Packing wheel bearings!

[Jim from Ind]

Question, when should wheel bearings be repacked? I have a 2015 22FB Sport with approximately 6000 miles on it!

[slowmover]

6-mos. or 6000.

Annually if all it does is sit.

Some will do it less often than above, but unless one is fording streams that should be sufficiently often.

[n2916s]

Over the past ten years I've done mine annually. I average about 8000 miles a year towing. Never have found anything amiss.

Mostly I do it to give the brakes a good inspection.

[Wconley]

I think I was in high school the last time I did wheel bearings but I did mine in about an hour per wheel, including set up and clean up. I found my wheel lug nuts way over tightened and I think two of the wheel bearings were also over tight by one notch on the castle nut. There are a lot of videos out there on how to do it and no special tools required. Contrary to what I had read, my local NAPA store, nor others I tried had the correct bearing in stock but mine were fine. I did get replacement seals from the Airstream dealer.

[overlander63]

Airstream recommends annually, or every 15,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
I repack ours every other year, which I personally consider the minimum.

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by Wconley

I think I was in high school the last time I did wheel bearings but I did mine in about an hour per wheel, including set up and clean up. I found my wheel lug nuts way over tightened and I think two of the wheel bearings were also over tight by one notch on the castle nut. There are a lot of videos out there on how to do it and no special tools required. Contrary to what I had read, my local NAPA store, nor others I tried had the correct bearing in stock but mine were fine. I did get replacement seals from the Airstream dealer.

I've been too busy to do my own. However, with retirement lurking around in the next year or so, I'm going to have to learn how to do this. Thanks for the reminder. I'll do a little searching.

[polarlyse]

Have you determined what type of bearing you have ?? If you have the sealed never lube (pressed in type) you should pull the drums and inspect the spindel and brakes but they never need any lubrication, replace the seals and re-assemble. They were designed this way. BUT, on the other hand, if you have the older style typical bearing configuration with removable bearings then, YES, they need to be cleaned and re-packed on a periodic schedule. New seals and re-assemble.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

Have you determined what type of bearing you have ?? If you have the sealed never lube (pressed in type) you should pull the drums and inspect the spindel and brakes but they never need any lubrication, replace the seals and re-assemble. They were designed this way. BUT, on the other hand, if you have the older style typical bearing configuration with removable bearings then, YES, they need to be cleaned and re-packed on a periodic schedule. New seals and re-assemble.

Unless something has changed, the Sport models do not come with Nev-R-Lube bearings. Every other current model with 12" brakes, other than the Sport 22, have them.

[cwf]

Here is an bearing adjustment method provided by Timken.. https://youtu.be/0RqlrnoiqnY