Most "experts" will tell you never to use a compressor to blow grease or solvent out of a bearing ... risk is that it will spin a race or roller (or ball) up to a very high speed (dry) and score / gall it. I'm not sure whether those experts are right, but it seems to be a bit of received wisdom. I personally have occasionally ignored those experts, but a) only using pretty low air pressure, while b) physically holding everything tight in an absorbent rag so that nothing can move. No bearing failures have resulted, but it's probably tempting the gods. As always, YMMV.
That's good advice! I did hold the bearing in a rag and the rollers were pretty stationary while I blew it out.
Thanks!
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Steve "Centennial Man"
1966 Airstream Safari - Her name is "Aunt Bee"
Just curious as I have not done this yet on our trailer....... when you tap the seal out with a dowel or similar, are you not actually tapping on the inner bearing, which in turn hits the seal and knocks it out? End result of course the same.
With other trailers I have worked on, it has usually bee my practice to put in new seals every time I inspect the bearings, and so I just drive a screwdriver in between the metal housing of the seal and the hub and pry the seal out. Quick and dirty!
Like you I am a firm believer in doing my own work when it comes to repacking bearings. I'm sure there are many good RV repair shops out there - I just seem to pick the wrong ones, and when it comes to having them repack bearings, how do you know what they actually did?
I have had a couple of bad experiences in this regard.
Many years ago with am SOB, I paid the dealer I bought it from a substantial amount for "pre-delivery work" I particularly asked if that included repacking the bearings and he assured me that it did. Had it not, I was prepared to pay extra to ensure the bearings were in good shape.
Well, one year later, I decided it weas time to check the bearings & when I did, I was horrified at what I found.
What grease was left was hard and caked and the rollers were all starting to break up and lose metal in all four assemblies. I was thankful I caught it before a major failure.
I'm no bearing expert, but I am a retired Mechanical Engineer as well as a long time restorer of old Brit sports cars (!), and I am certain those bearings were not looked at for many years - if ever!
Of course I had to change all the bearings.
You'd think I would have learned my lesson, but when I bought my Airstream from a dealer last year, I once more paid to have them repack the bearings. (I bought the trailer used, from an Airstream dealer.)
When I picked up the trailer, I was surprised that they had charged labour for the repack, but no charge for grease seals. When I queried this, I was told the seals were fine.
Personally, I don't think a reputable dealer would do a repack without putting in new seals, but I may be wrong on that point.
In any event, after one cross-country trip, (our first with this trailer) I just pulled the wheels recently to be certain as to their condition.
The front bearing was packed with that bright red grease, the back bearing had a different colour grease. So now I know what their repack involved, and I have decided firmly to always do my own repacks in future!
On another point, many people seem down on Chinese bearings but I'm not so sure they are that bad - in fact I think you will find that many bearings these days from companies such as Timken and SKF will be stamped "made in China."
I have a small trailer that I built to pull behind my motorcycle. I made it up from an inexpensive Harbor Freight Utility trailer that I cut down to size, with a Sears automotive luggage box mounted on it. The wheel bearings are Chinese and seem to be holding up just fine.
On another point, many people seem down on Chinese bearings but I'm not so sure they are that bad - in fact I think you will find that many bearings these days from companies such as Timken and SKF will be stamped "made in China."
I have a small trailer that I built to pull behind my motorcycle. I made it up from an inexpensive Harbor Freight Utility trailer that I cut down to size, with a Sears automotive luggage box mounted on it. The wheel bearings are Chinese and seem to be holding up just fine.
Cheers ......... Brian.[/quote]
Brian
My Timken replacement bearings were clearly marked USA. It is important to me for many reasons including quality of workmanship, materials used making those parts and the fact that because they are made here there are a few less people standing in the unemployment line.
I think you probably paid the same for the Chinese parts but the money by pasted the people that make the parts and went right to the top of the food chain.
We all have to make decisions about what we drive, eat and send overseas to be made by someone else. I feel better that my US made axle now has all us made parts. I am sure the executives at Henchen were able to add a few more golf vacations during the year by using Chinese labor. Good for them. Not for me.
Just curious as I have not done this yet on our trailer....... when you tap the seal out with a dowel or similar, are you not actually tapping on the inner bearing, which in turn hits the seal and knocks it out? End result of course the same.
I wish I could remember, but I can't. Ask me again next Spring. If I were tapping on the bearing, the bearing is pretty strong from that side and I could see no damage on any of them. About 6,500 miles later and they're still rolling.
As for Chinese vs. US bearings, I think Chinese made bearings can be as good as any others if the US company is carefully watching the process and making sure the bearings are made correctly. The latest story about Chinese made Goodyear Marathons was that the Chinese tires weren't up to Goodyear standards, so they cancelled the contract and are making them here again. Junk can be made anywhere including the US. Nonetheless, we avoid Chinese made stuff with strange brand names. In the 19th century, Europeans complained that US made things were poorly made just like we complain about Chinese made things. Good or bad stuff can be made anywhere; it depends on the manufacturer and their standards. Badly made Chinese products sold by US companies are just as much the responsibility of the US company as the Chinese.
As for Chinese vs. US bearings, I think Chinese made bearings can be as good as any others if the US company is carefully watching the process and making sure the bearings are made correctly. The latest story about Chinese made Goodyear Marathons was that the Chinese tires weren't up to Goodyear standards, so they cancelled the contract and are making them here again. Junk can be made anywhere including the US. Nonetheless, we avoid Chinese made stuff with strange brand names. In the 19th century, Europeans complained that US made things were poorly made just like we complain about Chinese made things. Good or bad stuff can be made anywhere; it depends on the manufacturer and their standards. Badly made Chinese products sold by US companies are just as much the responsibility of the US company as the Chinese.
Gene[/quote]
As to your first point, not true and not even the point. Chinese Goodyear Marathons were failing and sales fall off. Chinese Marathons not up to our standards. That's a news flash. Chinese drywall is poisoning people. Chinese dog food is killing pets and so on and on.
American companies shift production to China because they have cheap labor and zero environmental standards. In the process our jobs disappear, the balance of trade shifts overseas and we lose our manufacturing base.
Do American Companies worry about being responible about the quality or saftey of chinese products? Looks like it is just another way to pass to buck and place the blame on the sub contractor.
Europeans probably complained about our products BECAUSE they were substandard at that time. We got better at producing higher quality items and even made the best cars for a time. That did not last.
If you want to put low budget bearings made in Zanswon China under your expensive Airstream it's a free and cheap country. For now.
But you have a choice to buy made in the USA parts. I am sure they are a higher quality product at almost the same price. The guy at the Timken plant would be happy too.
After the timken Plant closes we will not have that choice either.
As to your first point, not true and not even the point. Chinese Goodyear Marathons were failing and sales fall off. Chinese Marathons not up to our standards. That's a news flash. Chinese drywall is poisoning people. Chinese dog food is killing pets and so on and on.
American companies shift production to China because they have cheap labor and zero environmental standards.
I'm unsure what you mean about my "first point". Do you you mean every Chinese made product is junk? I agree that some are junk, too many are junk, but not that all are. There were complaints about Marathons made elsewhere than China, notably Canada. It seems that Goodyear's tire design is not up to the standards of other tire manufacturers and I wouldn't buy Marathons if they were made down the block from me.
I know why companies shift production to China, but cheap labor and zero environmental standards do not necessarily equal bad products, but I think they increase the likelihood that the products will be bad.
I am as frustrated as anyone with bad products, and as I said, if I have a choice, don't buy Chinese ones. Long before China became a major exporting country, people complained about bad American products and people said "they don't make them the way they used to". It's generally true that American made cars and trucks were the best in the world or among the best in the world. That changed too. As for American made bearings, when I needed bearings as soon as possible in northern Minnesota while on the road, I took what the only after market dealer within 100 miles got me. They were Timkens.
I called Jackson Center and got the model number for the grease seals for my Airstream. I ordered them from Out-of-Doors Mart and got the blue ones that "a well known" Airstream repair shop sells for half that shop's price. I took them to my local trailer mechanic and had their mechanic use them. I also ordered an extra set for next spring when it's time to do it again.
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821 streamin across america
will just jump in on this forum topic and hope for tolerance......my first job, which begin in my teen years, was in a brake and front in shop (Omaha Nebraska) and considered the best but surely not the least expensive....the learning and trade of several years has served me long after changing vocations.....my first assignment was cleaning and repacking bearings from the autos having wheel off repairs (brakes/etc.) the following was typical of the process:
bearings cleaned w/solv., wiiped dry with cotton cloth, inspected and replaced both race and bearing if nicks or metal missing, bearings packed by hand spreading grease on outer roller surface also, seal replaced only if missing sections of rubber, bearing adj. was tightened to tight/back of/retightened and keyed, if no a match back of to first castel. by not loading hub with grease, it is not that critical to have a new or like new seal, water...well not much of a factor unless one would run in a couple of feet of it....if it makes one feel better go ahead and replace the seals, cost will not break the bank.....i only post this as i know the amount of autos that went in and out the door with out a problem, if there was any doubt of failure it would be replaced, if you knew the owner of this shop, his moto was i dont want the business if i cannot do it first class. (most important is not to mix grease, clean and replace, the thickener does always like each other) for what its worth
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