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Old 11-15-2003, 07:29 AM   #1
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Question why repack the bearings

I was surprised to see that my son's a VolksWagen has the same TiMKEN bearings found on Airstreams...100000 miles & repacking is unheard of at VW. Even their trucks have these wheel bearings & they are not in a sealed housing, just like AS's.
So why do we repack

Hart
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Old 11-15-2003, 07:39 AM   #2
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Hopefully there will be audible and tactile feed on a vehicle-loose steering and grinding noise. Most likely you won't get any notice before failure on the trailer. A trailer also sits unused for months/years at a time which doesn't help bearings. Even though they can go that distance tearing them down to repack with fresh grease and an inspection are a very good idea.

John
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Old 11-15-2003, 11:51 AM   #3
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Thumbs up Another point..

Given the age of our group... lol

Seriously, If you'd seen this one poor guy who rolled into the Airstream factory with his TT severally damaged from a wheel bearing seizure..which in turn lead to his tire bursting and, then wrecking havoc to the wheel housing/outer skin ripped back..
Suffice to say, it costed him awhole lot more to repair that damage than what it would've been if he'd just had all the wheel bearings repacked. Heck, he could have even bought all new tires as well and, still been money ahead~!
Just my .02 worth..

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Old 11-15-2003, 02:21 PM   #4
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So why do we repack?


because, when your bearings quit turning all that holds your wheels on is a 1/8" cotter key!

grease is cheap, aluminum is not!

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Old 11-15-2003, 03:56 PM   #5
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1) Most trailers have tandem wheel setups. Just look at a trailer with tandem wheels making a sharp turn on pavement and you will be astonished at the force trying to pull the tires off the rims.
If that force can make the lug nuts to unscrew, and it can, it probably can destroy bearings, bearing runs and spindles. No such twisting of the wheels on your car while turning.

You do not need to repack per se, you need to INSPECT the bearings, bearing runs and spindles regularly on a tandem wheel arrangement because they work very hard. However inspected bearings will obviously need repacking.

2) You do not need to dismantle the axle bearings to inspect the brakes on a car while you do need to dismantle them to get access to the brakes on an A/S...again the repacking is a consequence of this inspection, not missing grease.
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Old 11-15-2003, 07:02 PM   #6
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All of the above reasons apply. If you do freeze your wheel bearings out on the highway you may not be able to tow your trailer to the shop? You might have to repair them right where they seized. Them huge tow rigs could drag it on to a flat trailer I guess.
Heck, save the trouble and repack em, other wise I'll wave as I go by.
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Old 11-15-2003, 07:29 PM   #7
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straight from the horses mouth...

click on "tech tips" on the linked page below.

just about anything you ever needed to know about bearings but were afraid to ask!

http://www.timken.com/products/bearings/

something in there about great bodily harm if you don't grease regularly....myth perhaps?

john
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Old 11-15-2003, 09:44 PM   #8
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Re: why repack the bearings

Quote:
Originally posted by qqq
I was surprised to see that my son's a VolksWagen has the same TiMKEN bearings found on Airstreams...100000 miles & repacking is unheard of at VW. Even their trucks have these wheel bearings & they are not in a sealed housing, just like AS's.
So why do we repack

Hart
Several reasons. First, the trailer sits for extended periods, on a grass or dirt surface, and moisture can get into the hub assembly, and cause rust, pitting, and other problems.

Second, after sitting for an extended period, some greases actually start to solidify, and won't do an adequate job of keeping the bearings lubricated. Both these things are also reasons why you change you oil in your car at 3 months or 3,000 miles, because of moisture contamination, and breakdown of the oil additives.
Most other reasons have been touched on by the other posts.


Terry
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Old 11-15-2003, 11:43 PM   #9
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OK, OK, but maybe I should reword my question:

Why don't VW or other trucks & VW or other cars, never ever are advised to repack the exact same bearings as AS's.
They too can sit idle for long periods, haul weight & drive much more miles than the average AS.
Who on this Forum repacks the bearings of his car or truck?

Timken's site states the obvious fact that bearings must be greased, but nowhere do they say it has to be done at regular intervals.

Hartmut
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Old 11-16-2003, 12:32 AM   #10
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Who on this Forum repacks the bearings of his car or truck?

hart,

i used to, until i got my last two trucks. they have sealed cartrige type bearings. run 'em until they self destruct. my '88 silverado made it to 220,000 miles before the driver's side front wheel bearing needed replacement.

about a 250 dollar part! even with my discount!

you have started a pretty good thread here, good discussion about the topic.

at my work all of our trailers have been converted to run gear oil in the wheel bearings. the hubs have clear plastic covers that allow easy verification of the amount of oil in the hub during a walk around. most of our medium duty trucks have this feature on non driven axles too.

i also have a car hauler that has dexter axles, with the grease zerk in the middle of the hub. nice feature, makes repacking easy. however, pumping the hub full of grease makes them run quite warm! almost hot to the touch! unlike my airstream.

the only thing other than the airstream that needs regular repacking is the harley.

john
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Old 11-16-2003, 12:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally posted by qqq
OK, OK, but maybe I should reword my question:

Why don't VW or other trucks & VW or other cars, never ever are advised to repack the exact same bearings as AS's.
They too can sit idle for long periods, haul weight & drive much more miles than the average AS.
Who on this Forum repacks the bearings of his car or truck?

Timken's site states the obvious fact that bearings must be greased, but nowhere do they say it has to be done at regular intervals.

Hartmut

Every time you do a brake job on a car or light truck, the wheel bearings are supposed to be repacked, if they are non-sealed. Usually that works out to between 30,000 and 45,000 miles, depending on driving conditions. It is part of the brake service package, and is listed on the customer's invoice where I work.
Terry
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Old 11-16-2003, 01:14 PM   #12
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Quote:
Who on this Forum repacks the bearings of his car or truck?
Me. I also change the lube/fluid in transmissions and drive axles, antifreeze, and flush the brakes. I rather do it at my convenience than deal with not doing it on the side of the road.

Do you change your oil at recommended intervals? Why would you think that it is less important to follow the other PM intervals. All are intended to keep the trailer/car operating as long as possible. The manufacturer is telling you that past this point you are taking a chance on damaging the vehicle if you don't follow our recommendations. During a pm the tech/owner also has the opportunity to do an inspection. You can blow some new grease through it and slap it back together or look at the inside of the tires, axle, bearing, race, brakes, wiring, shocks, etc. It really has to be an attitude of preventative maintenance and it does work if it is done right.

As far as Timken not recommending intervals, you already discovered that the same bearing is used in 2 different applications. Somewhere that same bearing is probably in a machine on a rocker shaft that will never make a complete revolution. It won't need the same maintenance as a wheel bearing so it is better to let the end manufacturer make that call.

John
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Old 11-16-2003, 01:27 PM   #13
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I remember from years ago when I used to repack the front wheels on my cars I always replaced the seal on the inside of the hub that kept the grease in and dirt out. I also remeber it was important not get the nut too tight so the bearings would over heat and the hub does not have to be filled with grease. How do we figure out the seal needed for the hub on our AS's? Perhaps the seal number is in my AS book.

Phil
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Old 11-16-2003, 02:10 PM   #14
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qqq,

I inspect my cars & trucks every 30,000 miles or so. Pull wheels, look at surface of needle bearings for breakdown/pitting, check seals for cracks or leakage through back, push new grease into bearings by hand, verify sufficient grease in hub?, tighten to point of resistance & back off slightly. I do my utility trailer the same.

My boat has spring loaded covers with fittings. I fill full with chassis lube ( no room for water) and has worked fine for years.

1987 Airstream purchased this year. Used the car & truck procedure. However, I plan to inspect every year. Wheels run a little warmer due to brake heat, cannot hear bearings grinding, load percentage is somewhat higher, cost of wheel well damage is higher, & not as far along in the learning curve as to adjusting four electric brakes to same drum clearance.

Only bearing problem I have every had is the boat prior to the spring loaded covers.
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Old 11-17-2003, 07:50 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally posted by john hd


i also have a car hauler that has dexter axles, with the grease zerk in the middle of the hub. nice feature, makes repacking easy. however, pumping the hub full of grease makes them run quite warm! almost hot to the touch! unlike my airstream.


john
I put a zerk in the front hubs of my tow vehicle. Dont know how much it helps, but it makes me feel better.
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Old 11-17-2003, 08:50 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally posted by john hd [i also have a car hauler that has dexter axles, with the grease zerk in the middle of the hub. nice feature, makes repacking easy. however, pumping the hub full of grease makes them run quite warm! almost hot to the touch! unlike my airstream.
john [/B]
My TrailManor had Dexter axles with the hubs that had zerks. It initially seemed like a real good idea, but I gradually changed my mind.

On my first trip the bearings ran completely cool to the touch. Before each trip, I would give each hub a few pumps of grease. By the time the hubs were full, I could barely lay my hand on them.

Gas mileage seemed to go down a bit as well due to all the friction of the grease packed hubs.
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Old 11-17-2003, 09:02 AM   #17
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Speaking of all things bearings, I got to try out one of those laser thermometer guns this weekend when I towed my 34' up to the hunting camp about 100 miles away.

An airconditioner repairman left it at my church by accident. I "borrowed" it and checked the temperature of my hubs on the way up. It is a really neat thing. You can accurately take the temps of 6 wheel in a matter of minutes.

I have not repacked my bearings since I bought the 34' a year and a half ago, so it did ease my mind knowing there was no trouble. It was about 75 degreese outside and the hups were only 3 to 4 degreese above that.

On this same trip exactly 1 year ago, I blew out a rear tire and it took out my grey water valve handle plus a lot of other damage. I now have 6 new tires.
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Old 11-17-2003, 09:25 AM   #18
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temp

What us the acceptable temperature range for bearings? I might pick up one of those temp gauges but I wouldn't know what's good or not so good.
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Old 11-17-2003, 10:04 AM   #19
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Re: temp

Quote:
Originally posted by Tin Hut
What us the acceptable temperature range for bearings? I might pick up one of those temp gauges but I wouldn't know what's good or not so good.
Good question. I really don't know. If it is really hot to the touch, it is probably hot enough to melt the grease.

I didn't have any idea what the temps would be, but as long as all wheels were close to each other in temp., and not "hot to the touch", I assumed everything was OK.

Also, 4 or 5 degrees above ambiant temp seems "cool" to me.


Can anyone on the forum answer this question?
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Old 11-17-2003, 06:20 PM   #20
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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!

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