no voids in the grease. I did forget to mention that after I mount the wheel I give it a little wiggle to be sure I have 1/8" or so movement at the tread to be sure I have endplay. I'm sure your method works for you. We prolly both get similar and adequate results.

[Russell E Johnson]

I should have mentioned that I hand pack all my bearings.  I have been packing bearings this way since 1964 and have not had a problem.  I have tried cleaning bearings first and others not cleaning them and have gotten the sale results in both cases.  I realize that it is easier to inspect the bearings if they are cleaned, but I always check hub temperature every time we stop.  If I find one that is hot, I readjust it and then replace the bearings and races as soon as I get home.  Also as a general rule I replace bearings and races every 5 years as a preventative measure.  Overkill maybe, but I have never had a packable bearing problem in 50 years.

[david craft]

Ahhh...you got me by at least 11 years. I know many a gent that pack in the exact fashion you describe and I have no issue with that. Checking hub temp is always a good thing to do as well.

[david craft]

lemme back up for a moment...Russell's description is the way hand packing has been taught for decades..even the way I was shown. It is the accepted way and most practiced. I apologise if it sounded as if I took issue with it..

[Russell E Johnson]

David, I didn't take any offense or think you were taking an issue with it, there are different ways to pack wheel bearings and all of them seem to work.  I just never saw the need to purchase a wheel bearing packing unit for the grease gun for 2-6 wheel bearings.  I suppose that over the years there would have been repayment for the time I spent hand packing bearings, but I find it a relaxing and restful time during the whole process.  Something about getting my hands full of grease that makes me feel good.  LOL

[david craft]

um...things forgotten...I always put a smear of grease on the seal surface before install. I always fill the void in the hub from race to race. Imagine a straight edge from race to race. Every thing beyond that in the hub away from the spindle. Just a dollop on the finger and around she goes. I'll save brake adjustment for another day.