Servicing Trailer Bearings
Servicing trailer bearings is an important part of owning a Trailer. Annual servicing can save lots of wheel problems in the future.
Its a relatively easy job you can do yourself.
This DIY job takes about an hour and save yourself a big repair bill and the grief of being stranded on a busy road.
It will take around 1-2 hours and ir fairly inexpensive to buy the bearings.
The job needs the following tools.
- Axle Stands or bricks.
- A jack
- A strong large flat ended screwdriver.
- A hammer
- Set of Nose Pliers.
- Brake cleaner
- Paraffin
- Clean Newspapaer
- Wrench
- Flat ended Screwdriver or chisel
First job is to loosen the nuts from the wheel before jacking the trailer up, just loosen don’t completely remove.
Jack the trailer up and support using the bricks or preferably axle stands.
Begin removing the nuts followed by the wheel.
Carefully Remove the dust cap loose with a large screwdriver by prying it free.( see Video)
Find the cotter pin and straighten the ends so it can be pulled free with the nose pliars.
Remove the cottor pin completely and place in a clean organised place like a bowl so you don’t lose it.
Once the cottor pin is removed the retaining nut and washer should pull of then pull the hub off the spindle. The Front bearings should also come out with the hub so be ready for this and place them on the clean paper to avoid contamination.
The rear bearing will usually need force to remove it. A common way is using a block of wood and hammer. (see videos) If the seal is rusted to the back of the hub spray WD-40 on the back to loosen. If the seal gets damaged you can replace relatively inexpensively.
Remove any grease from the components using paraffin in a bowl or container. .
6. Push the grease into the bearings, working from the wide side of the bearing. Keep pushing the grease into the roller until the cage and rollers are filled. Next coat the inside of the hub with grease. Tap the seal back onto the rear of the hub with a block of wood and hammer, and install the hub and bearings back on the spindle.
7. Thread the nut back onto the spindle and turn it clockwise. Spin the hub a few times as you tighten to make sure the bearings are seating properly. Tighten the nut firmly. Now back the nut off about an eighth of a turn until the hole in the spindle aligns with a space in the nut. Push in a new cotter pin and bend the ends of the pin to keep it from working its way out. Tap the dust cap back into place. Coat the lug threads with anti-seize compound, reinstall the wheel and tighten the lug nuts. Do the same for each wheel.
