Bearings

[sentence]

I have an 01 Taos that I bought used. The gent who I bought it from said that the bearings had just been repacked. How long/far can I go until it's time to repack again?

[wavery]

I have an 01 Taos that I bought used. The gent who I bought it from said that the bearings had just been repacked. How long/far can I go until it's time to repack again?

Bearing failure can be very dangerous and the #1 enemy of bearings is lack of use.

If the trailer hasn't been moved for a while, I'd say, "Don't take a chance".

Some peoples definition of, "just been repacked" might be 18 months ago, after their last campout. In that case, I'd say, do them now so that you know what you have.

It's a good idea to move your trailer a a 1/2 wheel turn, every week or 2. If you do that, you can put off repacks for a long time. If you only move your trailer a couple times a year, I would say, repack every year.

[flyfisherman]

I have an 01 Taos that I bought used. The gent who I bought it from said that the bearings had just been repacked. How long/far can I go until it's time to repack again?

The usual maintenance schedule for the re-packing would be annually or every 12,000 miles.  If indeed the bearings were "just repacked" you ought to be good to go. As they use to say, that is the "$64,000 question".



Fly

[LimeJeeeep]

what about installing a greasable bearing caps?

[AustinBoston]

what about installing a greasable bearing caps?

My opinion is, don't.  

First, one of the things proper repacking does is to flush out debris that may have crept in.  If the whole hub has not been designed for this type of "regreasing" (it's not true repacking), then there is a chance that grit or other potentially damaging stuff is left behind.

Second, what wavery said about moving the wheels will still apply.  When an axle just sits, it squeezes the grease out of the contact points on the bearings.  In addition, water (which doesn't stand a chance in a frequently-used bearing), has a chance to accumulate and cause rust.  Repacking is the only way to detect this rust.

Third, when new grease is forced in, the old grease has to come out somewhere.  When it does, it usually will come out at the rear seal, which damages the seal and exposes the brakes to bearing grease, something to be strongly avoided.

Austin

[wavery]

what about installing a greasable bearing caps?

They are not a substitute for repacking.

As I stated before. The biggest enemy of trailer wheel bearings is a lack of use.

When you pack your bearings, you put in enough grease for 20,000-100,000 miles. Grease doesn't go bad (it just gets contaminated), doesn't get used up  and shouldn't leak out. If it does leak out, the solution is NOT pumping more in. It will only leak out again if you have a bad seal and all that grease is probably going on your brakes. In that case, the seals need to be replaced and the bearings carefully inspected for "Hot spots".

Greasable bearing caps may have some value on a boat trailer because you can completely fill the hub with grease and get all of the air pockets out so that water can't get in. They have little to no value on any other trailers IMO.

[LimeJeeeep]

I have an 01 Taos that I bought used. The gent who I bought it from said that the bearings had just been repacked. How long/far can I go until it's time to repack again?

sorry didn,t mean to hyjack the thread...thanks is there a tread referring to the tightening proceedures for a 95 fleetwood(coleman)laredo?

[wavery]

sorry didn,t mean to hyjack the thread...thanks is there a tread referring to the tightening proceedures for a 95 fleetwood(coleman)laredo?

You didn't hijack the thread. That was a valid question. Especially since they are marketed for that purpose.

http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/bearing1.html#wheel

Be sure to ALWAYS install a NEW cotter pin. Re-using the old one could result in loosing your wheel at highway speeds. Not a pleasant thought and it's worth the nickel that a new one will cost you.

[LimeJeeeep]

thanks for the info.this PUP doesn,t have brakes.

[AustinBoston]

sorry didn,t mean to hyjack the thread...thanks is there a tread referring to the tightening proceedures for a 95 fleetwood(coleman)laredo?

What I do is to go hand tight (but really, really hand tight - wrap a rag around the castle nut and have at it with both hands), then back off just until I can get the cotter pin through.  Like wavery, I always use a brand new cotter pin, it's just not worth the tiny savings.  Make sure to give the wheel a good spin, then make sure there is absolutely no play in the wheel.  Check for play again once the tire is on (and you have more leverage).  Once a gain, any play at all is a sign that somethin' ain't right there.

Austin

[wavery]

thanks for the info.this PUP doesn,t have brakes.

It doesn't matter if you have brakes or not. The "pre-loading" of the bearings is the same. We each have a little different method of doing it but end result is as AB said. Get rid of any play.

Look under "Pre-loading the bearings" in the link that I gave you above. That is one method.