Wheel Bearing Repacking - 101

[Dave]

There have been a few questions about repacking wheel bearings so I thought I’d highlight the basic steps that I use. Feel free to throw in other hints, even corrections, as well.

Repacking wheel bearings is pretty easy, inexpensive, takes about an hour to do but, it could get messy. Have plenty of rags available.

First, loosen the lug nuts on the wheel you’ll be working on. Breaking free the lug nuts with a hand wrench, while the tire is off the ground, is very difficult to do. Now, jack up that side of the trailer so the wheel is off the ground. Make sure the trailer is supported securely and completely remove the lug nuts and wheel.

Next, remove the bearing buddy or dust cap. Do this by lightly tapping on the outer edge, alternately all the way around the perimeter, using a rubber mallet. Using a metal hammer and wood block also works well.

Now, remove the cotter pin, axle nut and washer. The hub assembly can now slide off the axle. Remember to catch the outside bearing as you slide the hub off the axle. Wipe off and discard old grease. Next, remove the bearing seal on the backside of the hub. Damaging this seal while removing it is unavoidable. Plus, a new seal should be installed anyway and is less than $3. After the seal is removed, remove the inner bearing. Wipe clean all bearings and the inside of the hub of old grease.

Inspect the bearings, race (this is the part in the hub where the bearings ride in) and the axle. ALL parts should be knick and pit-free. If the bearings or race are pitted, buy new ones! If the axle is pitted, it should be polished down to remove any pits or gouges. Steel wool might work well for this.

Axle clean

Bearing race is free from pits and scratches. (I happen to knock out this race from the hub while tapping out the seal. Usually, the race will stay inside the hub)

Packing the bearings with grease the old fashioned way is easy but a little messy. Lay a glob of grease on the palm of one hand. With the bearing in the other hand, push the bottom side of the bearing into the outside edge of the pile of grease in the other hand. Think of it as slicing the pile of grease with the bottom edge of the bearing.

As you do this, new grease will be “packed” into the bearing and old grease will be pushed out of the top of the bearing. Continue packing new grease all the way around the bearing until you see new grease being forced out of the top of the bearing.

Old bearing grease being forced out the top of bearing while being "packed" with new grease.

Installing the inside bearing first, spread some grease onto the race and set the packed bearing in.

This photo shows an unpacked bearing for clarity. Pack the bearing first.

Next, align the new seal into the hub and gently tap it in, level with the hub.

The inside bearing is done. Proceed to pack the outer bearing the same way.

Slide the hub assembly onto the axle. Push some grease into the hub housing. Install the outer bearing, washer and axle nut.

Firmly, but not aggressively, torque the axle nut until the bearings “seat” into its race and new grease. Loosen the axle nut only until the cotter pin slot on the axle nut matches up with the cotter pin hole in the axle. The hub should spin somewhat freely now. Make sure you install the cotter pin to hold the axle nut in place. If you forget, the axle nut would loosen and the whole hub and wheel assembly might pass you on the freeway someday.

Reinstall the bearing buddy or dust cap by lightly tapping it into the hub.

Reinstall wheel and you should be good to go, on one side. Now, go do the other hub.

Cost

Two new seals – $4 to $5

Grease (Marine wheel bearing)– less than $3

Time ~ 1 hour

I hope this helps somebody

[amateurfishing]

awesome, awesome, thank you, thank you. sounds like a great idea to go to northern and get the prepacked package

[401TE]

Little tip to prevent someone else from having to go through what I did last summer...check your lug nuts after 20 miles, and probably once at 100 miles after you put the tires back on. Not that fun to see a tire pass you on the road when you're going 60mph!

[harvey lee]

Yes, one should always retighten them. Good to use a torque wrench also if you have one or access to one.

[Rube]

Great idea on having a spare hub and bearings along for the trip, cheap insurance! The one thing I would add.

If you plan on using bearing buddies and a "marine" bearing grease, I would check the grease on a packaged set, to see if the bearings had been pre-packed with the "normal" thick and gooey grease. Bearing buddies do not like the thick and gooey.

[CHM]

One other thing for replaceing races, i take a used race grind it to fit the shaft so i can get it off then use that race to push the new race in the hub. works great when on the road driving them out in the mud. Jeff

Great tip! This is really a good idea. I ground a little off the outside of my two old races and used them to pound in the new races. They are really a tight fit and you can ruin everything without the right tools. The ground-down races worked great. Just make sure they slide in and out easily before you hammer on one to pound in the new race.

[Coon]

I had some time at work the other day and brought my hubs in with new races seals,and bearings and proceeded to do my "government" job there. Got this special just what I thought I needed grease out of the tool crib. After it was all said and done I found out it was plain ol multi purpose grease. Hows this going to work out ??

[Wanderer]

I ground a little off the outside of my two old races and used them to pound in the new races. They are really a tight fit and you can ruin everything without the right tools. The ground-down races worked great. Just make sure they slide in and out easily before you hammer on one to pound in the new race.

I've replaced plenty of bearings in my day and always dreaded seating new races. I read through this thread and the above tip is the biggest time saver I've ever come across. I did just as described above instead of tapping the race in with a punch. It worked fantastic! I used a large socket for the driver.

[Jeremy airjer W]

For about $50 you can get a bearing race driver.

[Wanderer]

I spose I could.

Just been doing it with a punch for so long it was routine. Taking a few minutes on the bench grinder to turn junk into something usable was a tool time atta boy though. Plus it gave more value to my 36mm hub socket that I hopefully only had to use once.

[uffdapete]

Was snooping around different topics and thought of one thing to add here.

As a DNR fish tech, every fall we repack 7 boat trailers. Every one that's been in the water from a 2 year old trailer to a 30 year old trailer had water in the hub no matter how many times the trailer had been in the water. There is no visible water in the hub, but light gray grease that indicates bearing grease mixed with water and churned at highway speeds. That provided enough motivation to do my own boat trailer annually.

And don't let a bearing buddy give you a false sense of security. The trailers with those were no different than those without.

[vikingmeatwad]

Great posts here, I finally am getting around to replacing bearing sets on my 3 trailers. I wish the pics worked though.

[Juan Grande]

For those of us who are less mechanically inclined, can anyone recommend a marine repair place that will do this for a reasonable price? I called Rapid Sports, but they want $180-200 to do it.  

[Pat K]

5 minutes ago, Juan Grande said:

For those of us who are less mechanically inclined, can anyone recommend a marine repair place that will do this for a reasonable price? I called Rapid Sports, but they want $180-200 to do it.  

It doesn't have to be a marine repair shop. The shop I take my vehicles to did my single axle liquid lube bearings for $145. last fall.

[Juan Grande]

So an auto shop would do it?

[Pat K]

6 hours ago, Juan Grande said:

So an auto shop would do it?

Yup