Installing trailer bearings

If properly cared for, these towing components should help to keep your trailer rolling along smoothly. Just remember, one size does not fit all. Make sure you bring old parts to the garage or auto parts store to ensure you pick up some pieces you can use. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar.

Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. Towing Equipment. Towing Accessories. National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. Doll, Les. March 9, You need to pull it out so you can loosen the adjusting nut to remove the hub assembly. Unscrew the adjusting nut and remove the washers. The adjusting nut is the nut in the middle of the hub right under the dust cap that you removed.

Use an adjustable wrench to remove the adjusting nut and set it aside. Pull off the washer underneath the nut and set it aside as well. If you see this, you can pry it up using your flathead screwdriver to free the nut so you can loosen it.

Pull the hub assembly off the spindle shaft and place it on a flat surface. The hub assembly is the round metal part right behind the wheel that holds the wheel to the spindle shaft, which is the shaft under the trailer that spins the wheels. Pull the whole hub assembly carefully towards you until it slides completely off the spindle shaft, then set it face-up on a flat work surface.

You can also try using a mallet to gently tap the back of the hub assembly in a few different spots to knock it loose. Lift the outer bearing out of the hub. The outer bearing is the bearing in the middle of the hub that faces outwards towards the wheels, right underneath the adjusting nut and washer that you removed.

Slip your fingers in the middle of the outer bearing, lift it up and out, then set it aside. When you pull the bearing out, it will be the whole piece consisting of these 2 rings with little metal balls inside them. Set the hub on a pair of 2x4s. Put 2 2x4s on your flat work surface so there is a gap between them larger than the diameter of the bearings. Place the hub assembly face-up on the 2x4s so the inner bearing, which is the bearing facing towards the underside of the trailer, away from the wheels, is aligned with the gap between them.

This will allow you to knock it out. Use a hammer and punch to tap out the inner bearing. Place the tip of a punch inside the hub against the inner bearing. Tap the back end of the punch with a hammer to knock out the inner bearing and seal.

Work your way around the bearing until it falls out underneath the hub. Repeat the process for all the remaining wheels. Take off all the other wheels, 1 at a time, by loosening the lug nuts with your lug wrench, and set them aside.

Repeat the process for removing each hub assembly and all of the bearings. Part 2. Wipe off all the old lubricant from the spindle shaft and hub with a rag.

Use a spare rag to wipe off as much grease as you can from the outside of the spindle shaft. Do the same for the inside of the hub assembly. Clean the spindle shaft and hub assembly with kerosene or solvent.

Soak a clean rag in kerosene or grease solvent and wipe the spindle clean. Place the hub in a container and fill it with kerosene or solvent. Let it soak for a few minutes, then use a rag to wipe off the rest of the grease from inside the hub. If not, wipe them dry with a clean rag and let them completely air dry before applying new grease. Kerosene can cause skin irritation after prolonged contact with skin, so wear a pair of rubber gloves while cleaning to avoid this.

You will also need to dispose of dirty kerosene at a hazardous waste collection site. Apply a light coating of grease to the spindle shaft. Stick 2 of your fingers in a bit of new wheel bearing grease and scoop up a small dab of it. Wipe it all over the clean spindle shaft to lightly lubricate it. Pack the new bearings with wheel bearing grease. Remove your new bearings from their packaging. Fill the palm of your non-dominant hand with grease. Pack grease under the balls of the bearings by smashing and scraping the large side of the bearings against the grease in your palm to force it inside until you see grease coming out the small side.

If one bearing has a problem, it is best to replace both as it is an indicator that the time that has passed is the full life of that part according to the punishment they have gone through. If you have determined your wheel bearing to be good than this will be the next step you will take. Otherwise, get your self some new bearings and meet back up where you left off. Packing your bearings is a ritual some know very well. It can be very messy, but its simple. We are going to first talk about packing by hand.

With your bearing in one hand, gather a bunch of grease in your other. Now simply press the grease into the bearings and spin it until grease fills and overfills all cavities of the bearing.

Now if you have a bearing packer, this is a little cleaner. Just follow your instructions, fill your packer with grease, put your bearing on and press away.

W ith your new or still-good trailer wheel bearings clean and packed, reassemble your bearing sets in your hubs, set your bearings, and torque your lugs to your trailers proper specifications. Make sure your dust caps or bearing protectors are properly on as well.

It is a good habit to check your boat trailer bearings after your first drive and to make this first drive be a short one around the block as a test.

Preparing for a long tow is essential for the safety of you, your boat and boat trailer. Everything good is made better with maintenance. Boating can be a precious treasure to those that have pursued it. You know the joy that comes from the freedom of the water.

Your boat trailer wheel bearings may seem like a small insignificant part, but they can cause havoc if they do not function properly. Take the time to grease and replace your boat trailers wheel bearings whenever the time comes, and ensure that each and every trip to the lake or sea is filled with family, fun, and good times.

A faulty wheel bearing can be a costly tow, and leave you stranded in tough terrain. You never know when a simple oversight may be disastrous. Failure to check wheel bearings on a pre-owned boat have resulted in the complete locking of a wheel.

This at freeway speeds can be deadly. It may be useful in many cases, in fact, to stock up on spare wheel bearings. Keep them in the truck, and address the situation if it arises.