Trailer Bearing...

elarson5757

Well some of you may have seen my post the other day that after towing the boat a short distance I arrived home to hear grease boiling and steam/smoke coming off one side of the front axle on the trailer. 

I've worked on plenty of cars over the year but it looks like this "washer" has tabs and you bend one up into the slot on the nut instead of the old school cotter pin. 

Well the tab that WAS bent up into the nut was broken off and the nut was literally just finger tight on the axle. The spring was also out of the rear seal and grease was pushed out the back. Bearings are also very work but nothing scored or destroyed. 

Just st gotten get parts and reassemble...how tightly do you make these nuts upon reassembly!  Just until you can been the full tab up into an available slot?  How tight should you go to get to the next tab slot on the nut?

floater212

just like the old cars, tight enough to turn but not drag, I tried to get both tabs to bend just to make sure they don't loosen up. I've seen a guy use both tabs on a corner of the nut and spread them out to hit both sides of nut.

Robs_232

I am adding a link to Trailmaster trailer axle maintenance manual. It outlines wheel bearing tightening procedure.

http://www.trailmastertrailers.com/pdf/axis_manual.pdf

elarson5757

Robs_232 said:

I am adding a link to Trailmaster trailer axle maintenance manual. It outlines wheel bearing tightening procedure.

http://www.trailmastertrailers.com/pdf/axis_manual.pdf

Awesome..thank you @Robs_232

elarson5757

Any readily available recommendations on marine wheel bearing grease that comes both in a tub and in tubes for initial hand packing and future grease gun follow ups?

Robs_232

Most lithium based extreme pressure wheel bearing grease is ok. Best if it has moisture corrosion protection, either tub or cartridge. I use Mystic JT-6 EP marine grease. I can get it at local farm supply store in tub or cartridge.

Black_Diamond

Just an FYI: if the grease got that hot plus the bearing running loose: replace the bearing. Without a course on bearings here, I'll just say that bearing has damage you either cannot see or recognize. 

elarson5757

Black_Diamond said:

Just an FYI: if the grease got that hot plus the bearing running loose: replace the bearing. Without a course on bearings here, I'll just say that bearing has damage you either cannot see or recognize. 

Oh yes...The rear bearing actually is clearly bad. I'm in this so all four are getting new bearings, races, and seals.  Cheap insurance and I'm already into the job so no point in putting the originals back in.