Trailer wheel hub

[Bobbyg]

See attached photos.  Did we blow the bearing seals?

We had them repacked just before we left 2 weeks ago.  It looked ok this morning when we departed Fort Stockton Texas.  We are now just west of Big Bend National Park. 

Any help would be much appreciated. 

Thanks
Bob

 

[cavie]

better look inside. you got more the seals. Looks as though the spring is tweaked.

 

[blw2]

yeah, I'd say it aint sealed now!


Looks kinda like a bearing buddy like they put on boat trailers...they just press into the hub.... (knock in carefully with a mallet).  Can't really see, but if that is the case there is a chance I suppose you might be able to put it back in.

I'd jack it up, give the wheels a spin and a tug, make sure the bearings are still ok...no noise, spin loose, no side to side sloppiness, etc... then if so, and if it is a bearing buddy, you might be able to hold in in place and tap it back in with a block of wood or something....get you down the road to a place to get it checked anyway...

good luck

 

[kjansen]

Looks like my Montana hubs.  I would jack it up and remove the tire if you have the tools.  The big round cylinder will push out the back and then expose the bearing buddy.  check to make sure the spindle nut is still in place and properly tightened and then put the bearing buddy back in the hub.  I would take the whole thing apart soon and check it out thoroughly.

 

[Bobbyg]

Thanks everyone.  I did a little cleaning and research.  It appears that is the bearing dust cap.  Yes I should take off the wheel and re-install the dust cap.  I will stop where I can get it checked out.  Thanks for the input. 

See pics of good hub and the bad one.  Rubber center of the dust cap, I guess you remove to get at the grease nipple. 

Thanks again

 

[Memtb]

  When you had your bearings repacked, do you know “if” they removed the wheel, cleaned hub, bearings and repacked. Or, could they have just applied grease through the zerk on the “bearing buddy”!  If they only applied grease to the “bearing buddy”, you didn’t get a bearing repack! The spring loaded “bearing buddy” via the spring, merely keeps the grease under pressure so as “not” to suck water into a hot/warm hub when submersed in water when launching a boat. The “bearing buddy” system does not inject grease into the hub, thereby forcing “new” grease through the bearings....purging out the old grease as does the Dexter EZ Lube axle.

  I ask this “only” because some shops/ mechanics will take short-cuts assuming you will not know the difference!  I hope that this not the case in this instance!

 

[Bobbyg]

Tod, thanks for the input.  The shop that did the repack said they would actually do the repack.  This is a shop that works on big rigs like tractor trailers, etc.  I believe they did what they said.  The round metal piece that is loose is actually just a dust cap for the bearing, I do not believe it is a bearing buddy.  I plan on removing the wheel and re-installing the dust cap and then get it all inspected when I get back to civilization. 

 

[SpencerPJ]

It looks to me that it is the 'EZ lube' system.  It also looks like the cap came off, should be an easy fix.  You will need to take the wheel off to fix it though, but I would think any tire / car place could fix that pretty easily.  Your bearings should still be packed with grease, so you 'should' be safe to proceed after cap hammered back on. 

 

[Memtb]

  Bobbyg, I didn?t study the photo closely, as I should have.....just read the ?buddy bearing? posts. It seemed odd that a travel trailer would have a ?buddy bearing?, but these days....you never know! 

 

[QZ]

She blew er guts outs. Sometimes a bearing kit will fix it, sometimes it's gone too far and damaged the shaft. It looks like an ez lube axle