Trailer bearing tightness

Bkpigs · Jan 31, 2018

Repacking the bearings on my livestock trailer and every time I repack trailer bearings I second guess how I set the castle nut until I forget about it and move on with life. What I have been doing is tighten the nut a little past snug and rotate the wheel to get the bearings to seat. Then I back the nut off and tighten until I get resistance from the nut. And back off to the previous slot in the nut to put the cotter pin in. If I shake the tire I can feel it move slightly (like the slop present in a connecting rod to the crank) and if I look down the tire I can just barely see the top of the tire move in and out. Is this how everyone else does it? I was always told that too tight on these is worst than a hair too loose because it doesn't leave room for the grease to lube the bearing.

Steve@Advance · Jan 31, 2018

That's pretty much how I have always done it.

I don't pay much attention to being able to shake the wheel, but more of having no preload on the bearings.

flying belgian · Jan 31, 2018

That's about how I do it except I make sure there is NO movement when done. Right or wrong? I don't know. Been working for me. I don't think much about it when doing it.

grizz02 · Jan 31, 2018

That's how I do it I would rather a touch loose then tight I love my bearing buddys give them a squirt once a year and go on with my day

SVcummins · Jan 31, 2018

I always run em down tight while spinning the tire
until Wont turn then a little more than back it off until
it spins freely with no end play in the bearings

Russ from MN · Jan 31, 2018

That's what I do, I like to be able to feel a slight amount of clearance. If you put a dial indicator on it it would be less
that .005

rustred · Jan 31, 2018

i rotate the wheel and tighten the brg. to about 20 ft. lbs. of torque to seat the brg. then back off nut about 1/4 -1/2 turn and snug up basically hand tight with zero endplay to install cotter pin. once brg. warms up it will preload itself.
adjusted too tight and the brg. will run hot.

Bob · Jan 31, 2018

U got it rite, pigs! Axle pinion and differential bearings need to be "preloaded". Tapered roller wheel bearings, whether it be a BIG truck or a simple trailer NEVER need preload, they will last longer with a few thousandths of "play" than being snugged up or preloaded.

ptfarmer · Feb 1, 2018

You only need to pre-load wheel bearings whenever you install new hubs or new bearings and races into an old hub. If you are just re-packing used bearings you just need to get the nut finger tight, and install what is used to retain the nut.

If you have new hubs, or new wheel bearings/races you tighten the spindle nut finger tight, then turn the nut another 1/4 turn or about 15 to 20 ft pounds of torque. Then turn the hub ten revolutions, this will fully seat the races. Now loosen the spindle nut very loose, then re-snug to finger tight, and install what is used to retain the nut.

ohiojim · Feb 1, 2018

you can't go wrong with that process, been doing it that way for ever and haven't lost one yet. better to loose then to tight.

jon f mn · Feb 1, 2018

I do that, but just a bit tighter so there
is no play.

Butch(OH) · Feb 1, 2018

The fact that people do it different ways with success proves that there is lots of give and take to the deal so dont give it too much thought or worry. Personally my procedure is to first tighten the nut to seat things then back it off until it just becomes finger tight. Then turn it finger tight and then tighten to the next cotter key hole. Many also over grease them, the hub does not have to be full of grease. My final check is to pull over after 10-15 miles and feel the hubs, when right there should be very little warmth unless the trailer is loaded to max on a hot day, even then it should only be luke warm. If you cant lay your hand on it with comfort something is amiss

Bret4207 · Feb 1, 2018

I've always wondered about this subject. Sounds like I may have been going a bit tight on my bearings. Thanks for the info guys!

oldproudvet · Feb 1, 2018

When teaching tech school, and dealing with kids of all levels of mechanical common sense I showed them
how to tighten the bearing first to pull it into the race. Back it off and run it up so you can just
slide the thrust washer back and forth with a screwdriver blade. As others have said, to tight is a
death wish. A neighbor down the road repacked the bearings on his old Ranger while cleaning the front
hubs, run them tight, and that summer things siezed up and snapped the spindle off, giving him a heck of
ride. Subsequent investigation, as the hub/spindle was still nicely attached to wheel showed he'd
tightened nut with a breaker bar before pinning it........ Not rocket science, and all the below are
correct.

Texasmark1 · Feb 1, 2018

That's the way my dad taught me. You need a little slop so that at high temps you have room for expansion in the moving parts.

Texasmark1 · Feb 1, 2018

.......and room for the grease to be able to get between them.

ptfarmer · Feb 1, 2018

I pack the hub with grease as much as I can, grease is cheap, and I'm not crazy about having just having the bearings packed with grease. The extra grease in the hub doesn't hurt anything, plus no one can ever say I didn't put enough grease in.

Mike(NEOhio) · Feb 1, 2018

Filling the hub is not good. Could cause the grease to heat up and push past the seals. Partial fill of the hub and the grease migrates around the bearings.

jon f mn · Feb 1, 2018

A full hub will push grease out through the
seal, that allows water and dirt to wick
back in through the grease causing
premature bearing failure.

dhermesc · Feb 1, 2018

I tighten the castle nut while the tire is turning and tighten it until it loads enough that the tire stops and is difficult to turn (no free wheeling). The bearings are now seated and then I back the castle nut off without disturbing the tire. When loose enough that I can turn the nut with my fingers I set it so it lines up with the hole in the axle and drop the cotter pin in. Spin the tire and shake it. It should have a tiny amount of give and should spin freely. I've never lost a bearing doing it that way.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use wheel bearing grease - do not use grease from a grease gun - it isn't heavy enough to last more than a season at most. Unless you have grease zerk on the hub and can keep the bearing filled with fresh grease. Several times I've pulled a hub off that "was just greased last summer" and the bearings are a little oily looking - all the grease gun grease is gone.

ptfarmer · Feb 1, 2018

(quoted from post at 10:57:16 02/01/18) Filling the hub is not good. Could cause the grease to heat up and push past the seals. Partial fill of the hub and the grease migrates around the bearings.

Never had that problem.

ptfarmer · Feb 1, 2018

(quoted from post at 13:42:30 02/01/18) A full hub will push grease out through the
seal, that allows water and dirt to wick
back in through the grease causing
premature bearing failure.

Never had that problem.

caterpillar guy · Feb 5, 2018

Tighten till tight and drag then loosen till spin free with no wiggle . I like oil bearings best and will use them anytime I can get them. Stemco seals will last the longest with the least maintenance. On semi trailers I preload the bearing then back off only slightly. They run in oil and don't need to worry about a clearance for oil.

Trailer bearing tightness

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