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Old 11-17-2003, 06:33 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally posted by john hd
i was told by an old railroader that knows alot more about machinery than me, was this:

"if you can keep your hand on it without discomfort it is not to hot!"

all depends on your pain threshold!

john

Spit on it, if it spits back, you are in trouble!
The disc brakes on the larger trailers tend to run with higher temps than the drum brake equipped units, but the "spit test" would still hold.
"normal" temp would be 150 degrees or less, the less, the better, of course. Anything over boiling temp of water is deep in the danger zone.
Just a little "old school" rule of thumb with wheel bearings.
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Old 11-17-2003, 10:01 PM   #22
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142 degrees - you can count five seconds and really prefer to remove your fingers but wouldn't absolutely have to (taking into full account that fingers are less sensitive).

150-160 degrees - you don't last five seconds and you couldn't leave 'em on there if you wanted to.

This does not work with less tough areas of the body, back of the hand, etc. So touch it quickly with your fingers; if you think it's cool enough try the five second test.
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Old 11-18-2003, 07:03 AM   #23
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I have one of those infrared thermometers too. I have seen a low of 105, to a high of 140. The higher temp hubs are the front ones with the new brake plates. I think the higher hub temps are due to the larger magnets and newer brake shoes.
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Old 11-18-2003, 09:22 AM   #24
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I would sugest that the load of an RV (Boat trailer, travel trailer) trailer does not fluctuate as much as a car or truck. So the running gear can be designed to be at near max limit. So the stresses (based on design) are greater. -- Compare that to your daily driver that you drive to work. It's only you and the vehicle. Then on the weekend or ocassionally you would max out the load with passengers or luggage or a big load. An automobile engine rarely operates at max load.

Different uses, command different maintence.

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Old 12-25-2003, 09:15 PM   #25
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Repack wheel bearings

I repack front wheel bearings of my vehicles each time there is a need to turn rotors or replace them. It is so simple on my wife's Astrovan that I do it anytime I replace brake pads. While I can't see repacking bearing on my Airstream each year unless I was putting 10,000 miles on them, I did replace bearings after towing the trailer 4,500 miles over several years when there was indication they needed to be changed (slight change in the color across the race). I would think that every several years would be sufficient if you were not traveling that much and did not enter high standing water. On the other hand, the more you grease them it means that you have inspected them properly and that is good preventive maintenance.
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Old 12-25-2003, 09:25 PM   #26
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John Irwin

I read somewhere, maybe it was in the service manual of my Airstream or one of my vehicles, that you should be careful about filling the entire cavity with grease. There was something about needing an airspace so that heat was not transmitted through the grease which would expand and push the rear seal out. I use to think that the more the better but I understand in this case it is not. A number of posts seem to indicate higher temperatures when "packing her full".
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Old 12-25-2003, 09:54 PM   #27
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Re: John Irwin

Quote:
Originally posted by davidz71
I read somewhere, maybe it was in the service manual of my Airstream or one of my vehicles, that you should be careful about filling the entire cavity with grease. There was something about needing an airspace so that heat was not transmitted through the grease which would expand and push the rear seal out. I use to think that the more the better but I understand in this case it is not. A number of posts seem to indicate higher temperatures when "packing her full".
I was referring to my former TrailManor which had the grease fittings in the axle end and was intended to be greased by pumping new grease in until the old grease ran out around the zerk fitting. In that sort of axle, the cavity is intended to totally fill with grease. The rear seal would never fail because the end of the axle was sealed only by a very thin rubber plug that could easily be plucked out with my fingers; no pressure could be developed in the cavity becasue the plug would simply bulge out and ultimately pop out.

I was only commenting that as the cavity filled, the axle ran progressively hotter. never the kind of heat that accompanies a failing bearing, but more heat than I liked to feel. It would make detecting a failing bearing y feel a lot more difficult.

I also know that heat equals friction and I was paying for the privelege of not repacking in the usuual way by paying for more gasoline.
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Old 12-25-2003, 10:15 PM   #28
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I guess this is why I see the "Bearing Buddy" advertised for boat trailers. The zerk is sticking out of the relacement hub and you grease the heck out of it to make sure no water is trapped inside the hub. I understood about your post on the Trail Manor and its zerk fitting but was curious where the fitting was located.
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Old 12-25-2003, 10:45 PM   #29
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The zerk sticks right out the center of the axle. From there, an internal passage comes out between the rear bearing and the seal. Grease is forced through the rear bearing, fills the hub, and then forces through the front bearing. You are supposed to rotate the wheel slowly while greasing. Any excess grease spills out around the axle end. The rubber cap is donut shaped so that the zerk is exposed.

It took about a year before grease started to spill out the end. After that, the hub was filled and ran pretty hot.

I can't find a mention of this grease arrangement on the current Dexter web pages. I wonder whether they have abandoned the idea. I, for one, didn't find it very practical because of the ehat build up.
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Old 12-26-2003, 07:06 AM   #30
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dexter

john

here is a diagram.

looks like dexter has come out with some interesting items including disc brakes!

http://www.dexteraxle.com/home

john
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Old 04-07-2004, 06:04 AM   #31
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I'm detailing here the procedure I use with an infra-red thermometer after a bearing re-pack or brake adjustment, in case it's of interest to any other members.
The bearing temperature is normally about 10 degrees above ambient temperature if the brakes have not been applied. However, I am usually concerned with checking to see if there is any marked difference in one wheel. After a brake and bearing overhaul, I tow the trailer a few miles on a quiet road, and aim not to use the trailer brakes at all. I stop and check that the bearings are all the same low temperature. Knowing that all is well with the bearings, I then continue driving, and apply the trailer brakes firmly, perhaps five times. I then check the temperatures of the drums, through the holes in the wheels. Typically, they will be about 180 degrees, and one or two will be 210 or 150. I then go up one notch on the cool wheel, and down one notch on the hot wheel, and check again. One notch tends to equate to a change of about 20 degrees. When they are all within 10 to 15 degrees, I leave it at that. I do these minor adjustments without jacking up the trailer. 15 seconds with a bent screwdriver in a parking lot is quite sufficient. In this way, I know I have even braking on the trailer. A couple of months ago I saw a 34 ft A/S come into a Wal-Mart parking lot. The driver checked the wheel temperatures by hand. He was happy with what he found. I asked if he would like me to check with the infra-red thermometer. When I did, I found 5 wheels at about 180, and the middle one on the kerbside to be 230. He decided to come down 3 clicks on that wheel, and walked across to Radioshack to invest $29 in the tool. I also use it on the tires, as well as the bearings, brakes and tires on the tow truck. The readouts are instant, and digital, and a walk round at each stop takes less than a minute. It makes sense to me. Nick.
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Old 04-07-2004, 07:38 PM   #32
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All this talk about repacking bearing & now I'm wondering what make of grease to use. My A/S manual calls for a type 2, which for a non-mechanic, means what? I'm thinking of using Mobil One, which is a type 2 synthetic grease. Anyone used this ?
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Old 04-07-2004, 08:38 PM   #33
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I used Amsoil NLGI #2 synthetic grease when I did mine a year ago.
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Old 04-07-2004, 10:46 PM   #34
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Type two grease

Mr. Turbo,

The first generation grease is a straight petrolum based lubes.

Second generation has solid additives contained in the grease like graphite, moly disulfide, PTFE (Teflon). It is best to stick with the same additive package of grease each time as to not mix greases. In a repack usually this is not an issue cause everything is cleaned out. (Bearings, hub and spindle) If you have a bearing cap that grease is just pumped in from time to time,(most common on boat trailers) then mixing grease could be an issue.

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Old 04-08-2004, 08:14 PM   #35
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Repacking bearings, AND replacing the grease seals at that time, is smart preventive maintenance.

It is suggested to do that every 10,000 miles or once a year, which ever comes first.

To reuse any grease seal, usually winds up in false economy and well being, since they certainly won't fail in a persons driveway.

We sell many axles to owners who reused the grease seals, and thought they were OK. Only to find out, the seal leaked quickly, allowing the bearings to seize and in turn destroying the spindle.

Now the real truth comes to the surface. They saved how much?

A new axle is not cheap, and normally on a tandem tailer, unless the trailer is fairly new, both axles should be replaced.

Take into consideration that cost, the cost of being trapped someplace you might not really want to be, the additional living expenses, the destroyed trip or vacation, the loss of income if your still working, and guys, having to listen to an upset mama until you can get back on the road.

Seems to us, the cost of grease seals is peanuts compared to the risks involved.

Contrary to some, grease seals wear. They do not have an unlimited life.

Be smart, be wise. Change the seals. You will never regret doing so.

Don't change them and you might regret it for many years to come. You bank account won't like it either, seriously.

Andy
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Old 04-09-2004, 06:47 AM   #36
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Once a year?

I've always repacked trailer bearings on a fairly routine basis - with due regard for how I have been using the trailer. The 2000 Airstream in my signature has less than 600 PO miles on it and, aside from that, just the miles from Jackson Center to Massachusetts. The procedure I'm questioning is the "annual repacking," as a matter of routine, when the trailer has only seen light usage in the year in question. I've frequently observed, when maintaining my previous trailers that, if my usage had been light, the bearings really did not need annual attention. Now, with respect to my current Airstream, I will repack the bearings and replace the seals (--always replace the seals!) before we start travelling with the trailer. This is because this trailer is new to me and I want to establish a baseline for maintenance. Subsequently, I simply wonder if the suggested "annual" routine - as an alternate guideline - is really necessary? It does force an annual inspection of brakes, and the like, but again, how much inspection is really needed with light usage? I do like the "warm fuzzy feeling" that everything is OK - but this is a half-day procedure that I can do without as a matter of "routine!"
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Old 04-09-2004, 08:18 AM   #37
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Cracker,

I have found that much to my surprise, the wheel bearings probably do need to be repacked every 10-12,000 miles. Having never repacked auto wheel bearings nor had any consequences of it after as much as 100,000 + miles on a car gave me a false sense of security. My experience with a 8200# GVW (and using all of it) 31' Sovereign, has been find the bearings almost dry and some were worn excessively after two periods of 10,000+ miles of towing on several long trips. Bearings were repacked in all cases by a regular RV dealer shop. Not me. The only thing I can attribute this to is the weight of the unit/wheel size combination. We are getting a new unit, now, and the dealer says that he even repacks the bearings on the new trailers just to make sure they are done right.
That's my 2 cents worth, hope it helps.

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Old 04-09-2004, 08:56 AM   #38
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Repacking bearings

Wflorencejr:

I didn't mean to forego repacking based on mileage. If I put even 3,000 miles on my trailer in a year I would probably be repacking annually. My comment was specifically in regard to repacking bearings using the "annual" guidelines as an alternate to mileage, i.e. "---whichever comes first." I just don't believe grease deteriorates when the trailer is sitting.
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Old 04-09-2004, 09:01 AM   #39
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Repacking the trailer bearings has a far removed reason than cars do.

We use our cars usually daily.

We use our trailers seldom. There is the real problem.

Water, moisture if you wish, can and does gather within the bearing area.
Using our cars on a daily basis, removes that moisture, only for it to slightly return again as the bearings cool.

However, since we use our trailers not very often, that moisture stays, and can cause rust on the bearings as well as the races.

Bearing failure is the major cause of destroying a spindle.

How can we assure ourselves that the trailer bearings did not rust?

Easy. Back to the first statement. Pack them once a year, regardless, or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Again, we sell many axles to people that have seized bearings. The cause? Moisture on the bearings that resulted in rust, and/or reusing grease seals.

The bottom line is simple. We all depend on that running gear to get us there and back. We can live with all the other failures that can happen to the trailer and it's equipment.

BUT, we cannot live with a failed bearing. It causes more problems that most owners can imagine.

Safety is the other issue. A locked up wheel can contribute to a loss of control accident.

Therefore, why take the chance? The possible negative results from taking that chance, is simply not worth it.

Ask someone who has been stranded. Ask a motorhome owner that has a tag axle, how it feels to be stranded. Oh yes, the tag axles are the same as the basic trailer axle. It must not be ignored, as it has the same bearings as the trailer, as well as having the same electric brakes as the trailer. And besides that, a replacement tag axle, will put a major dent in most pocket books. Airstreams price for a complete tag axle is over $3000.00, and yes, plus freight and labor.

How many motorhome owners even bother to have the tag axle checked? Very very few. How sad, when PM is so simple and inexpensive.

Andy
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Old 04-09-2004, 09:03 AM   #40
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off topic barge: hey Cracker, I see you are in Maine...are you planning on attending any of the upcoming NE unit rallies this year? there's a couple in southern Maine...

(your profile wouldn't allow me to pm you...)
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