Trailer bearings and brakes

[phylodog]

Thanks Gents

 

[gunrunner0]

One of the best guys I've ever worked with, and I mean that in about every way possible, spent a few weeks in the burn unit after using gas to clean some turbo oil feed lines. Air compressor kicked on when he was blowing the gas out of the lines and ignited the atmosphere in his garage. Burned about 1/3 of his house down doing it too.

I like brake clean, outside, over a drain pan for stuff like this. That's assuming that I don't have access to a parts washer with water based cleaner in it (Simple Green works pretty well).

A Parts cleaner would be fine. Break clean is a no go unless you want to use about 10 cans per hub. Axle grease is tough to get rid of. Diesel is ideal. Knowing the dangers, I've used gas in the past because it's what was handy and I did it all outside and then air-dried the parts.

 

[maxwelhse]

A Parts cleaner would be fine. Break clean is a no go unless you want to use about 10 cans per hub. Axle grease is tough to get rid of. Diesel is ideal. Knowing the dangers, I've used gas in the past because it's what was handy and I did it all outside and then air-dried the parts.

Brake clean, a wire brush, and some rags has done all I needed it to in these circumstances. I didn't mean to imply that you should just hose stuff down with can after can of brake clean with no scrubbing. That doesn't work awesome with gas or diesel either (though I admit I've never tried just dumping a 5 gallon can of gas out on to an axle hub). You still have to work for it.

My main point is that I just don't like open buckets of gas hanging around, but that's me...

 

[long coat]

At work we wipe off the old grease and pump new grease in, forcing any old grease out.
We use one like this.
National Spencer Bearing Packer w/ Follower Plate for Use w/ 25-50 Lb Pail 333 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MUZVNDG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q6XECb3S2G800

I also have one like this for doing stuff away from work. GEARWRENCH 2775D Hand Bearing Packer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002NYDYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z6XECb82JGDHC

 

[Butch627]

There are plenty of vids out there on how to do it, packing the bearings by hand is surprising easy and efficient. In tech schools years ago one was taught to just use the necessary grease, the opposite of those who believe in packing the cavity full of grease. I am curious if anyone was taught to fill the entire cavity in a formal educational format or how the technique became widespread?

 

[maxwelhse]

I am curious if anyone was taught to fill the entire cavity in a formal educational format or how the technique became widespread?

FWIW, one of the first jobs Dad ever forced me out to the shop to do was clean (with gas!) wheel bearings and learn to pack them "right", by hand, on his '74 GMC 4x4. I was probably about 10 years old. We did not pack the hubs full of grease...

Dad was an ASE master certified Diesel and Allison transmission master tech at that time. So, my trade school was qualified and enforced its rules quite harshly. There was A+ work, and do it again work...

Soooo... I don't fill 'em to the gills.

 

[1911ly]

There are plenty of vids out there on how to do it, packing the bearings by hand is surprising easy and efficient. In tech schools years ago one was taught to just use the necessary grease, the opposite of those who believe in packing the cavity full of grease. I am curious if anyone was taught to fill the entire cavity in a formal educational format or how the technique became widespread?

My auto shop teacher taught us to put some grease in side between the bearings and fill the in side of the cap full.

And the grease in the palm off your hand trick. Scrape the bearing in your palm and work your way in a circle until the grease comes out side the other side. That was in the mid 70's and I have never had a bearing I installed fail.

 

[thunderchicken]

If you want to save money and time running around looking for parts go to Waymire, Paul's trailer, or Midwest Brake.

I would agree with this...But Midwest Brake wad sold a handful of years ago and is now called Fleet Pride but still in the dame locations

 

[JeepHammer]

We make alot of $ off of people putting to much grease in the hub. It will blow out the seal & we charge $90 an hour to clean the grease off the brakes or if it to bad, the shoes have to be replaced.
He is right about grease stopping crud and moisture, just don't go crazy.

Grease doesn't heat expand, can't blow the seal out on it's own.
I guess you could pump the seal out while pressure pumping grease in, but you would have to be pretty inexperienced for that.

A completely filled hub/bearing cavity is desirable, particularly in wet, high grit situations.
Mud is liquid sand paper... That's why 4x4 guys pump hubs full.

And again, I will point you to 'Bearing Buddy' and similar products that have been around for 50 years or more that keep the hub cavity not only full, but under spring pressed keep forcing grease into the cavity as small amounts escape past the bearings.

The issue with trailers is often humidity & sitting still. Bearings rust.
Keep them full and moist air doesn't get in, and surfaces stay coated in grease.
Even if a seal partly fails, the grease is your second line of defense,
If the hub is full, it's safe.

Timkin web site says specifically bearings are still US made, but seals can come from anywhere.
Notice I didn't say Timkin seals only...
Since the old grit guard seals aren't made anymore it's a crap shoot...

If you think you got a COUNTERFEIT, look for the Greek symbol at the end of the part number ON THE BEARING, and look it up on Timkin's website.
Keep in mind Timkin makes commerical aircraft bearings and their anti-counterfeit measures are the best I know about.
Part numbers have date codes,. It can be anticipated, but the Greek symbol means counterfeiters are always a step behind.

 

[long coat]

I know what bearing buddy are, the boss has often said we should have a 55gal drum full of them to give away, because we make so much $$ from them.

 

[Butch627]

Grease doesn't heat expand, can't blow the seal out on it's own.
I guess you could pump the seal out while pressure pumping grease in, but you would have to be pretty inexperienced for that.

A completely filled hub/bearing cavity is desirable, particularly in wet, high grit situations.
Mud is liquid sand paper... That's why 4x4 guys pump hubs full.

And again, I will point you to 'Bearing Buddy' and similar products that have been around for 50 years or more that keep the hub cavity not only full, but under spring pressed keep forcing grease into the cavity as small amounts escape past the bearings.

The issue with trailers is often humidity & sitting still. Bearings rust.
Keep them full and moist air doesn't get in, and surfaces stay coated in grease.
Even if a seal partly fails, the grease is your second line of defense,
If the hub is full, it's safe.

Timkin web site says specifically bearings are still US made, but seals can come from anywhere.
Notice I didn't say Timkin seals only...
Since the old grit guard seals aren't made anymore it's a crap shoot...

If you think you got a COUNTERFEIT, look for the Greek symbol at the end of the part number ON THE BEARING, and look it up on Timkin's website.
Keep in mind Timkin makes commerical aircraft bearings and their anti-counterfeit measures are the best I know about.
Part numbers have date codes,. It can be anticipated, but the Greek symbol means counterfeiters are always a step behind.

Can you please point to any accredited sources such as FAA, SAE, ASE, etc that state you should pack bearings as you say? The manufacturer of bearing buddys doesn't count

 

[Clay Pigeon]

View attachment 75247


The volume can be calculated with a simple equation (ref. SKF):

G = 0.114 x D x B

Where G = the amount of grease in ounces

D = the outside diameter of the bearing in inches

B = the bearing width in inches

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Information on having hubs and bearings packed full of grease can be found in the
Marine Corps Horse Pulled Caisoon Service Manual Dated 1882.


It's interesting that lubrication would be the second line of defense....

 

[Jeepfanatic]

Information on having hubs and bearings packed full of grease can be found in the
Marine Corps Horse Pulled Caisoon Service Manual Dated 1882.


It's interesting that lubrication would be the second line of defense....

I believe Marquis de Lafayette helped with this manual.

 

[JeepHammer]

Can you please point to any accredited sources such as FAA, SAE, ASE, etc that state you should pack bearings as you say? The manufacturer of bearing buddys doesn't count

Can't say I've ever seen it in an of my SAE stuff, for or against.
Keep in mind that before disposable everything, hubs often had grease zerks installed from the factory.
You know, back when you serviced your vehicles yourself...

I figured it out with farm equipment, full hubs kept dirt from packing into the hub forcing itself past the seals into the bearings.
Farm equipment drags in the dirt, so it simply scoops up more, and you often drag through mud.

With off-roaders, I got tired of repacking bearings every time I slopped through high water.
Hot hubs meet cold water, the air space inside contracts and sucks water right in.
Muddy water carries mud (common sense) and mud is liquid sand paper on the bearings.

It's not the price of the grease, repacking wheel bearings takes little grease, but it's pretty much an all day job unless you have a shop & shop tools.

Filling the hubs, simply drilling between wheel bearings and pumping grease in solves the issue of air space, no hot air, no contraction.
I off road regularly (user name: JeepHammer, I do a LOT of Jeeps), and I haven't had to repack wheel bearings in 5 years or more.
I do check them regularly, but I haven't had to repack.

With a trailer, I don't think you will be able to get all the air space out, but I would fill the hub up as much as I could.
The less air space left, the less moist air gets in, cools down & sheds it's moisture creating rust.
The is a issue with trailers that sit around, between that and tire rot it's the reason you see so many trailers broke down along side the road.

The China bearings are crap, crap and more crap.
Unless it has fill size tires/wheels on it, there are probably China bearings/seals and cheap grease in it.
I actually detailed a purchase of a cheap 'Utility' trailer that didn't make it 70 miles before the bearings failed in another thread...
Nothing quite like those China beer can bearings!

For me, it's always been cheaper in the long run to use Timkin bearings, Moog ball joints & tie rod ends, Spicer 'U' joints.
Off roading & racing are pretty hard on things, and those discount store 'Lifetime' components don't cover your time to replace them over & over again, and they don't cover what the failed part breaks when it fails.
When the spindle goes with the wheel bearing, they don't pay for the spindle.
When the 'U' joint fails they don't pay for what the yoke is attached to that gets taken out.

 

[thunderchicken]

We have a Haulmark race trailer that came with hubs that have a rubber cap. Remove the rubber cap and there is a grease zerk. The info that came with the trailer specifies to pump in grease until you get a sufficient amount of used old grease out. At the beginning of every season we pump in new grease and have never had a problem with a bearing.
I have no idea what brand hubs are on it though.

 

[long coat]

We have a Haulmark race trailer that came with hubs that have a rubber cap. Remove the rubber cap and there is a grease zerk. The info that came with the trailer specifies to pump in grease until you get a sufficient amount of used old grease out. At the beginning of every season we pump in new grease and have never had a problem with a bearing.
I have no idea what brand hubs are on it though.

It's called ez lube and probably a Dexter.

Dexter used to use a gray grease & there would be hardly any on the axles they put together. Whatever it was it was great. I would see trailers that were 5-10 years old that still had it in the hubs and the bearing were in great shape, now they use a red grease, it's still good, but I don't think it's as good as the gray stuff.

 

[JeepHammer]

We have a Haulmark race trailer that came with hubs that have a rubber cap. Remove the rubber cap and there is a grease zerk. The info that came with the trailer specifies to pump in grease until you get a sufficient amount of used old grease out. At the beginning of every season we pump in new grease and have never had a problem with a bearing.
I have no idea what brand hubs a... on it though.

But your can't get an old idea past people that haven't seen it and can't figure out how it works simply because it's new to them...

If you read SAE lubrication specifications (and trust me, it's as dry reading as a Korean phone book) you will find that high pressure grease used in most automotive applications have thinned out down through the past few decades...
One big issue is reducing rolling resistance to increase fuel economy.

It's called ez lube and probably a Dexter.

Dexter used to use a gray grease & there would be hardly any on the axles they put together. Whatever it was it was great. I would see trailers that were 5-10 years old that still had it in the hubs and the bearing were in great shape, now they use a red grease, it's still good, but I don't think it's as good as the gray stuff.

That was actual lithium 'Soap' lubricant, and I agree, it was LONG lived!
I bought a 40s/50s vintage 5 gallon bucket of it a few years back, only had a handful or two out of it, but was probably an open container for 50 years and still wasn't separated or hard.

Any old vehicle with manual steering you jump into, and the steering still works 5 decades later, that's because of lithium 'Soap' for lubrication.

The reason you can't hardly find it anymore is Lithium is toxic to the human body & environment.

Lithium has shot up in price because of 'Mobile Device' batteries, and to process lithium into the 'Safe' versions (less toxic) we have today, takes a lot of platinum for some chemical reaction... Or so I'm told everytime I I hunt some for steering boxes and machine gear boxes...
Seals seemed to live forever with that stuff coating them too.

The new bight white stuff just doesn't do the job the old 'Soap' does, but like brake linings with asbestos, I'm a lot more cautious when I come e I to contact with it.