QA

Question: How Often Should You Grease Trailer Wheel Bearings

When Should You Grease Your Bearings With a larger travel trailer, you should grease your trailer wheel bearings every 10,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. If you have a smaller travel trailer, however, you’ll need to grease your wheel bearings every 2,000 miles.

How do I know if my trailer bearings need grease?

Keep your hand on the wheel and spin it. If you feel any motion that is not smooth, hear any noises, or if the wheel does not spin freely, the wheel bearing is defective or needs lubrication.

Can you over grease trailer wheel bearings?

Expert Reply: You just need to pack the bearings on hub and drum assembly # 8-276-5. There’s no such thing as too much grease for bearings! If it is an EZ lube hub with a grease zerk fitting at the end of the spindle you will know there is enough grease once it starts oozing out.

How long does trailer bearing grease last?

Standard tapered trailer wheel bearings are recommended to be re-packed with fresh bearing grease about every year or every 12,000 miles under normal use. In certain conditions this interval could be shorter, such as if you routinely tow the trailer under conditions of extreme heat or near its maximum load capacity.

Should I fill my trailer hub with grease?

1 and 2), pump a ring of grease into the entire circumference of the wheel hub and coat the hub cap inner wall. The housing should only be half full of grease. Too much grease causes churning and higher temperatures. Semi-fluid grease must be used with a vented hub cap.

How much play should trailer bearings have?

Check wheels for side-to-side looseness – There should be a very slight amount of play in the wheel, typically 1/8-inch or less. If the wheels are loose or spin with a wobble, the bearings must be serviced or replaced.

Should I grease my trailer ball?

You do not need to grease your trailer hitch ball. That is entirely up to you. However, greasing it is recommended. Greasing will help ensure that the trailer hitch ball keeps its structural integrity, and it will help prevent it from squeaking.

Can you put too much grease in wheel bearings?

Too much grease volume (overgreasing) in a bearing cavity will cause the rotating bearing elements to begin churning the grease, pushing it out of the way, resulting in energy loss and rising temperatures. This can result in accelerated wear of the rolling elements and then component failure.

Do wheel bearings need grease?

Not only should grease be packed into the bearing, but some grease should be applied to the housing and on the wheel end’s inside surfaces where the bearing sits. This will help prevent corrosion. The housing should also have some grease in the cavity surrounding the bearing, but it should not be filled.

Can you put too much grease in a bearing buddy?

Can Bearing Buddy Bearing Protectors Be Over-Filled with Too Much Grease It is possible to over-fill a hub that has a Bearing Buddy bearing protector such as #BB1781. The convenience of easy filling through the zerk fitting can often mean we can be tempted to keep adding more grease.

How often should I grease my trailer axles?

If your trailer’s axle(s) are equipped with a grease zerk on the ends, the bearings must be greased every six months or 6,000 miles to ensure functionality. To apply the grease, remove the rubber plug from the axle end and place the grease gun on the zerk. Pump grease until new grease begins to appear.

Do trailer hitch balls wear out?

Subject: RE: Should you replace your hitch ball periodically? Anything can break, but wearing out a ball is unlikely. The most important parts are the neck and the diameter of the ball. Just put a dab of grease on the ball before hitching and you’ll be fine.

How tight should a trailer hitch ball be?

A little bit of play is acceptable, the coupler should be tight enough that the coupler won’t come off the ball, but not so tight you can’t close the latch. I typically tighten the coupler up until I feel a slight resistance when closing the coupler latch, then I’ll back it off slightly from there.

How much grease should you put in a bearing?

FOR STARTERS, note that most sealed bearings come pre-greased from the factory with a 25%-35% grease fill. This is all the grease the bearings will ever need, because the relubrication interval (explained below) is longer than the expected life of the bearing.

What grease do you use for trailer wheel bearings?

LMX Red Grease A heavy-duty, premium grease rated for just about every application, including marine trailer-wheel bearings. It resists water well and sticks in place, so it’s excellent in outdoor applications, but it isn’t specially formulated for wheel bearings.

When should I grease my wheel bearings?

When Should You Grease Your Bearings With a larger travel trailer, you should grease your trailer wheel bearings every 10,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. If you have a smaller travel trailer, however, you’ll need to grease your wheel bearings every 2,000 miles.

What happens if you don’t grease wheel bearings?

The inside of the bearing race of the wheel hub was likewise HOT, dry and had metal stuck to it. THAT’S what happens if you don’t grease the wheel bearings. They run dry, get hot, literally weld their parts to the hub and spindle, and the wheel falls off.

How long does wheel bearing grease last?

Depending on the quality of the bearing, they normally last between 85,000 and 100,000 miles. Some premium bearings can be pushed to 150,000 miles.