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| I just had new tires put on my boat trailer. The ones on the trailer looked like new but were over 15 years old. I don't use it a lot, mostly put the boat in the spring, take out in fall, haul to dealer for annual. Rest of the time it is in storage garage. But knew it was risky even doing that much travel.
My question is when I had it in, I asked the dealer to check and re-pack the bearings. Same dealer did this on my utility trailer and I know they do it quite often. However, when I went back to get the trailer they said they didn't do the bearings. The trailer is an Eagle and has electric disc brakes. They said they only way they could see to do it was to take out the axle, something about the brake rotor being in the way.
Is it really that tough? When I take the boat in for it's annual winterization and check, I will talk to the dealer, but thought I would get some input. |
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | that sounds odd to me. |
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| sworrall - 10/13/2021 6:52 AM
that sounds odd to me.
That was my thought, but it was at Pomp's and it was an experienced tech. No indication the bearings are a problem but have heard so many horror stories about them going bad, just trying to be proactive. |
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Posts: 1675
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | Why wouldn’t they be like any front axle on a 2wd truck? Pull the caliper or loosen the shoes and pull the drum/disc? |
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Posts: 3469
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Agreed
Repacking bearings should be a yearly deal for the most part, just to ensure no water intrusion has taken place to pit the bearings etc.
Sounds like the dealer didn't want to hassle with taking two bolts out to remove the caliper. Easy process...
If you were in the twin cities, I'd say bring it to me... I'd do it for you...
Steve |
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| VMS - 10/19/2021 9:24 AM
Agreed
Repacking bearings should be a yearly deal for the most part, just to ensure no water intrusion has taken place to pit the bearings etc.
Sounds like the dealer didn't want to hassle with taking two bolts out to remove the caliper. Easy process...
If you were in the twin cities, I'd say bring it to me... I'd do it for you...
Steve
Thanks. I will be talking to the boat dealer where I get my motors serviced. I was surprised because the tire dealer is a very large dealer and even has a shop set aside for doing this kind of work, apart from the larger shop where they do tires. They have done my utility trailer bearings a couple times, no problem. Maybe they saw it was going to take much longer than what they quoted. |
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Posts: 426
| Why is it necessary to repack trailer bearings annually if there is no sign of water intrusion?. I'v run my bearings as long as 6 years with no problems ( I trailer about 5000 miles a year) as long as the grease was clean when I inspected them. If you inspect the inner seals with the boat off the trailer and remove any foreign object that can damage the seal from time to time a lot of problems can be eliminated. |
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Posts: 3469
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
I've taken hundreds of hubs apart over the years, and there always seems to be a few drops of water in the grease as the seal does not make the system a 100% sealed hub. Water can, and will find it's way into areas of lower pressure (gaps) within a system, and although the water may be minimal, it can wreak havoc on bearings where the water is able to contact it...in other words, pitting and rust....especially if that water has opportunity to sit for extended periods of time.
Repacking two hubs takes an hour if you have a bearing packer and are doing a thorough job. In my humble opinion, that is time well spent, as if one doesn't check things it leaves a bearing failure as a potential issue, and time wasted on the side of the road is not pleasant.
Years ago, car bearings were packed every 10,000 miles or so, so traveling 5000 miles a year on smaller tires than your tow vehicle, and not doing anything with the bearings for 6 years as you have stated, would be a trailer problem in my mind waiting to happen. Grease wears out just like oil...it loses it's lubricating abilities.
The first boat trailer I owned didn't have bearings repacked for quite some time. when I opened them up, the grease literally had to be broken out of some areas as it was completely dry and caked, while what remained just drained out like oil....it was a seized bearing set just waiting to happen.
Steve
Edited by VMS 11/24/2021 8:29 AM
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Posts: 426
| New trailers have a system where the center of the dust cap is a rubber plug. When the plug is removed on the Axel is a grease fitting that pushes the old grease out as the fresh grease is pumped in the old grease is pushed out through the hole created by the removal of the plug. There is no pressure on the seal like the old bearing buddy produced so the likely hood of seal failure is remote from the replacement grease. Before the rubber plug is reinserted I make sure the entire hub is filled to over flow before the plug reinserted into the dust cover. I do this several times a season and before storage. Maybe I'm just lucky and have had no problems. I don't know. If or when this system fails I'll start doing the repack deal again. Thanks for the response. |
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Posts: 408
Location: MN | ^ Yeah, I thought the idea of that type was you can essentially repack without taking the hub apart. I guess it is possible water finds its way into an area that is not effectively purged by the incoming grease flow. Is it really necessary to disassemble and repack that type of hub annually? |
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Posts: 426
| The only time I feel that there may be any gap in the hub is if I hear or feel the grease gun "burp". If that happens I will clear the grease out a second time to eliminate any air pocket where water may pool. Works great for me so far.....
Edited by 7ovr50 12/12/2021 4:21 PM
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