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How often should you repack your trailer bearings? The axle manufacturers recommend that you repack your trailer bearings once annually or every 12,000 km. If you are over-do for trailer wheel bearing maintenance, we would be happy to help you.
How do you know when to repack trailer bearings?
Support the trailer with jack stands and then spin the wheel and listen to the trailer bearings. If the wheel spins freely and quietly, proceed with repacking the bearings. If you hear friction or a growling sound, you most likely have a bad bearing or spindle.
How often should you grease trailer hubs?
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 much does it cost to repack trailer bearings?
Trailers tend to be cheaper to repack professionally (think $100-$200), but don’t underestimate the power of the upsells a mechanic might try to give you. If you’re serious about cash, you can likely save a few bucks by repacking your bearings yourself.
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 bearings?
There’s no such thing as too much grease for bearings! You would not pack grease in the hub otherwise and not in the drum since the brakes would not be able to grab with grease in the hub. Grease caps, dust caps, and bearing protectors have to be installed right to avoid losing them.
How often should a bearing be greased?
To prevent corrosion, all bearings should receive grease and be rotated the first of every month. Turn the wheel by hand while greasing bearings. A clean 1/16″ bead of grease must appear on each side of each bearing.
How often should I grease my bearing buddies?
Every 3,000 to 3500 miles or annually, whichever comes first. Manufacturers recommend to remove old contaminated grease from the hub and repack with new grease instead of just adding more.
Can you put too much grease in a bearing?
When it comes to regreasing bearings, more is not always the better option and actually can be a costly mistake. 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.
How often should you grease utility trailer wheel bearings?
Proper lubrication helps maintain functionality and reliability of your trailer’s axle(s). Bearings should be lubricated approximately every 12 months or 12,000 miles unless otherwise specified by the axle manufacturer.
How long do travel trailer wheel bearings last?
If you happen to own a trailer that has a wheel bearing assembly that is factory sealed, then you will need to replace the whole assembly when any issue arises. The parts can be quite costly, but the best thing is they usually last up to 150,000 miles when the seal remains uncompromised.
How often should wheel bearings be replaced on a travel trailer?
If you have a large RV and travel regularly, you should do this every year or 10,000 miles. If you’re not taking your RV on extended trips and it’s smaller, you should do it every year or 2,000 miles.
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 long does bearing grease last?
For closed bearings – sealed or shielded – that contain the standard domestic grease (GJN), and that are still in their original, unbroken packaging, the recommended shelf life is five years.
How much play should be in a trailer wheel bearing?
Jack up the trailer and secure it on adequate capacity jack stands. 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.
What causes trailer wheel bearing failure?
Failure is usually caused by either lack of lubrication (which causes excessive heat), overloading (which causes lack of lubrication because of the excess weight), the axle nut is too tight (which, again, causes lack of lubrication) or the axle nut is too loose (which will allow for unnecessary movement causing bearing.
Are bearing buddies a good idea?
Bearing Buddies are a great way to keep grease in a trailer hub. I recommend them as long as you are aware that it’s very easy to put too much grease in a hub with these which will blow out the seal. They have no problem being used on longer road trips so the would work well for you.
How do you know when a Bearing Buddy is full?
The air pockets inside the hub cavity and Bearing Buddy® will work their way out past the piston (or blue ring) on the Bearing Buddy®. You should see the piston extend out or the blue ring past the front of the Bearing Buddy® when it’s properly filled.
Should you grease a 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.
