Repack the Bearings myself -or- leave it to a Pro?

[CharlesinGA]

With Alloy wheels (or any for that matter) the torque should be rechecked after the first 50 miles or so.

I snug the lugnuts with an inpact wrench but not very tight, then after its on the ground, I go around and torque them all at one time.

The studs are rather easily replaced. They are pressed in but not so tight as to be a problem. Dexter has their catalogs online and the stud numbers can be found once you know what axle weight you have.

Mistakes happen, glad to see it wasn't catastrophic. You could have paid someone to do the bearing repack, AND THE VERY SAME THING MAY HAVE HAPPENED. I don't put much faith in the work most shops do.

Charles

[IC2]

Simple one afternoon DIY job:
- jack (2 ton or better) and rigid jack stand(safety) Cribbed wood blocks work too

- lug wrench
- screwdriver (remove hub caps)
- wrench big enough for hub nut
- 4 seals (I buy via ebay or etrailer as they are usually the same as Dexter's over priced)

- pound can of grease - look at the Dexter site for their recommended NGLI #2 with lithium)

- roll of paper towels
- 4 pair of Harbor Freight nitrile gloves
- access to a torque wrench (borrow from neighbor or Auto Zone/ Advance Auto or similar) to adjust the bearings and reinstall the wheel lugs to spec. Read Dexter's bearing manual. good info for a newbie to RV bearings



A new trailer - I can attest to the fact that Dexter or LCI do NOT do a good job initially packing bearings. Virtually none in two new axles and a failed bearing on the current 5er from lack of grease when new.

[mistercee]

Yep, you are both right.....it is essentially a one afternoon job and the same could have happened paying a pro to do it. For me (near senior citizen) the point is that even though this is a fairly mundane task, you need to be focused and ensure you complete all phases of the project, from A-Z, on each wheel, prior to moving on to the next.

In retrospect, I got sidetracked changing out the magnet on one of the wheels and that was all it took to get me out of my rhythm, and caused me to miss the last step of ensuring the wheel was fully tightened/torqued to correct settings.

I think (for me at least) the resolution is to have check lists for all tasks, and not to move on to the next list until all boxes are checked off.

[propchef]

Originally Posted by rarebear.nm

Dexter axles should be inspected and repacked every 12,000 miles or 12 months which ever comes first. I make it a spring task.

If you do not pull the wheel and hub you do not know what the condition of the bearings are. A visual inspection is the only way to be sure. When reassembling I always use new inner seals. They are cheap enough. Dexter publishes a list of approved wheel bearing greases on their web site.

As for the job itself, I do pretty much like others as said above. I like to use two saw horses placed close enough that the hub rests on the two boards. Makes working on it easier for me. I would advise to NEVER use compressed air to blow out you bearings. Brake cleaner works well to remove old grease and the can's spray pressure will remove grease between the bearing rollers. Then just air dry a few minutes before repacking the bearing. I use the old grease in the hand method. Except I wear nitrile gloves. By changing gloves a few times in the process I can keep grease off places were it does not belong. With disk brakes the job is a little harder than drum brakes because you have to remove the calipers to pull the hub.

Besides having four new inner seals I also always have at least one full set of inner and outer bearings plus their raceways on hand in case I find a worn bearing in the process. Being the DIYer type I also carry a spare pair of bearing and inner seal at all times with all the tools to do a bearing job on the side of the road if I have to. Never have needed to, so far.

With disk brakes I also bleed the brake fluid at this time. It's easy enough since everything is already opened up.

With drum brakes you should be able to leave the wheel bolted on to the hub and pull the entire wheel and hub assembly at once. Depends on the weight and your strength. If you do remove the wheel from the hub first make sure you follow the manufacture's recommended process to re-torque your wheel nuts. On our 5th wheeler any time a wheel has been pulled I recheck the torque for the lug nuts after the first 5, 50 and 100 miles. Not uncommon to see a little nut movement after the 5 and 50 mile check. Another little task is when I have the wheel off I check the torque for all suspension related bolts and nuts, spring hangers and u-bolts, etc.

When we bought this trailer used the previous owner had just had a "profession" trailer shop replace the springs. While doing some service work under the trailer I found almost half of the spring's u-bolts to be only hand tight! I know there are many good RV shops out there, I trust my own work better.

Just curious, but unless you're having issues, like a leak or suspected air in the system, why bleed? Why not flush completely?

Brake fluid really should be replaced/flushed every 5 years if the brakes see heavy use but I've never seen it discussed on a TT forum. Has anyone with a hydrolic system done this? I do it on my cars faithfully.

We're still in the research phase, but the thing that strikes me about modern trailers is the use of suspension technology from the 1930's. Everyone RANTS endlessly about towing numbers but rarely is the TT suspension addressed as a cause for instability. It is. Crappy leaf springs, very little suspension travel, very poor or non-existent bushings, inadequate leaf spring hangers, etc. The wheel bearings are another example, seemingly barely meeting the requirements for the load they're carrying. Don't get me started on tires...

OP, I know you've said you're having a mechanic do it, but I would see if they'll allow you to take a look once they have everything apart so you'll have a better idea for next time. It really is not too hard. Jacking and stabilizing the TT is the hardest part.

[T12]

If you are not 100% sure you can do this by yourself, don't. If you do the job wrong you could end up risking your life and other people's lives. We are talking about brakes and bearings both are not to be taken lightly.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by Peterk56

Hi, I would greatly appreciate the advice and experience of the veterans and/or mechanically inclined.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Bearings are not that complicated. I did it for more 50 years, but old injuries forced me to retire from that task.

About 30 years ago I started using a "brearing packer", a cheap plastic tool that makes it easier to fill the bearing, I recommend them.

Check out one of the million online videos, watch several.

Surley you have a friend that will look over your shoulder on your first try.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

For me it usually comes down to time and math.

How much is someone else going to charge you to do it? How much would it cost you for the supplies? How long will it take you?

Which makes more sense to you? The time it will take you + the cost of supplies vs the price someone else will charge?

I totally agree however the unknown factor in the equation is the quality of the workmanship of those you hired.

[phil8656]

If it only takes a grease gun then you can definitely learn how to do it. The only issue is making the hose snap onto the zerk fitting. If it doesn't you will know. And reloading the cartridge. Both just take some trial and error and it's no biggy if you err. You don't even need an electric one since the pumping is the easiest part of the job.

And since plain jane manual grease guns don't cost much, if you decide you don't like it or don't want to do it, it's no big loss.

Go for it!


PS. It can be messy though. I keep my grease gun wrapped in rags and stowed in a plastic bag. I suggest you get the good blue paper towels for automotive use too

[Cat]

A high temperature non moly grease is best roller bearing especially for heavy loaded bearings. If you check with Dexter or buy their grease it is not moly, or any axle manufacturers.
Moly grease is excellent for pin and bushings. And yes it probably wont cause a problem but just use a good high temp synthetic non moly. Safe a travels

[dans1999f-53]

If you have a shop you can trust, use them

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by Down South

Easy to do.

That's how to add lube to them however to actually repack them you need to disassemble them to clean out the old grease. One thing that most people do not consider is grease compatibility as not all grease is compatible so mixing two incompatible grease formulations together can cause catastrophic bearing failure. If you do not know what the original grease from the factory was or if there is any chance that someone else already added an incompatible grease your best bet is to disassemble, thoroughly clean and fully repack the bearings recording not just the date and mileage but the brand and formulation of grease used. An electric grease gun is not needed nor is a grease packing tool either as hand packing works quite well. After repacking everything has to be installed and tightened correctly something which even the professionals appear to have some difficulty doing.

Here is a good tutorial by the editors of the Farm Journal on how to correctly re-pack a wheel bearing. I do this in a boat yard and many of the trailers that come in have these Dexter Easy-Lubes on them which honestly while better than nothing as the expression goes do not come close to doing a full and correct job of pushing out the dirty grease and replacing it with fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhL1uAp_WCw

After the bearings are repacked the inner seal should be discarded and replaced with a new one and then it all has to be snugged up correctly so that its not sloppy nor are they too snug.

[THenne1713]

I fail to understand 2,000-miles, but bearings is ALSO a BRAKE INSPECTION; old days, (1950-1980S) cars REQUIRED annual tune-up and brakes; bearings inspected / greased; TODAY Might be 30-50k miles for brakes/ bearings and tune-ups 100k? Is it now because of Chinese Bearings vs German, or just a gig to fill service bays at RV Dealers, or does axle MFR actually say different? I do not know, but makes no sense. WHAT does Axle MFR say on internet literature? Now I understand trailer electric brake is NOT automotive DISK BRAKE, but bearing? EDIT: Did find the DEXTER SERVICE MANUAL, IT IS 12-MONTHS, 12,000-MILES, NOT 2,000 FOR BRAKES/ BEARINGS, 3,000-miles to adjust brakes.

[R2millers]

Lots of good info above. I will check the lugs before a trip, drive for 15 -20 miles/minutes and check my hub temps.
I never add grease until my hubs warm up to help with flow and potentially, blowing out a seal.
Buy a IR temp gun to ensure consistency in hub temps.

[LargeMarge]

I re-pack my bearings myself.

But I never cook myself... [ sideways glance ]