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Repacking wheel bearings


GlennWest

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My previous DRV had Never Lube and my current Teton has standard wheel bearings. What is the general consensus on time intervals on repacking. I have read 12 months but that seems very excessive.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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If they are correctly done, I think that every two (2) years is about right. No more than 15,000 miles tho. I rarely use the built in zerts, unless it is getting close to the mileage limit. You have to be careful when greasing the zerts and know how much your grease gun gives on each squirt. You can really have a mess if you over grease. Love the elect over hydraulic brakes!

'08 Chebbie K3500; '07 Teton Sunrise Experience;
Native Texan/Transplanted Tarheel; Retired USMC

​LDO

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Are our axle bearings so crappy that they need servicing this often? My 60s cars with this type bearings, were good until next brake change, roughly 30/40k. We have less than 5k per axle.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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Our axle bearings and ones from Germany are pretty good, other imports you take your chances on. What came on your "American Made" suspension can be surprising, we had some springs on one rig from India that were "made" here by adding the little metal straps that keep them lined up as well as imported bearings on another that were iffy after the first few months.

 

Trailer bearings are usually pretty wimpy compared to trucks and they are subject to a lot of stress your truck won't see, scrubbing while backing around a tight corner on a concrete surface for example. That has cracked more than one bearing or even a poorly made wheel.

 

I used a good synthetic grease and did ours every-other year, about 20 - 30,000 miles for us depending on the years. I did pay attention to hub temps when travelling just in case something was getting a bit warm either from lube issues or damage.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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Guest ticat900

My previous DRV had Never Lube and my current Teton has standard wheel bearings. What is the general consensus on time intervals on repacking. I have read 12 months but that seems very excessive.

wheel bearing repacks on trailers depends on miles and size of tire and weight.Some trailer wheels spin faster than the tow vehicle because the tires are much smaller

using a time period is not the way to go in my opinion.If one only goes 3000 miles in one year there is no point in repacking them assuming they were not on a boat trailer and driven in out of water etc

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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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More often, maybe, but I was happy with my synthetic grease and every other year. The grease looked just fine when I pulled the wheels so I didn't see the need to do it more often or I would have.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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Stanley makes a good point. Every time I stop I go feel the hubs. Of course my TPMS already told me that all six were around the same level. Still, if a hub gets hot and the grease gets liquid and drools out, it's time to get in there and redo stuff. Also, if the nut on the bearing gets too loose over time there will be more heat development with the resulting leak out.

 

That said, the only time I saw it get that far was on a 15 year old flat bed I bought with NO maintenance done to it EVER.

 

I'll check the bearings/grease on the fiver probably at a 4 year/12000 mile interval. I put about 3000 miles a year on it.

Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/

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More often, maybe, but I was happy with my synthetic grease and every other year. The grease looked just fine when I pulled the wheels so I didn't see the need to do it more often or I would have.

And that is the benefit of DIY rather than hire the job done, you know what was done and how.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest ticat900

QUOTE:Also, if the nut on the bearing gets too loose over time there will be more heat development

 

there is no reason the nut on the bearing should get loose as long as the set is done properly at repack time as it has a lock pin

IF your bearing is so loose your getting increased heat your in a heap of trouble let me tell you

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For anyone who hasn't gotten one of these.....

image_18259.jpg

 

Just walk around the vehicle and you can check both hubs and tires temperature as you're walking by. Around $12 at Harbor Freight. About the size of a match book.

http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-pocket-thermometer-93983.html

 

 

F-250 SCREW 4X4 Gas, 5th NuWa Premier 35FKTG, Full Time, Engineer Ret.

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Just be sure the bearings are correctly tightened, check and check again. I made the mistake on my tow dolly to take someone else's word, ate up a tire before I caught it. A few minutes and they were correctly tightened, but a real pain and changing a tire to get home.

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I did some IR gun reading on Amazon and really liked the Flukes, no money for that kind of gear these days though so I kept reading and came across this one that sounds pretty good:

 

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

 

They have a big selection and if you limit your search to four plus star reviewed ones and toss in a price limit you get a reasonable number to look at and make your own choice. I stuck the one linked above on my wish list and will order it at some point.

 

Under $25:

 

http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_36_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Air+thermometer%2Cp_72%3A1248909011%2Cp_36%3A1253528011&keywords=ir+thermometer&ie=UTF8&qid=1420430941&rnid=1243644011

 

$25 to $50:

 

http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_36_1?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A228013%2Ck%3Air+thermometer%2Cp_72%3A1248909011%2Cp_36%3A1253529011&keywords=ir+thermometer&ie=UTF8&qid=1420430941&rnid=1243644011

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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