Why are trailer bearings lousy?

Creek Chub · Apr 17, 2018

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know why trailer bearings are so lousy? My SUV weighs close to 8000 lbs, or 2,000 lbs/tire, and the hubs are exposed to rain and snow and they last 250,000 miles or more. My trailer's bearings, even for the utility trailers that don't get submerged, need to be repacked with grease every year. Why? Couldn't a trailer axle be built with hubs and bearings that are more like those on vehicles?

-Creek Chub

guywhofishes · Apr 17, 2018

preach

risingsun · Apr 17, 2018

Properly packed bearings, tightened right with good seals should not normally need to be repacked every year.

WT2121 · Apr 17, 2018

Are you buying bearings and seals in discount sets? Many are cheap Chinese bearings and seals. Suggest you spend some extra money and purchase Timken, SKF or Koyo bearings. Koyo are Japanese but high quality. Used by Toyota. I had bearings and seals fail a couple years ago on my trailer. Replaced the Chinese bearings with Timken. Have not had trouble since.

sig357 · Apr 17, 2018

Just a little info that was passed along to me in one of mechanic trainings we had last week. We were informed that some of the major bearing companies have had their bearings conterfitted and are out there right now. Some companies that might be impacted are Timken and SKF. They even are shipping them in conterfit looking boxes that look like the real thing. Not sure on the Koyo bearings but just some info for you all.

Fishmission · Apr 17, 2018

oil bath hubs. (Cool Hubs made by a compny named UFP) Never had an issue with them, just check and fill when necessary, which is not often, maybe once a couple years.

wby257 · Apr 18, 2018

Its not always the bearing its cheap spindles. Most of the trailers being sold by the big box stores are buying cheap spindles with little to no tolerances in size. When you have a spindle that is .010 to .015 small the seal no matter the brand cant do its job and allows water and contaminants to get in.

When I pack my bearing I start with a palm full of grease and start kneading it into the bearing till it come out the top. I have seen people just put bearing in a hub without packing them and put them together. Put the buddy bearing on and start pumping grease in the hub. That helps nothing if you dont pack the bearing first.

risingsun · Apr 18, 2018

Something similar to this can be your friend. Faster and not (quite) as messy. https://www.homedepot.com/p/GearWre...BEgJGmPD_BwE&dclid=CM7-udfRw9oCFRG9TwodmvcIdw

dwos03 · Apr 18, 2018

wby257 said:
Its not always the bearing its cheap spindles. Most of the trailers being sold by the big box stores are buying cheap spindles with little to no tolerances in size. When you have a spindle that is .010 to .015 small the seal no matter the brand cant do its job and allows water and contaminants to get in.

When I pack my bearing I start with a palm full of grease and start kneading it into the bearing till it come out the top. I have seen people just put bearing in a hub without packing them and put them together. Put the buddy bearing on and start pumping grease in the hub. That helps nothing if you dont pack the bearing first.

Ive been doing this as long as I can remember. The first time my old man saw me doing it he was shocked. He had done the whole 'cover the bearing in grease and fill the hub with grease and call it good' technique his whole life! Bearings started lasting much longer after I showed him how to actually pack a bearing!

SLE · Apr 18, 2018

I must just be lucky. Over the past decade between boats, campers, sled trailers, equipment trailers and so forth, I've yet to lose a wheel bearing. I did put new ones in one boat trailer and one camper and in both cases I just did it because I was servicing the brakes and they weren't silky smooth any more. So out of 46 trailer bearings over 10 years, I'd say that's a pretty good track record. I did replace an axle on a sled trailer but that had more to do with the previous owner overloading the trailer. Now my luck with trailer tires hasn't been quite a good, lol.

Another vote for Timken if your doing a replacement, they're a quality bearing.

Creek Chub · Apr 20, 2018

OK some have had better luck than others but almost all seem to agree that trailer bearings/hubs/axles are lousy compared to those used in automobiles. Would it really cost that much more to make the trailer assemblies just as good? Is there a technical reason they are made the way they are?

Downrigger · Apr 20, 2018

After dealing with the oil bath bearing on my boat trailer I'm going to be looking at replacing and going to that on everything I can!

2400 · Apr 21, 2018

Creek Chub said:
OK some have had better luck than others but almost all seem to agree that trailer bearings/hubs/axles are lousy compared to those used in automobiles. Would it really cost that much more to make the trailer assemblies just as good? Is there a technical reason they are made the way they are?

The reason bearings/hubs and axles suck on cheap trailers is if they used quality parts it would make the trailer cost more. Then the booger eaters of the world would buy a cheap trailer somewhere else to "save money".

In the long run buying quality parts saves you money, in the "right now" it costs more, some people will never get that.

I have 4 trailers and use name brand quality parts whether it's lights/brakes/bearings/tires(?)/couplers/hitches or whatever. So far other them tires blowing out I haven't had any problems in 40 some years and hundreds of thousands of miles I've been pulling them.

eyexer · Apr 21, 2018

I own several trailers and have pulled them thousands of miles and have had zero bearing issues the last twenty years.

Velva_zv21 · Apr 21, 2018

Bearings on my boat trailer say 6 year 100,000 mile no maintenance guarantee......100,000 miles or 6 years is like holy balls

Davey Crockett · Apr 21, 2018

eyexer said:
I own several trailers and have pulled them thousands of miles and have had zero bearing issues the last twenty years.

Same here, I think what people overlook sometimes is that loose bearings are just broke in they are not shot. Every trailer I own either has bearing buddies or grease zerks and get grease after being used instead of before being used so your pumping grease into a warm bearing.

- - - Updated - - -

Also boat trailers get greased before backing into the water . Backing a warm hub into cold water has the same effect with water as this.

eyexer · Apr 22, 2018

and not using a trailer that has moisture in the grease/bearings is far worse than using it. Using em eliminates moisture.

Why are trailer bearings lousy?

Creek Chub

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risingsun

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