# October



## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

October is just around the corner. I'd rather do this job in the driveway than I-15.


I can scratch this one off the bucket list of offseason projects.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

No, no, no !!!! You get it done faster on the side of the freeway.  I grease all my trailer bearings in March. Love the piece of mind.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Hello Jerry, 

I have oil bath hubs on my boat trailer and love them.
The downside is if a leak ever happens damage occurs much quicker as the oil dissipates much quicker than grease.

I'm always impressed how well you take care of your 'stuff'.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

shaner said:


> Hello Jerry,
> 
> I have oil bath hubs on my boat trailer and love them.
> The downside is if a leak ever happens damage occurs much quicker as the oil dissipates much quicker than grease.
> ...


Agreed, Shane. I bought my "new" boat in late 2005, with an EZ Loader trailer under it with oil bath hubs. I have never touched them in 13 years, and trailer over 3000 miles/year. I also launch into salt water. I look at the fluid level each year and it hasn't changed. I almost feel guilty about it.;-)


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I checked my bearings today. Good thing I did too, because the left side was toast. When I pulled the bearings from the hub they fell apart in my hand. I was getting a high squeal noise from time to time on that side last season. I jacked that side up several times and spun the wheel to listen for bearing noise, but there wasn't any. I won't do that again, I'll just change bearings.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

To check the bearings when on the trailer jack up the wheel and grab the tire on the top and bottom and rock it back and forth to see how much movement you have one it. 

On a boat trailer I think that I would grease them at least once a month depending on how many times I uses it or the miles driven. On my 16' trailer that I use to haul play toys around they get repacked once a year. 

I don't want to be that guy sitting on the side of the road with the wheel jacked up trying to fix things when it is 100 degrees in the shade.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Fowlmouth said:


> I checked my bearings today. Good thing I did too, because the left side was toast. When I pulled the bearings from the hub they fell apart in my hand. I was getting a high squeal noise from time to time on that side last season. I jacked that side up several times and spun the wheel to listen for bearing noise, but there wasn't any. I won't do that again, I'll just change bearings.


I always have extra sets to have on hand. Just in case I find or have a problem. Especially seals. This year my bearing & races were fine and it was nice to have seals on hand.

I learned a great tip from rjefre to have greased bearings in a ziplock bag in the truck box.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

JerryH said:


> I learned a great tip from rjefre to have greased bearings in a ziplock bag in the truck box.


That's a great idea. I'm going to do that.

I got my hub put back together using an old set of bearings and seal. I hit every auto parts store in Tooele and none of them had the seals, but they all had the bearings. (I had to get the trailer out of my garage) I will tear it apart again and fix it right as soon as I get my new parts.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Henderson's around 18th so 3rd west SLC


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

hey i been in the parking lot fixing mine before. I will be having some one do mine since i have not done them much and i wont have time to do them my self right now. plus i need to get a spare tire bought as well.


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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Fowlmouth said:


> I checked my bearings today. Good thing I did too, because the left side was toast. When I pulled the bearings from the hub they fell apart in my hand. I was getting a high squeal noise from time to time on that side last season. I jacked that side up several times and spun the wheel to listen for bearing noise, but there wasn't any. I won't do that again, I'll just change bearings.


That's what mine looked like when I checked last summer. Needed a jaw puller just to get the bearing off the axel.

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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Just re did mine this weekend. How much drag should you have when spinning the wheels? One spins more freely than the other


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

quackaddict35 said:


> Just re did mine this weekend. How much drag should you have when spinning the wheels? One spins more freely than the other
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You shouldn't have any drag at all. Back the spindle nut off to the next spot where you can get the cotter pin in. Or take it for a short drive on the freeway and feel your hub to see how hot it is.


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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Fowlmouth said:


> You shouldn't have any drag at all. Back the spindle nut off to the next spot where you can get the cotter pin in. Or take it for a short drive on the freeway and feel your hub to see how hot it is.


That's what I'm thinking it might be actually, I did have to tighten the castle nut down a little more than the other one to get the cotter pin in, maybe the hub wasn't all the way pushed onto the axel. I'll pull the hub off tomorrow and check it out.

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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

You should tighten the nut to like 30 foot pounds while rotating the wheel. This will seat the bearings and races. Then loosen the nut and re tighten it finger tight without spinning the wheel). If the cotter won’t go through, slightly tighten the nut till it will go in the first slot.


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

JerryH said:


> October is just around the corner. I'd rather do this job in the driveway than I-15.
> 
> I can scratch this one off the bucket list of offseason projects.


I learned a very expensive lesson last year about boat trailer bearings. I had to replace the axle on my small duck hunting boat trailer because both spindles wear shot and I almost lost a wheel on a trip to the marsh. On the very good advice from TJ Trailers, I now know that the best time to repack bearings is at the very end of the season and BEFORE you store it until next season. Do not store a boat trailer without repacking so that you are not storing it with moisture in the bearings which will prematurely destroy the bearings and spindles from the inside out. You've been warned! :smile:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

dubob said:


> I learned a very expensive lesson last year about boat trailer bearings. I had to replace the axle on my small duck hunting boat trailer because both spindles wear shot and I almost lost a wheel on a trip to the marsh. On the very good advice from TJ Trailers, I now know that the best time to repack bearings is at the very end of the season and BEFORE you store it until next season. Do not store a boat trailer without repacking so that you are not storing it with moisture in the bearings which will prematurely destroy the bearings and spindles from the inside out. You've been warned! :smile:


As you can see in the pic there wasn't a problem.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

utahbigbull said:


> You should tighten the nut to like 30 foot pounds while rotating the wheel. This will seat the bearings and races. Then loosen the nut and re tighten it finger tight without spinning the wheel). If the cotter won't go through, slightly tighten the nut till it will go in the first slot.


What if you do exactly what you said but, when you spin the wheel it catches when it slows down real slow? Better to go loose than tight? That's how mine went the other day, one way was too tight and the other way was almost too loose but probably not I'm thinking. When I went more loose the wheel stopped dead on its own but when I went one too tight the wheel caught itself towards the end of the spin so, I put it on the looser side..

( I know looser ain't a word)


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