Do cool wheel bearings indicate that everything is fine with your wheel bearings

[Jason]

Hi Everyone,

I have a trailer with bearings that came from the previous owner.  I don't know when they were changed last but they run cool even over long distances, is just checking the temperature sufficient precaution, and if the temp stays OK does that mean that other action, such as new bearings, is not needed?

Thanks

Jason

[Mattlikesbikes]

I would pull the wheels off and at the least check them and probably either replace or repack the bearings.  Grease is cheap and new bearings are cheap and it will give you piece of mind. You really cannot tell the condition of them unless you pull the wheels pop out the bearings and give them the once over. They could be running cool now but be right at the tipping point. you just never know

[brackish]

I agree with Matt.  If they are running cool and you have no excess play i.e. the castle nut is tensioned properly, you are probably fine.  However, with regard to corrosion, the first thing that seems to be affected is the roller cage and they can be holding fine but if they have cracks they would fail quickly and catastrophically.  A quick inspection and repack would verify they are fine and you would know the age and condition of the grease. 

[mattman]

I never run bearings I didn't pack. Every boat I have bought (8 used) had some bearing problems even if it was just the back seal that was worn. I repack each fall so I am ready in the spring and water doesn't sit in the bearing during winter. Also, I think a decent trip from the lake, maybe a half hour may drive moisture from the bearing after a launch and retrieval extending life but that is just intuition with nothing to back it up. If I was making only a couple of mile trips or drysailing at the marina I would pull them more often.  Not a big fan of bearing buddies either, overfill and you blow the seal on the when the grease gets hot. I think the chances of overfilling with a dust cover is less. Best of luck. 

[MacGyver]

etrailer.com has great free videos about repacking bearings and such.

Check them out. They are a small outfit out of Missouri (I think St Charles) and great company to deal with, very knowledgable people. I order from them all the time, especially good for me because things come next day with regular shipping since I am not far away.

Mac

[Cats Paw]

etrailer.com has great free videos about repacking bearings and such.

Check them out. They are a small outfit out of Missouri (I think St Charles) and great company to deal with, very knowledgable people. I order from them all the time, especially good for me because things come next day with regular shipping since I am not far away.

Mac

I checked out etrailer. Good info. Thanks for sharing.

[skip1930]

Heat is only a perception.

Some heat is necessary to flow the grease. Without flow the lube doesn't work.
Since the human hand can only handle 160 degrees F. max ... at that temperature your 'perception' of hot is really not hot. That's a black car in full California beach sun.

Note the inner bearing carries the load. Not the outer bearing.
As long as the 'liquefied' lubricant stays in, on, and around the hardened moving bearing parts, I don't worry about it.

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[skip1930]

Hold the control key down and tap the + key to enlarge the print for easier reading.

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[Citroen/Dave]

Just a quick repeat of another related post.

I had two new bearings installed as a safeguard on my '86 Hutch trailer after an Ohio purchase. The trailer did fine on the trip to Virginia.  Just over cautious, I re-did what the previous owner had done in preparation for my purchase.  I had new bearing installed.  After a road test of my new bearings, one side felt noticeably hotter than the other.  My trailer mechanic re-packed three times, replaced with a new inner and outer bearing, and swapped port and starboard bearings.  Still, the starboard side bearings ran hotter, not too hot, just hotter. He finally found the problem after he test spun that tire at the completion of his last rebuild.  The Bearing Buddy  has a mark suggesting how for to drive it in.  By driving it about a quarter of an inch left to the mark, the Bearing Buddy no longer applied pressure to the bearing.  Moral of the story: always lift the completed axel off the ground and give the wheel a test spin to prove the Bearing Buddy is not driven in too far.  Of course, we all test bearings by giving the wheel a spin, just be sure you follow that test with another spin test after installing a Bearing Buddy.

Citroen/Dave

[skip1930]

Correct. C.D.

The ONLY way to tighten the spindle nut against the tab-in-a-slot flat washer is to spin the rim/tire assembly while tightening the nut.
Too tight and you'll feel the drag.
Back it off till the drag goes away.
Retighten before the drag comes back and use new cotter pin in the serrated cover used over the nut.

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[skip1930]

Correct. C.D.

The ONLY way to tighten the spindle nut against the tab-in-a-slot flat washer is to spin the rim/tire assembly while tightening the nut.
Too tight and you'll feel the drag.
Back it off till the drag goes away.
Retighten before the drag comes back and use new cotter pin in the serrated cover used over the nut.

I find it interesting that EVERY important nut used on Henry Ford's Model 'T' and 'A' utilized a cotter pin. Over 20,000,000 of them.

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[kickingbug1]

 ah come on mike that old model a stuff is cool----or was back in the day

[Jason]

Hi, and thank you all very much for the feedback.  I will pull the bearings and inspect in spring.  Seems everyone has a fun bearing story......my first bearing job resulted in my Volkswagen having 3 wheels rather than 4 while going down I-94 in milwaukee.   Thanks again, bearing inspection upcoming for me in spring.

JT

[rogerschwake]

I repack my wheel bearings every year. Backing the trailer in the water there is a chance some water could get in the hub, that's not good. Its much simpler to work on the bearings at home in the driveway than on the side of the road.

[Citroen/Dave]

Jason,

I used to drive my DS Citroens on three wheels for gas money.  I always won the bet . . .

Citroen/Dave