Trailer axle bearings

[TheRabbit]

Ok guys go out and check your axle bearings and at least grease them. Don't tell I do it regularly because that's what I would have told you too. I had planned to check mine and adjust the trailer brakes this weekend. Well needless to say while I was pulling my trailer Friday morning an axle bearing went out. Not bad usually, but this time it messed up the spindle and yep, now I have to replace the axle. I was able to get the nut on to get home, but the threads are messed up really bad and I don't trust it.
1hr of good maintenance on the axles would have saved me a lot of $ and headache. I replaced all 4 complete hub and brake assemblies about 2 years ago so it's not like the bearing were very old.

The good news about it was only a few miles from the house on Friday morning, not 100+ miles from home at 2am.
I usually keep a complete hub assy. in the trailer just for a spare because you never know when it's gonna happen. I didn't have one yesterday, but like i mentioned got lucky I was close to home and several stores that had parts.

Anyway, get off your butts and check 'em!!!

[zipper06]

Been there and done that, didn't like it either.
So i put buddy hubs on both my inclosed and open trailer, that way even if i don't pull the wheels/hubs to look at them i can give them a shot of grease before goning on a trip.

Zip.

[TheYellaBrick]

Buddy hubs are fine IF you check 'em for slack as well. I make sure I replace ALL the bearings on ANY new or borrowed trailer with genuine Timkens. You'd be amazes at how many trailer manufacturers use CHEAP CHINESE bearings and races !
EVERY time I hook up, I do a walkaround and tire/wheel shake.

[fast75vega]

Buddy hubs are fine IF you check 'em for slack as well. I make sure I replace ALL the bearings on ANY new or borrowed trailer with genuine Timkens. You'd be amazes at how many trailer manufacturers use CHEAP CHINESE bearings and races !
EVERY time I hook up, I do a walkaround and tire/wheel shake.

yes sir..... timken bearings :D

[TheRabbit]

Yea Zip, this one has the easy lube axles too. This is the first time I've ever had a bearing fail and I've been pulling all kinds of trailers for 30 years. I pulled the axle out from under the trailer and gonna replace the entire axle. I could just replace the spindle, but this trailer has been pretty overloaded before I bought it and the axle has a pretty big flat spot in it which means it's bent a good bit. It's always worn the tires pretty bad on the very inside of the tread. I just hate to spend the money on an old trailer when I plan to retire it from the road and turn it into a storage trailer in a year or two. Saving my pennies (and playing the lottery every week :wink: ) for a 48'er with a living quarters.

[fast75vega]

we got a 22' kaufman tilt bed trailer at my work... that damn thing goes though bearing like no 2morrow..... cant tell ya how many times they lost complete wheel/drum right off the damn thing. the one time the tire rolled right past them going down the road and the one guy said to the other "hey ... look at that... some dumbass lost their wheel".... 20 mins later when they get where they were going... they realized just who the "dumbass's" really were..... lmao. now we only use timkin bearings