Remove bearings from trailer hub

[Lucid]

I am working on repacking my trailer bearings. Couldn't get inside grease seal out without boogering up the inside bearing.

Tried removing the race and it won't come out. Any tips?

Thanks

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I have, upon occasion, grabbed an amount of bearing grease with my paw and "reached" it into the hub from the back side, (over the seal),
and pulled it into the inner bearing for a while until I think I have enuf in it to be affective. I used to do this when packing them for
the season/year/etc. I don't recommend this when you're in there to replace a failed outer bearing, due to the "junk" that may have
contaminated the good inner bearing, except maybe in an emergency. gm

 

[Stephen Newell]

They make a bearing puller just for that. If it were me if I removed the bearing I would put a new one back.

 

[rustred]

i dont know what i am missing here but when i remove the hub the brg and seal is in the hub. many times i just put the nut back on and slide
the hub off the axle and the nut acts like a slide hammer and the brg. and seal pops out. also on many there is a slot to punch the race out.
so dont know what the deal is with out a photo of this set up.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Some small hubs don't have the cut outs to get a punch on the edge of the race to knock it out.

If you can get it to move at all, once it moves, it must come out straight or the hub can be damaged, it will roll a ridge and be very difficult to remove or even destroy the hub.

If these are small hubs, sometimes it's easier to just buy replacement assemblies.

 

[Jim.ME]

If you are going to replace the race, run a bead of weld (I like to use 7018) around it center of it. As it cool the race will shrink and will generally fall out when it cools.

 

[Russ from MN]

For removing the outer races I like a piece of 3/4 black iron pipe about a foot long, no threads on it, and a 4 pound hammer, that has always
worked for me

 

[Lucid]

Would it be ok to leave old race in and use a new bearing? Got same bearings. And looks good.

 

[Lucid]

The old race looks good that is..

 

[Steve@Advance]

Yes, done it many times.

As long as the old race is not pitted or been hot, it will be fine.

 

[504]

That is how I have been doing it for 30 years.

 

[Dusty MI]

I tow a flat bed behind our mh. I use grease-able bearing caps like used on boat trailers.

 

[john in la]

[b:654c4848f0]I use grease-able bearing caps like used on boat trailers[/b:654c4848f0]

Those things are yesterdays news and not worth the trouble.

The new thing is Vortex hubs.
Come with a no touch 6 year 100,000 mile warranty.


https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2693/1348/products/Vortex_5_Lug_No_Spindle_4_028323cd-8cd3-4502-931d-e1832af7da24_870x622.jpg?
v=1594840558

 

[showcrop]

John, I can see how those vortex hubs would work very well. A friend who is in the trailer business told me once that they see a lot of trailer bearing failures due to over greasing. The pressure of too much grease can push the seal lip away from the axle. Then the trailer sits for a few weeks or more and the lip takes a "set". Then it is used and the grease works away from the seal but the seal doesn't tighten down on the axle. This little gap allows moisture in and then rust starts.

 

[Lucid]

Thanks for all the replies. Trailer was my dad's, now been mine for a good decade. Knew I haven't checked the grease, and needed to before a long haul coming up!

Going to leave the races in and just clean/repack for now. I do like the suggestion of using a black iron pipe to drive em out. Next time.

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 18:29:38 03/09/21) I tow a flat bed behind our mh. I use grease-able bearing caps like used on boat trailers.

With these caps, the bearing seals cannot have grease pushed/forced past them.

There is a spring loaded plate that when too much grease is pumped in the plate moves past a grove and then the grease bleeds threw that grove.

Dusty

 

[tractorguy2]

Weld a bead around the center of the race. It will fall out on
the floor. I do it all the time on Krause tillage equipment.

 

[SVcummins]

I just drill and tap the cap for a zerk and grease em

 

[caterpillar guy]

Screw the grease get oil bearing hubs and forget that grease packing nonsense. Been using oil in truck wheel bearings, for gazillions of miles with few problems. And those I would guess are more from bad oil seals. Stemco oil seals are the best hands down for durability with similar cost to all the cheap junk ones made.