Ah good times....

[ls1mike]

Lost a bearing on the last trip. I usually pack my own bearings but had them "professionally done" this past winter. Not sure I can blame the place that did it, but I checked the other ones and they needed grease and were a bit tight.
Had it fixed in under 3 hours. Wife ran 30 miles into town to get the parts. I have a new axle on the way. This is the second time for that axle, that spindle in 9 years of ownership. Happened on route 6 in Oregon, 30 miles outside of Tillamook. Glad there was a spot big enough to get over.
This was on the way to the site. Drove it home yesterday just over 280 miles in the heat. No issues. Still replacing that axle.

 

[ls1mike]

On a side note. I have TPMS on the trailer with temperature readout. I have the alarm on temp set for 118, it went off and I looked and just started to see smoke. So that is a plus.

 

[Wayne]

That's definitely a sour note to begin the trip, but you couldn't have asked for a better place to pull off. I guess it would have been better had the work area been in the shade.

Did the bad bearing ruin the axle?

 

[ls1mike]

Work took less than an hour, rest of the time was spent in the shade waiting on parts.

I suspect there is an issue with that axle, that hub. My one blowout was on this hub and the only other bearing I have lost was on this hub.
Where the races sit are decent. I cleaned them up with some emery cloth and went 300 miles with it yesterday. The inner races of both the inner and outer bearing took a little persuasion for them to slide off, but the area of the spindle where the race sits cleaned up fine. I will run it this weekend but for less than an hour each way. Next week I pick up a complete new axle with drums and bearings.

I take back everything bad I have ever said about Les Schawb, guy working there new exactly what to send my wife back with.
We were back underway fairly quickly and have done this repair before so not big deal. No one got mad or frustrated.

 

[Wayne]

After nine years of carrying your trailer around, I'm sure the axle didn't owe you anything.

I've never heard of Les Schwab, but that's probably because the closest shop is over a thousand miles from me. I'll remember the name if we ever run into trouble out west.

No one got mad or frustrated.

That's a huge bonus, makes for a nice rest of the trip

 

[ls1mike]

Nope for a much as we tow it, down bumpy windy roads, plus it is close to capacity I am ok with it.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Yes the big place to pull over was a plus. Good thing it didn’t happen anywhere else.

 

[Azjeff]

I've been thinking about keeping a set of wheel bearings in the trailer tool box, you just made up my mind. Being able to make a repair like this on the road sure beats having to wait for a mobile RV mechanic.

 

[Wayne]

Being able to make a repair like this on the road sure beats having to wait for a mobile RV mechanic.

What tools are a requirement to change out a set of bearings?

 

[Azjeff]

What tools are a requirement to change out a set of bearings?

I've been waiting for Mike to reply since he just did a field repair. Must be busy.

Fill in your favorite tools:
Something to pry or tap the dust cap off
Something to get the cotter pin out
A wrench or channel locks to spin the castle nut off. It shouldn't be tight.
Something to pry the rear dust seal out with
Something to tap the bearings out of the drum with
Emery cloth and/or fine file to smooth the spindle if needed

Dust seal - impossible to remove without damaging
bearings
grease
can of brake cleaner would be nice.

I serviced the bearings at the storage lot so it was kind of like being on the road. Glad I did 4 now I'm familiar with the drill and have tools in the box to do it. Thinking about it I'm going to pre-pack grease in the 2 bearings and put them in plastic bags to eliminate that messy drill in an emergency.

If your new trailer has disc brakes you probably need other tools to get the hub off. Maybe you could ask about it during delivery?

 

[Wayne]

Great list and a box of rubber gloves to keep the grease off your hands would be nice as well.

The Morryde axles do have disc brakes so I'll have to determine the type of bearings and brake components. I hope the axles don't have cartridge bearings like my Airstream did. If you have a cartridge bearing go out, your going to be sitting until you get someone with a press to remove the old bearing and press in the new into the hub.

 

[spasm3]

Good you had the tools and know how to do this roadside! I just don't trust anyone to pack my bearings. Do you think they had the castle nut too tight?

I usually have blue gloves for handling the sewer stuff, but i think i will take a few pair of black mechanic rubber gloves from now on.

Thanks for the pics and write up!

 

[Wayne]

I bought some Grease Monkey disposable gloves at Walmart. These are the strongest disposable gloves I've ever had and am very impressed with them. I usually reuse them several times until they tear. They do wear small because they are thick, so get the largest size they have.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Wonder what the spec for one of these axle nuts would be? Probably like the old cars with the tapered roller bearings where it’s tight enough to get the cotter pin in but not too tight and you can loosen it with hand tools.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I bought some Grease Monkey disposable gloves at Walmart. These are the strongest disposable gloves I've ever had and am very impressed with them. I usually reuse them several times until they tear. They do wear small because they are thick, so get the largest size they have.

View attachment 1066

Those are great gloves. I have some too except mine are like a dark blue color and don’t say heavy duty. Those and the Micro Flex Safe Grip they provide for us at work are the strongest I’ve used. Even stronger than the HF 7 mil gloves I was using before the price went to about $30 a box lol. The Micro Flex are latex too but man they are strong and have a long cuff. For the guys who are allergic to latex they get some other brand I can’t remember but they don’t seem to bad either. The Micro Flex Diamond Grip are good too but expensive. They hold up to grease and other stuff with no problem. Nothing worse than having a glove tear open because it gets caught on something. All the guys think I’m weird because I will pull them off and reuse them because they are so thick no sense in throwing them away after one use unless they are absolutely nasty and have like heavy grease or anti seize or anything that would get all over the place on them.

Also another thing I suggest keeping on hand is either the blue disposable shop towels or the red mechanics ones you will need them doing that type of bearings.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Sorry to make a third post in a row but after I posted the others this came to mind as a must have too well a time saving one at least. This is great for those races and dust seals. Really inexpensive too. All you do is unscrew the bolt from the handle get the size you need and bolt it down on the driver and then tap the end of the tool with a hammer and then it pushes in the seal or race. Beats hitting your fingers a few times trying to use a punch… been there and done that. And a seal puller so you don’t damage any screwdrivers trying to pry the seal off or have it fly up and hit you.

 

[Wayne]

Also another thing I suggest keeping on hand is either the blue disposable shop towels or the red mechanics ones you will need them doing that type of bearings.

That's a great suggestion. I always have a roll of paper towels in my vehicles and they do get used from everything from cleaning the windshield to cleaning the dipstick.

 

[Wayne]

View attachment 1070View attachment 1069
Sorry to make a third post in a row but after I posted the others this came to mind as a must have too well a time saving one at least. This is great for those races and dust seals. Really inexpensive too. All you do is unscrew the bolt from the handle get the size you need and bolt it down on the driver and then tap the end of the tool with a hammer and then it pushes in the seal or race. Beats hitting your fingers a few times trying to use a punch… been there and done that. And a seal puller so you don’t damage any screwdrivers trying to pry the seal off or have it fly up and hit you.

I do see how useful the set is for removing and seating seals and races. The question is how many tools is enough on a trip? My mechanic buddy told me that one time when he was young, he took all the tools necessary on the trip to rebuild an automatic transmission. Now he laughs at how silly that was.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I do see how useful the set is for removing and seating seals and races. The question is how many tools is enough on a trip? My mechanic buddy told me that one time when he was young, he took all the tools necessary on the trip to rebuild an automatic transmission. Now he laughs at how silly that was.

Haha. Well this is the motto I go by “it’s better to have and not need than to not have and need”. I guess you have a point though especially if you don’t have the room for it and the case and everything. I always when traveling carry a basic set of hand tools and a large breaker bar and socket to change a tire with if needed. I also keep anti seize and PB Blaster or Knock’er Loose in the road box but when we get back I take it in because the heat isn’t friendly to those. I mainly keep those with me because I always have to repair my dads truck which is a 35 minute venture down the road so I can’t afford to leave anything behind. Now enough to rebuild a transmission maybe crazy because that’s a lot of special tools involved in that. You hope you don’t need anything on a trip but sometimes that is not always the case.

 

[Azjeff]

I try to keep the tool kit to a minimum in the trailer. It doesn't really take any extra tools to change wheel bearings but you have to have the bearings and seal along if you need them. I have what I think I need to make temporary repairs on the trailer to get by and get home. Nothing specific for the truck, what am I going to repair on a brand new truck?