Usually trailer stubs use tapered rollers to allow for a separate seal and adjustments
bwg11,
Oct 28, 6:35pm
I assumed you were using conventional bearing as you said you re-pack them. How do you re-pack double sealed bearings?
bwg11,
Oct 28, 6:37pm
But most motorcycle wheels which were being discussed use ball races.
paul861,
Oct 28, 8:22pm
its quite easy to flick the seals out without damaging them. I then clean them in petrol and repack with grease and push seals back in with my fingers
mrcat1,
Oct 29, 12:23am
I have 8 trailers, 2 are tandems with heavy gear on them, around the 3-3.5 tonne range, ALL my trailers have grease nipples in the hubs, I drill and tap ALL my trailer hubs and fit grease nipples, they are ALL pumped full of Moreys Bigfoot grease on a regular basis till it comes out the back seal, the testing station in Tauranga hates my wheels as they are covered in grease out of the bearings, I have replaced tyres on trailers because they have worn out but have NEVER replaced any wheel bearings. The story about wheel bearings over heating is a old wife's tale, I am travelling from Katikati to Cambridge over the Kaimais tomorrow following a transporter with one of the tandems and we wont be going slow and when I get there if I put my hand on the hubs they will be cooler than the tyres guaranteed, hubs are normally just warm and that's about it, the front hubs will be hotter because of the brakes, the back axle will be just warm.
gsimpson,
Nov 3, 9:41am
You contradict yourself by pointing out the excess comes out the back seal. If this didn't happen the bearings would overheat.
gmphil,
Nov 3, 10:04pm
suprised they give u a wof with grease on tyre
mrcat1,
Nov 4, 12:31am
Maybe you are contradicting yourself?
The whole inside of the hub is totally full of grease, about once a year I pull the cap off where the nut is and clean it out and then pump it full again. So by your reckoning it should over heat, they don't so as I said its a old wife's tale.
mrcat1 wrote:
But we are discussing wheel bearings on a trailer, and they don't overheat if they are pumped full of grease.
Yes they will if they are pumped solid with a grease gun and the grease cannot get pushed clear of the rolling elements. Better to just pack them by hand which leaves a few air gaps for the excess in the bearing to move into.
I said nothing about grease on the tyres, I said the wheels. The grease spins out of the seal and it goes over the inside of the wheels.
"the testing station in Tauranga hates my wheels as they are covered in grease out of the bearings, I have replaced tyres on trailers because they have worn out but have NEVER replaced any wheel bearings"
gsimpson,
Nov 4, 12:44am
Want to have another go at editing?
skiff1,
Nov 4, 3:19pm
Cat, put as much grease as you like. They are your bearings. It's a trailer and not the oxygen pump on the bloody international space station. Any power loss from the extra grease will be compensated for by not driving a Euro. Any churn wrecking the grease will be compensated for by the large volume of grease diluting any soap.
gamefisher,
Nov 4, 3:37pm
About time someone pointed out that quote "The story about wheel bearings over heating is a old wife's tale" that piece of BS sure does its rounds. There is sufficient water pressure to to push water into a hub through a minute opening even though it may be on a few centimeters under water.
gamefisher,
Nov 4, 3:44pm
Lithium soap based greases are high temperature greases so not needed in vehicle wheel bearings and have been superseded with more modern and better types plus some have rust inhibitors so suitable for boat trailer bearings.
mrcat1,
Nov 4, 5:32pm
If the hub is totally full of grease where is the water going to go? Maybe get in behind the seal if your lucky but with that much grease in there the next time its pumped full again it just spews out the back, I would suggest you go and have a look at the grease I use first, its the best you can buy.
Absolutely. Many years ago, we were required to temperature monitor the large bearings in pedestals supporting large alternator shafts after normal maintenance greasing. Quite surprising how the temperature rose for a few hours just from a few grease gun pumps.
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