Trailer Bearings, Repacking

[VolFan]

Anyone have good advice/video/process for Repacking trailer bearings? I purchased a Harbor Freight trailer for my two Nu Nucanoes, and upon further Internet research, it is suggested that I clean and repack the hubs. Any advice on tools or process to make it easy would be much appreciated.

[slonezp]

Get a bearing packer and a seal puller. Shouldn't be more than $35 total and any auto parts store will carry them

[Bluebasser86]

Get a bearing packer and a seal puller. Shouldn't be more than $35 total and any auto parts store will carry them

You can do it without them, but your life will be so much easier with them. 

 

I've done mine on my older trailers a bunch of times but not sure of a good quality video about how to do it. 

[Way2slow]

I'm not going to make a video but I've been packing bearings for over 50 years and still don't use a packer. I bought one many years ago the just hooks to a grease gun, but never seem to use it. It only take a minute to put some grease in the palm of one hand, and press it through the bearing. Hold the bearing in one hand with your finger through the hole and the big side of the bearing facing down. You will notice the big side is a lot more open than the small side. Holding the bearing at about a 30 degree angle, start pressing a portion of the large side edge into the edge of the grease in your palm, pressing it fairly firmly against the skin. Taking small bites into the grease continue to do this until the grease comes though the slit in the small side of the bearing. Turn the whole thing on your finger a little more and do this again. Go all the way around the bearing until grease has come out of the slit all the way around it. Once you get the hang of it, it only takes a couple minutes per bearing.

If you are not running Bearing Buddies, don't put grease in the bearing cap. Put some in the hub between the rear seal and rear bearing and between the two bearings is all you want. Fill the cap up also and it can push the cap off when you start towing.

To tighten the bearings, run the nut all the way down and snug it against the bearing, you should be able to feel some friction on the wheel when you try to turn it. Then back the nut off slightly. If it has a castle nut, just to the next slot you can get the cotter pin through. If it had a retainer that goes over the nut, just back it off about 1/4 inch and keep moving the retainer around to different positions until the cotter pin will go through it. Spin the hub to make sure it turns freely. It's not going to spin freely because the grease prevents that, but it should turn very little friction.

[VolFan]

What's a good method/product for cleaning old grease out of the hub? Simple green?

[Way2slow]

A role of Bounty is nice to have nearby.  Wipe everything out with that first.  I like Bounty, over rags because when it gets full of grease, you toss it and get more.

 

Then use a spray can of brake cleaner for an auto parts store.  If you have an air compressor, mineral spirits is what I keep in my parts cleaner, it's not as rough on your hands as the brake cleaner is, but you pretty much need compressed air to blow them out using it.  A couple cans of Brake cleaner would be the go to, shad tree solution. 

 

Try to minimize getting brake cleaner on your hands, it will dry them out badly and can  make the skin crack.  Also, it will melt those disposable gloves in about a minute, so by a box if you plan to use them and change them often.