Over the past 2 years, i've had more bad luck with

S

Ski Scout

Member
Ok chaps , herewith part two. Sorry its late , but have been busy servicing trailers

In the previous supplement we covered bearing colaps due to lack of lubrication and water ingress into the hub.

Now we have a scenario were the bearings are lubed properly , bearing protector fitted and STILL the bearings did not last, WHY ?

Overtighting of the castle nut (hub nut).

If this nut is to tight it will cause extra load on the bearings which will lead to failure. The nut must not be so tight that you can not turn the hub(without the wheel on) by hand . It must have free movement and there must be no lateral play on the hub.

The way I do it is :

 Tighten the nut as far as it will go(with a normal 1/2 inch socket). Then slacken it off , tighten again by hand. Use the socket to JUST nip it so that it opens up the split pin hole. DON'T FIT SPLIT PIN YET. Feel the the hubs moves freely , fit the wheel and then feel if there is any lateral movement on the wheel , if not,  fit split pin and close up(cap or protector)

Loose castle nut

After fitting new bearings , you have to check the wheels for any play. Sometimes the bearing are not fitted properly and the bed in. This will then cause play on the wheel and it will ruin your bearings in a very short time.IF there is play , take the cap of , split pin out and tighten castle nut again

Storage

When it comes to storage of your trailer for a period of time , its not going to do any harm if you put it on jacks( take weight of the wheels).It will take the laod of the bearings and they will last longer

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE buy jacks that can handle the load plus more.Boats become favourite storage and play areas when we are not around. Need i say more

GREASE MELTING

I note some folks mention that the grease melts and helps lubrication. Folks for basice wheel bearing grease to MELT( the  right term is drop out temp) it has to reach a temp of around 180 Degrees C ( basic Castrol WB).

If your wheel hub reaches this temp , then there is groot K*K and  things should be on fire already.

Grease in its natural state has adhesive qualities that allows it to attach to metal surfaces. When it "drops out" it looses this abilty and will "fall off" the metal.

Your hubs( unbraked) should not go past 40 Degrees C. This is warm to the touch(always use the back of your hand)

Braked trailers should not be much warmer than this( depending if you have just come down a steep incline.like going to Inanda vs just going down the road)

At times i also get the scenario where "my one hub is hotter than the other". Gents in the morning the hub that faces east is going to be warmer and in the afternoon the hub that faces west is going to be warmer. I take it you know why:)

Saying this,  if there is a significant temp dif and it is the same hub over and over again , then there may be a tight castle nut 

Towing speed

Just because you CAN tow your boat at 140 K an hour , does not mean you should. I shudder to see at what speed some people tow trailers/caravans at, not just boat trialers

Folks no more that 100 KPH depending on weather and road conditions , size and weight of entire rig (including vehicle). You try and  do an emergency stop with an unbraked trailer(lets say 600 GVM ) doing 140 KPH , there is going to be tears.

Leave lots of space so that there is enough time for you to react and bring your rig to a stop. Two seconds spacing when towing DOES NOT DO .You should have double that  

Trust that assist.

Regards

Rob

( PS excuse the spelling)

 

 

 

 
 
B

benniejordaan

Sealiner
Rob, you the man! Thanks for all the effort, it is really appreciated! Can I buy spares from you and do you do general maintenance, repairs and servicing of trailers? Can I send mine to you?


Guys, next week I'm going to change the heading of this thread to "General trailer maintenance" and make it a sticky so we will always have it available to refer to when necessary!
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
Hi Bennie

Yes I do trailer servicing. I am mobile (in and around Durban/toti/hillcrest/umhlanga etc)so no need for you to shlep your boat around , i will come to your place and service on site.

You have my details , just give me shout

Rgds

Rob

Fyg one of the first chaps to Fit Axle mate ( three years ago) is still on the same set of bearings. I am popping up to his place on Wednesday to do product review. Will take them off and see what the bearings look like after three years of abuse

Although they are bass boats , he does about 15000-18000 kms per year, on crap roads, and does slipway launching

Will take photos and post them with your permission

 

 
 
B

benniejordaan

Sealiner
Ski Scout wrote:
Hi Bennie

Yes I do trailer servicing. I am mobile (in and around Durban/toti/hillcrest/umhlanga etc)so no need for you to shlep your boat around , i will come to your place and service on site.

You have my details , just give me shout

Rgds

Rob

Fyg one of the first chaps to Fit Axle mate ( three years ago) is still on the same set of bearings. I am popping up to his place on Wednesday to do product review. Will take them off and see what the bearings look like after three years of abuse

Although they are bass boats , he does about 15000-18000 kms per year, on crap roads, and does slipway launching

Will take photos and post them with your permission

 

 
Click to expand...
Please do, that will be interesting.
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
It will be 4 bearings( 2 bearings in each hub)

Price will be  350 labour +  280 for the 4  bearings/ 2 seals/ split pins /washers castle nuts , grease(quality)

Depending on where you are there may be a travel fee charged

Pm me if you want me to pop round during the week

 

Rgds

Rob

 

 

  
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
FYG , I only have 6 sets of AXLE MATES left in stock.

Once they are gone its going to be a looooooooooong wait , before there is stock again

Just putting it out there

Rgds

Rob
 
R

Richard Donaldson

New member
Hi Guys,
I fish as often as I can and have three boats to worry about. I check and re-pack my trailer bearings every 3 - 4 months as a precaution and re-set the bearing contact pressure everytime. Never had a failure since. I replace bearings before any long distance tow and make sure to take spare bearings, tools and a decent jack with just in case.
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
The idea with a bearing protector is to reduce servicing cost , servicing time and extend the life of your wheel bearings , by keeping water out  and keeping the bearings constantly lubricated.

You are outlaying a lot of moola and putting in a lot of your time, a few times a year, when in fact those items, with the correct fitement and lubrication, should last you a lot longer( 2 to three years if not more).

a ? or two

  1. What are the condition of the bearings like when you replace them? Are they still good or are they showing signs of wear and tear? [/*]
  2. Do you submerge the axle's when launching/trailering your boats [/*]
  3. Has there ever been a lot of water present in the hubs when you stripped them ? [/*]
  4. Is your  Cat trailer an oil filled axle ?[/*]
 I am by no means advocating that you should not check your bearings , or carry spares and tools with you, when towing your trailer. We never know what can happen along the road and nothing beats being well prepared for your journey.

Rgds

Rob

 
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
Hi all

So today I went to  fit a set of bearingd protectors to a trialer. The bearings had been done about two months ago.

 I advised the client that I would , as a precaution ,like to strip / clean / inspect and repack the bearings , just to have peace of mind

The client agreed

On Jacking up the first wheel I found the one wheel to have lateral play IE CASTLE NUT LOOSE.So what do i find inside the hub

Due to the castle nut being loose , it started to chow the washer and there was a metal slither coming of the washer. THANK goodness that had not come of and worked its way into the bearings.

Good bearings had been fitted and they where well lubricated.

 The journal however is damaged (from previous bearing failure)and the seal will go in time . Water will ,over time, come into the hub.Was the client advised that the journal was buggered....NO he was not. So in a few months time ( or sooner depending on usage) BANG....you picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel.

So solution for now is

Bearings repacked , new seal fitted , bearing protector fitted and we will at a later stage ( VERY SOON) fit another Axle or have this one repaired

The other hub nut was also found to be loose. Good bearings had been used and well lubricated with no visable damage on the journal

Another point to be noted is the springs. One look at them i could see there was a load issue. They were just about a staright as a spirit level. They are 6 blade springs These are rated t 1150 KG per pair. The entire rig weighs around 1350 kgs (unloaded)...Do you see the problem?

Am fitting new springs tomorrow

So as can be seen from above , although the bearings were done within the last two months  , the fact that the castle nuts were loose gave the wheels lateral play. This would have placed the client up the creek without a paddle in a very short time. I shudder to think what mischief that slither of metal could have gotten up to. One heavy metal party in the hub :)  

Good quality , well lubricated bearings means nothing if the castle nut is to loose.

If you had your bearings done recenlty , jack the wheels up one by one and check for lateral play. IF there is, remove the grease cap/split pin/castle nut and check the condition of that washer and bearings. If there is any metal filings in the grease , or wear and tear on the bearings rollers , it is a safer to replace the bearings than cleaning and repacking them

With the new flotation regs, you most proberly had your rig weighed.

Check your springs in relation to your rig weight

As a guidliune

6 blade springs - SWL 1150 KG per pair

7 blade springs - SWL 1350 kg PP

8 blade springs - SWL 1500 kg PP

All the aboe the the 685 MM lenghts 

Trust the above of assitance

Have a good day off

Rob

 

 

 
 
A

Andre Laas

Sealiner
Thanks for all the info Rob! Really appreciate the trouble you put into it!

I have recently also had a bearing fail on me (on a light "luggage" trailer). We were lucky enough to reach home... when I put the trailer upright, the one wheel  basically just keeled over. The bearing was non existent, and both the hub and axle was damaged. Hub was replaced, and Bennie is helping me sort out the axle. Making it home with that kind of damage is pretty much a miracle.

Now at least I know how to take better care of the trailer and bearings in the future..... As in our legal system, ignorance is no excuse when it comes to proper maintenance! I almost learned the hard way!
 
S

Shaun17

New member
Critter, my bearing/trailer issues have been well documented in this thread......:lol:1

I just had Rob go over my trailer and picked up the above issues Rob spoke of. I've now fitted the Bearing Protectors, got brand new springs (correct rating) and my trailer towed like a dream to Newcastle yesterday.

Once Bennie has sorted you out, i'd recommend you contact Rob about a set of Bearing Protectors....

Awesome workmanship, great product and outstanding service from Rob ::S
 
B

benniejordaan

Sealiner
Shaun17 wrote:
Critter, my bearing/trailer issues have been well documented in this thread......:lol:1

I just had Rob go over my trailer and picked up the above issues Rob spoke of. I've now fitted the Bearing Protectors, got brand new springs (correct rating) and my trailer towed like a dream to Newcastle yesterday.

Once Bennie has sorted you out, i'd recommend you contact Rob about a set of Bearing Protectors....

Awesome workmanship, great product and outstanding service from Rob ::S
Click to expand...
No man, his luggage trailer! :fbash
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
They can be fitted on any trailer /  caravan or horse box  Bennie.

I suppose it is a bit over kill for a little venter type trailer. But if you got one on , it save time and  servicing of the trailer bearings can be thing of the past.

You can just hook and tow and not have to worry about when last the bearings were done

SHAUN , thank you for the compliment , I really appreciate it

Regards

Rob

 
 
S

Ski Scout

Member
Hi all

only 3 sets of Axle mates  left, and then  it will be a whilst before there is stock again

, first come first served
 
Z

zulu-X-treme

Sealiner
To all those that gave their input on this thread... THANKS A SPAN GUYS... Highly informative and educational to say the least... ::slr::
 
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