Why are getting wheel bearings correct so hard???

[DiscoKym]

Just checked over my daughters new hybrid camper and that little voice in the back of my head said "check the wheel bearings"

But I thought it was NEW and only done about 70 Km pick up Kilometers.

Well glad I did.... I found the bearings VERY tight and with bugger all grease in them. It's a pity as the bearings are good quality Japanese Toyo bearings.

So with a bit of grease and adjustment I now am not worried about the camper loosing a wheel in the near future.

Funny enough when I got my hybrid camper sent from Melbourne the bearings were too tight as well?????? Part of the delay was delivery service & check as they towed it over to Adelaide. Again a bearing adjustment and all is well now.

[weeds]

My guess it’s due to poor design I.e. castellated nut on nearly every trailer.....well the few I’ve look at. This set up gives little opportunity to get it right. Either two tight or two loose.

Oh and yes a bit light on grease

[DiscoKym]

The nuts were fine on this one. They adjusted up nicely..

They probably had zero play plus half turn tighter on the axle bearing nuts.

Felt like the brakes were dragging, but once the bearings were adjusted properly the wheels spun with just a light scraping from the brakes.

[donh54]

Just checked over my daughters new hybrid camper and that little voice in the back of my head said "check the wheel bearings"

But I thought it was NEW and only done about 70 Km pick up Kilometers.

Well glad I did.... I found the bearings VERY tight and with bugger all grease in them. It's a pity as the bearings are good quality Japanese Toyo bearings.

So with a bit of grease and adjustment I now am not worried about the camper loosing a wheel in the near future.

Funny enough when I got my hybrid camper sent from Melbourne the bearings were too tight as well?????? Part of the delay was delivery service & check as they towed it over to Adelaide. Again a bearing adjustment and all is well now.

Bloody poor (if any!) training for the factory workers. Mind you, I've seen some shockers done by supposedly qualified mechanics, too! Simply smearing a fingerful of grease on the bearing, throwing it together and doing up the nut as tight as you can. No clue about packing bearings - either by hand or with the fancy-pants tools they have for it nowadays!

After properly packing the bearings, I do the following:
1. Tighten up to a no-play point.
2. Spin the wheel a few times.
3. Hit the tyre/hub/disc with a rubber mallet. Repeat 1,2 and 3 if required, until there is no play after a spin/whack.
4. Back off the bearing until a little play is felt.
5. Tighten bearing to no-play point.
6. Fit split pin or lock tabs. ONLY make any adjustment to fit the tabs/pins by tightening further - NEVER by backing off.

Worked for me for about half a century [thumbsupbig]

[DiscoKym]

Bloody poor (if any!) training for the factory workers. Mind you, I've seen some shockers done by supposedly qualified mechanics, too! Simply smearing a fingerful of grease on the bearing, throwing it together and doing up the nut as tight as you can. No clue about packing bearings - either by hand or with the fancy-pants tools they have for it nowadays!

After properly packing the bearings, I do the following:
1. Tighten up to a no-play point.
2. Spin the wheel a few times.
3. Hit the tyre/hub/disc with a rubber mallet. Repeat 1,2 and 3 if required, until there is no play after a spin/whack.
4. Back off the bearing until a little play is felt.
5. Tighten bearing to no-play point.
6. Fit split pin or lock tabs. ONLY make any adjustment to fit the tabs/pins by tightening further - NEVER by backing off.

Worked for me for about half a century [thumbsupbig]

I've always used the Timken system.

After properly packing the bearings, I do the following:
1. Tighten up to a firm no-play point.
2. Spin the hub a few times.
3. Back off the bearing nut until a little play is felt.
4. Hand tighten the bearing nut to no-play point.
5. Back off till first gap in nut lines up with the split pin hole, Timken says up to 1/4 turn???
6. Fit split pin or lock tabs.
7. Check for a very small bit of play.

Worked for me for many years. Probably many good systems to do it.

[4bee]

Did my 2A bearings just like that years ago & have never had a squeak or problem with those. I think backing off the castellated nut just that little bit to align the notch & resisting the temptation to tighten it right up is way to go.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

" After properly packing the bearings "

2/3rds grease 1/3rd air.

seriously.

[wink11]

[Dorian]

I've always used the Timken system.

After properly packing the bearings, I do the following:
1. Tighten up to a firm no-play point.
2. Spin the hub a few times.
3. Back off the bearing nut until a little play is felt.
4. Hand tighten the bearing nut to no-play point.
5. Back off till first gap in nut lines up with the split pin hole, Timken says up to 1/4 turn???
6. Fit split pin or lock tabs.
7. Check for a very small bit of play.

Worked for me for many years. Probably many good systems to do it.

My memory of the "Timken" system was a bit different to yours, so I googled it , This is more like I remember, - http://www.timken.com/pdf/10420_Wheel%20Bearing%20Adjustment_Poster.pdf.
I don't have a good relationship with my torque wrench, so I use the method Donh54 uses.

Cheers Glen

[DiscoKym]

My memory of the "Timken" system was a bit different to yours, so I googled it , This is more like I remember, - http://www.timken.com/pdf/10420_Wheel%20Bearing%20Adjustment_Poster.pdf.
I don't have a good relationship with my torque wrench, so I use the method Donh54 uses.

Cheers Glen

WOW!!!! Install the inner spindle nut and torque to 300 ft-lbs. Do not back off the spindle nut.

I am talking about camper trailer bearings not semi trailer bearings. I'm not sure the wheels will turn with that torque???

I use the guide on the back of the Timken card the bearings come on.

[harro]

I hadn’t realised bearing replacement had got so complicated.

After cleaning and packing a bearing I tighten the nut till resistance spin the wheel a few times then back the nut off till no resistance usually it is about quarter of a turn and fit split pin.

Been installing them that way for 40 odd years and I have never had a wheel bearing failure although I do always carry spares.

Paul.

[Markf]

Before my wife and I went on our first trip with our old camper I figured a quick check of the wheel bearings was in order as well as a bit of work on the brakes to get them working properly.
The bearings had a nut and lock nut which was adjusted perfectly. Small problem though. The seals had been fitted incorrectly and all the grease was now on the brake shoes and drum. Now that could have been interesting coming down Mt Hotham to Harrietville...

Fast forward about three years and when we got our current camper home I decided to adjust the brakes so they'd work properly and figured a quick squint at the bearings wouldn't hurt while I was at it. Bearings far too tight, and negligible grease in them. The grease was guess where... Soaked into the brake shoes because the seals had been fitted incorrectly.....

[Dorian]

WOW!!!! Install the inner spindle nut and torque to 300 ft-lbs. Do not back off the spindle nut.

I am talking about camper trailer bearings not semi trailer bearings. I'm not sure the wheels will turn with that torque???

I use the guide on the back of the Timken card the bearings come on.

I read that you torqued them up to 68 N/m (Step 4) and then backed them off 1/4 turn for 12 and 16 TPI. (Step 5 and 6).
As I read it the 300ft/lbs was for the pre adjusted type, what ever they are.
I suppose my point is that on tapered roller bearings you need enough preload, which is why tightening the lock-nut to the nearest notch appeals to me.

Cheers Glen