LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I know I need to do ours. They say once a year. Just wondering how often everybody really does it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ImDownWithDisney 342 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I do a full teardown and inspection once a year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I do a full teardown and inspection once a year.I wish you were my neighbor. I'd let you do mine. I hate greasing stuff. Maybe because I always need to grease somthing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ImDownWithDisney 342 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Tell me about it. It seems like I'm always working on something. I don't take chances with my trailers or equipment, though. It makes for peace our mind on the road.I like to pull the bearings, clean them up with solvent, and hand spin to feel for roughness. I will replace the seals too. I give the drums and brakes a look while I'm in there. I then pack the bearings with new grease, torque the spindle nut to 50 ft lbs, spin the tire to seat the bearings, then loosen and retighten to finger tight. We had some failures before I started this routine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Bearings is one thing we haven't had fail yet while traveling. But I know it would be a pain on the side of the highway if they were to go out. We have a few months before we make any long hauls with the camper so I have time. Now my golf cart eats bearings up. But there sealed and you can't grease them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I don't understand this language. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Helmsey......Todd 134 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I do an annual check usually around the beginning of our camping season that includes bearings, brake check/adjust, and other preventative maintenance. I try to keep the running gear in tip top shape for the safety of my family and the other families on the road. I am also that guy in the campground that checks air pressure in the tires and has his torque wrench out checking lug nuts before hitting the road. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ftwildernessguy 778 Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Depends on how many miles I put on the trailer the previous season. I had the bearings repacked last summer and we cancelled our fort trip, so we should be good this season. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigdisneydaddy 9 Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 I checked the bearing preload on my 16 mo old trailer and ended up pulling the brakes to check them and the bearings. I found the seals blown out and grease all over the brakes rendering them just about useless. I think its been that way from the start since the brakes on the trailer have never been all that good, I just figured it was due to the 10,000# weight. 6 hrs worth of labor and 6 cans of brake clean and some time spent using the parts washer in the shop and my brakes are back to functioning. The trailer has been to FW twice (2200 mile round trip) and a couple times up north and to the factory in Indiana. It did need the bearing load adjusted but the bearings did not need a repack. I removed quite a bit of the excessive grease that was in the hubs. It appears someone power greased the axles before delivery and blew the seals out in the back. Other than that I only do mine every other year after the inital bearing adjustment. these types of bearings have been used for a very long time on cars and light trucks. Most bearings only get repacked at a brake change, we have a shop truck that is 17 yrs old with 80k on it and I have only packed the bearings once since new. I think that once the initial adjustement is made that every couple - 3 yrs is more than adequate. Of course if it make you sleep better then every year is the way to go.Happy travels Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 I checked the bearing preload on my 16 mo old trailer and ended up pulling the brakes to check them and the bearings. I found the seals blown out and grease all over the brakes rendering them just about useless. I think its been that way from the start since the brakes on the trailer have never been all that good, I just figured it was due to the 10,000# weight. 6 hrs worth of labor and 6 cans of brake clean and some time spent using the parts washer in the shop and my brakes are back to functioning. The trailer has been to FW twice (2200 mile round trip) and a couple times up north and to the factory in Indiana. It did need the bearing load adjusted but the bearings did not need a repack. I removed quite a bit of the excessive grease that was in the hubs. It appears someone power greased the axles before delivery and blew the seals out in the back. Other than that I only do mine every other year after the inital bearing adjustment. these types of bearings have been used for a very long time on cars and light trucks. Most bearings only get repacked at a brake change, we have a shop truck that is 17 yrs old with 80k on it and I have only packed the bearings once since new. I think that once the initial adjustement is made that every couple - 3 yrs is more than adequate. Of course if it make you sleep better then every year is the way to go.Haven't seen you post in a long time. Good to hear from you. We bought our camper new in 08 and I haven't touched ours that's why I know I need to check them we have put about 12,000 miles on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 596 Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Haven't seen you post in a long time. Good to hear from you. We bought our camper new in 08 and I haven't touched ours that's why I know I need to check them we have put about 12,000 miles on it.We got ours in 07.Though we don't have nearly as many miles as you. This is one of the things DH says needs to get done before we can take it out this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 We got ours in 07.Though we don't have nearly as many miles as you. This is one of the things DH says needs to get done before we can take it out this year.I will still pull ours local but I am not crossing the country to the Fort untill the bearings are checked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 For me..... never, but I have sealed bearings. I do have to grease my surge brake mechanism, but all that involves is a couple of squirts with the grease gun, and there is a check point for the actual brake drums, and I do that once a year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tigger 33 Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Probably not as often as I should but then again I can't remember the last time I repacked my MH or torqued the lugs on any of my vehicles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigdisneydaddy 9 Posted July 9, 2013 Report Share Posted July 9, 2013 I always use a torque wrench when reinstalling the wheels. I bought a 19.2 v Craftsman impact and it usually at 90lb but I always double check. The axles on my trailer are Dexter "EZ lube" they are supposed to not need to be taken apart to repack, supposedly the spindle is designed to direct the old grease back out through the end near the grease fitting. Its a great concept but fails in practice. An over greased bearing will also run hotter than a properly packed unit. So too much grease is almost as bad as not enough. If you need a manual for your axles, Dexter has every model on their website available for download. It always pays to have the model written down somewhere just in case of a breakdown, then you can look for parts or repair facility and shorten your down time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigdisneydaddy 9 Posted July 9, 2013 Report Share Posted July 9, 2013 Haven't seen you post in a long time. Good to hear from you. We bought our camper new in 08 and I haven't touched ours that's why I know I need to check them we have put about 12,000 miles on it.Other than the bearing nut preload I will bet that the bearings dont look that bad. Make sure you have a new set of seals and a chunk of wood to install them before you pull it apart. I always buy an extra seal "just in case" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
5stljayhawks 1 Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 I had a hub go out this past trip. Got to call out the folks at Tom Raper RV in IN. I believe Doug was the tech and Daryl was the service manager. I was in and out over 3 hours on a Monday morning. 1 hub replaced and 4 packed. I had help a friend RVers - as he pulled into the rest stop I informed him that his RV sounded like it was dragging a pipe. Like it was rolling a pipe over the ground. He whipped out his IR meter and did his hub and tires and mine. Said I had one hub a little warmer..... I gave him my hitch grease, hoping it would help out.... it's odd how Karma works... 3 hours later I pulled in and my hub was bad. Luck or karma not really sure but not going to question either.. around $300 for 4 hubs greased and 1 bearing replace.... I had my hubs done in 2011 at local shop. It's cheap insurance, especially if you are taking an extended trip and have not had them done in a while. ftwildernessguy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Barney Fife 0 Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 The computer in my Ford tracks my Cyclone's mileage. Right now, we're around 15,000 miles in 27 months. I always check the temps whenever we stop to see if anything's getting hotter than usual. Nothing so far. But I have a good friend who owns a local shop and we talked just this past weekend about having them replace my bearings. I expect to have them done soon and especially before we head to the Fort. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Well I did our bearings. Traded in the trailer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ImDownWithDisney 342 Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Well I did our bearings. Traded in the trailer.That's the way I used to put tires on my trucks.What did you get? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 That's the way I used to put tires on my trucks.What did you get?That's still my favorite way to put tires on a truck. Kz mxt 319 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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