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How often should boat trailer bearings be replaced?
Many trailer manufacturers recommend this maintenance every year if your trailer gets normal use, or at least every 20,000 miles.
How much does it cost to replace wheel bearings on a boat trailer?
Some Class A RV owners have stated that it cost anything from $300 to $500 to replace the bearings. Depending on how much you use your trailer and how many miles you get on it, you can wait till about 20,000 miles before your wheel bearing has to be repacked.
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 you know when to replace trailer bearings?
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.
Why do boat trailer bearings fail?
A potential cause for bearing failure is the castle nuts being over tightened. Castle nuts should be just slightly more than hand tight. If too tight this will put excessive pressure on the bearings and could lead to premature failure. I suggest an inspection of the tires on the affected wheels.
What happens when trailer bearings fail?
Improper maintenance of your wheel bearings isn’t just a risk to yourself; not properly servicing your wheel bearings can compromise the safety of the passengers in the tow vehicle and those that share the road with you. Failure to maintain axle bearings can cause your wheels to fall off while the trailer is in motion.
How long do boat trailer bearings last?
It is hard to say a specific number when talking about boat trailer bearings. Some experts give them a life span of 85,000 to 100,000 miles.
Can you over grease trailer wheel bearings?
They keep grease packed into the hub. munchy wrote: More grease is never the right answer. Overgreasing can actually cause the rollers/balls to slide over the bearing surface rather than roll over them.
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 much are bearing buddies?
Bearing Buddy Stainless Steel Bearing Protectors (1.980″ Diameter) with Auto Check With Bras – Pair List Price: $36.99 Details You Save: $5.50 (15%).
How often should you repack trailer bearings?
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 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 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.
Should you grease wheel bearings?
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.
How tight should boat trailer bearings be?
Correct Torque Rating for a Trailer Wheel Spindle Nut The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug, with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off slightly, about maybe a 1/8 of a turn.
How do you know when your 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.
How often do you need to grease boat trailer bearings?
The most effective way to keep your rig rolling is vigilance. How often to grease boat trailer bearings? Keep the bearings greased and take them apart and service them at least once per year.
What causes trailer bearings to go bad?
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.
How warm should boat trailer hubs get?
About 130-140 is too hot to touch and anything above that probably too hot for a wheel bearing. Compare it to your hot water temp at home. If you can’t touch the wheel then I would consider them too hot… warm to the touch is OK.
