My boat trailer has “bearing buddies.” Those are little ends over the wheel hubs with alamites into which grease can be applied. I have read that, in spite of having those, the bearings needed to be repacked every now and then.
I hooked the tongue of the trailer to my truck, Jacked up each side and put jack stands underneath. I removed the bearing buddies by slightly hitting them on the sides with a hammer. Then, it became a messy job, requiring lots of paper towels. The old grease had to be wiped out, but I was surprised at how good everything looked inside; so good, I quickly began to wish I had left it alone. But, since I had gone that far, I decided to go ahead.
The wheel did not have to be removed, as if I were changing a tire. Once I got the end of the hub off, I was able to remove a cotter pin, unscrew the nut that held the bearings on, reach in and take out the outer bearing. That was made easier by pulling the wheel a little ways off the axle and then pushing it back.
After taking the wheel off the axle, it was necessary to lay the wheel flat down, over a paper towel, with the back side of it toward the floor, and drive out the inner bearing with the blunt side of a ratchet extension. Then, it was just a matter of wiping the grease out of the inside of the hub and off the bearings, before putting the bearings into a container of gasoline for a few minutes of soaking. Once I took the bearings out and laid them on a paper towel to air dry, I headed for the parts store to buy new grease seals that go behind the inner bearings. I also bought a container of wheel bearing grease.
Repacking the bearings was just a matter of putting some grease in the palm of my hand and forcing it into the bearing until I couldn’t get any more to go into the bearing. I put the inner bearing in first, which was the reverse order of removal, put more grease in behind it, then drove the grease seal in by laying it in place, then placing a block of wood over it and tapping it lightly until it was flush with the outer edge of the hub. I then put more grease in from the front side, but not so much that it would make a mess when I put the wheel back on the axle. Finally, I replaced the outer bearing and gently put the wheel back on the axle, followed by the washer, nut, cotter pin, and driving the bearing buddies back on using the block of wood.
I would have been okay if I hadn’t done it, but now I have the peace of mind knowing it’s okay, and I have the satisfaction of having done it myself and knowing it’s done right.
1 Comment
May 9, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Great article!
I think that I will change my wheel bearing myself now.