A lesson well learned

[Iambjm]

I know some may think this belongs over in the boat section but this should be read by everyone who goes boating or fishing. I recently blew the bearings out on my boat trailer coming home at 11:30 at night. I wasn't far from home so on the advice from a couple of guys I know I took the boat home at very slow speeds. Having never repaired anything like this, being low on funds, and hating to always ask someone else to bail me out I decided to go on the internet and learn if I could do it myself.

I figured I could so I tackled the job, with my disabled husband sitting next to me telling me constantly that I was doing it wrong (by the way he didn't even know how to get the nut off or what a race is). Yeah I did make a booboo because of his nagging, went over to a friends and he showed me that I had put the race in backwards, I went home and finished the job.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment I proceeded to check the bearings on the other side which were in good shape, then tackled the trailer I haul my ATV on. Good thing I did, back bearings on both sides were bad. Now I have one trailer left to do and I feel like I conquered the world. Not bad for a 63 year old woman.

By the way we had bearing buddies on the boat trailer which is only 5 years old, blew the bearing buddy right off when it went. The lesson I learned, maintain, maintain, maintain. Oh yeah, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

[DTro]

Here's another trick for you or others reading this. You can get the entire hub/bearing assembly pregreased and ready to "plug and play" for a pretty reasonable price at some places. You can do both sides in about 10 minutes.

A lot of guys I know keep a spare one in the truck.

A little more money than buying just the bearing, but not much.

[Iambjm]

Here's another trick for you or others reading this. You can get the entire hub/bearing assembly pregreased and ready to "plug and play" for a pretty reasonable price at some places. You can do both sides in about 10 minutes.

A lot of guys I know keep a spare one in the truck.

A little more money than buying just the bearing, but not much.

Not a bad idea if you end up blowing one late at night like I did, also if you are a long way from home.

[bobbymalone]

how exactly does one know when a trailer wheel bearing blows up?

I'm kind of a nazi with those trailer bearings so hopefully i don't ever have to worry about such a thing.

[DTro]

a vibration, followed by a rumbling, followed by some smoke and if you miss all of that, you should be able to tell if the wheel falls off.

[pushbutton]

[dan z]

It just happened to me and my bother. On monday. I was going down the road a felt the vibration and thats to late, the wheel started to humble, so we pulled into closest farm place. And i glad somebody was home there. We left the boat there and ran to town and bought new bearing and replaced it and only toke about hour to change.

We were 15 miles from are place. One thing i learned do not over tighten the nut that holds on the hub. By doing so you will burn the bearing faster.

You ask what a race is will its the part where the bearing rolls on. So by putting them on backwards not good. They would not work right.

[NAGORSKI]

Here's another trick for you or others reading this. You can get the entire hub/bearing assembly pregreased and ready to "plug and play" for a pretty reasonable price at some places. You can do both sides in about 10 minutes.

A lot of guys I know keep a spare one in the truck.

A little more money than buying just the bearing, but not much.

Where are some places that sell them? I think thats a great idea.

[ozzie]

I need to do mine as I have been meaning to do this but now am forced to after my last trip I looked at my wheel last nigh and the buddy is gone grease on the front of the rim and where the bearing goes is sticking out an inch or so....lucky I made it home on Sunday!!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Where are some places that sell them? I think thats a great idea.

Northern Tool.

[Mike89]

Good job "young lady!!!"

[Iambjm]

I did know what a race was, watched about 15 videos on u-tube about it. He just pesters and nags so bad I can't concentrate. I had him stay in the house when I was working on the second trailer.

[DTro]

Haha, the husband pestering and nagging.

[genegodawa]

I think you are on to a new career...good job.

[hopeforfish]

Way to go Barb, us girls like learning stuff on the internet and then doing it ourselves.

[Big Buck Buster]

Great post lambjm! Very informational.

[1968]

I would highly recommend synthetic grease. I haven't lost a boat trailer bearing since I switched to Mobil 1 almost ten years ago.

A quick easy minimum mess way to pack bearings for the casual do it yourselfer is to put the grease and bearing in a ziploc and massage it in.

[Northlander]

Good Job Barb you have now done more bearings than me. Im going to get a few of those sets that DTRO talked about. 1 set for each of my 2 trailers. That would be easiest when its raining and your stuck on the side of the road.

[wolfman-k]

Great job Barb!! You offer words to the wise.

Also, thanks DTRO for the tip!

[Dave]

Its all here at HSO

Wheel Bearing 101

[Muskiefool]

We just did the bearings on my Bro in-laws trailer 2 weekends ago and used the plastic covered mallet from the croquet set to set the races LOL no tools required.

[Double D]

If you want good bearings get a new set from a John Deere farm implement dealer. Way better quality than a box store set, and definitely cheaper than a boat dealer.

DD