Wheel Bearings ?

[Glenn Basore]

Hi all,

I repacked my wheel bearing on my 2006 Eclipse Performance trailer late  Sept (2012).

I'm about to make a 300 mile tow to Lake Havasu  in two weeks. I was thinking of just shooting some grease in them and heading down the road.

In  the back of my mind I'm think I should repack them again. I only had the boat out 4 time since I repacked the bearings. I have replace those small 10 inch tires with 14 inch tires 3 or 4 years ago an am not worried about the tires.

I jacked the trailer up an spun the wheels, the bearings seem smooth and no play.

I carry everything I need to make a repair on the trailer , extra wheel bearings, light bulbs , grease etc.

I've been a bit under the weather lately and just don't feel up to doing the work

Your thoughts?

Glenn B.

[brackish]

If by "just shoot some grease in there" you mean you have E Z lube spindles, yes that is exactly what I would do.  I repack mine once a year and I know some folks who never repack, only replenish grease through the EZ lube spindles.  Drive for a few miles, stop, get a cup of coffee and feel the hubs.  You should be able to keep your hands on them.  If so, all is well.

[Citroen/Dave]

Always grease and re-grease with exactly the same type of grease.   If you are unsure, clean and repack the bearings.  Why?

The detergent and chemicals in one grease product may attack another.  The common observation of a bearing failure is, "the bearing overheated. Look there is grease running out of the bearing".

What may have happened is that the reaction of one brand/type of grease with another will liquefy the mixture, giving that taletell "overheated signature".

Of course, an overtightened bearing or an overloaded bearing will heat up and fail, too.

[ribbed_rotting_rusting]

your up at Tahoe? no saltwater backups? you should be fine as long as you didn't bury them up to the hubs, and those larger wheels should have prevented that.
Have a fun and interesting trip    Mike

[Glenn Basore]

Mike,

I use a Chevy Tahoe to tow, I always sail in the ocean of Ventura Calif. and I completely submerge the trailer wheels when launching or retriving.

The bearings are completely cool by the time I have the boat riged and ready to launch.
Upon retrieving the boat I immediately go to the boat wash and hose everything down including the trailer and wheels.

Glenn B.

[ribbed_rotting_rusting]

Even with the salt water and burying them with your maintenance program of cleaning -- Well, I gotta go with Brackish on this, just push more grease in it.       If when you shoot more grease into the hubs and water comes out; repack time. If not and everything seems to be reacting the way it normally does there should be no problem. Worst case scenario is on the road repairs, and you have the supplies which is usually biggest headache for unexpected problems. Much more likely you won't have any problems. Best of Luck. Mike

[skip1930]

Back to wheel bearings again?

Bearing materials are hardened. The TWO factors in having them go bad are heat and corrosion.

The purpose of the grease, any kind of grease, is to get between the mating surfaces and 'float' and 'keep' the two mating surfaces 'separate' while under load.

If the grease fails to do this then we make heat. We need enough heat to liquefy the grease so it flows. But not too much heat that it runs away.

Corrosion in simple terms is when the two hardened metal surfaces give up their electrons in the presents of water resulting in pits. Grease displaces water.

Some hardened materials are surface hardened only, and pitting gets you into the softer subsurface metal. The bearing starts to go away over the years.
Other hardened materials are hardened clean through and pitting doesn't matter too much until clearances start to increase or she locks up.

These conditions indicates an improper and in frequent greasing schedule.

I just consider pits as pockets to hold more grease, keeping two surfaces from touching under load.

How good the bearing material is and good the grease is determines the lubricant schedule for bearings under load.

Side Bar: Down your ballistic vest and go to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.
There is an exhibit where you use a hand driven, positive displacement oil pressure pump with oil pressure gage, to make oil pressure in a oiling cup.
That allows you to turn a very heavy wheel weighing thousands of pounds on that bearing you just oiled up.

The wheel spins freely and quickly but without continually cranking the oil pump the pressure falls from a maximum of 20 lb. to about 3 lb.
At three pounds the oil has squirted out from between the two bearing surfaces and that wheel bumps to an abrupt halt.

It's so cool to play with oil pressure. If your good with the oil hand pump you can keep things flying at 3-1/2 lb.

My 1930 Ford Model 'A' with a positive displacement oil pump delivers 6 lb. pressure and 18 pints a minute at 1400 rpm. Less flow at less rpm.
At engine operating temperature the 18 pints at 1400 rpm remains but the pressure is zero which is fine as the oiling system is to collect oil in cast pockets in the block and then over flow, drip, and gravity return. This lubes, but more importantly cools the engine at speed. No soft poured babbit bearings are pressure fed.

skip.

[shamblin]

this may have been said but,  do i remember the idea that pumping grease into the hubs 1- right before each launch and 2- right after each launch with the grease gun was good protection?

[Glenn Basore]

I don't know about before launching, but certainly after pulling the boat out.

I ended up repacking my bearings last week, the port side were shot upon inspecting them. Very disappointed as they only had 600 miles on them.

Made my 300 mile trip without any problems, splashed my boat in fresh water, I don't think my trailer will know how to handle this fresh water after being dunked in salt water for so long!

Glenn B.
Ps having a good time here at Lake Havasu AZ.