REPACK YOUR WHEEL BEARINGS! (New Post with new Photos 7/05)

[FiremanPete]

Repack your wheel bearings  (With photos!)

The majority of the info here is from a posting I put up years ago on the old site…I’ve added some
recent photos of my bearing lube job (my ’78 Ramada) in July 2005.  There was a great link on the
new site to some photos of an old Scotty camper getting its bearings repacked, so I decided to snap
some photos during the job….hope it helps.

NOTE:  In the original posting, I neglected to advise you to have LOTS of paper towels or rags handy.  Put newspaper or cardboard down around your hubs if you’re doing this in your garage…I made a greasy mess of my floor….also, tapping out the rear bearings will tap lots of rust and dirt out….have a shop vac ready to avoid a mess.  

SECOND NOTE:  My wife asks all of you out there not to wear white or off-white shorts or shirts when re-packing wheel bearings.  I’ll never learn!


Here’s the updated posting:


For all of you with old Apache's...(basically all of you at this site), wanted to say how important repacking wheel bearings is. My '74 was purchased from a friend, who admitted to me he had never repacked the bearings since original purchase. I had my neighbor (part time "grease monkey") show me how to repack them. If anyone is interested, it's probably the most important part of trailering your camper anywhere. We found the old grease dried up and the bearings had begun to wear. To repack them:

Some folks like to do both wheels at the same time…if that’s the case, get some jack stands…you should use jack stands if you have them, anyway.  

I prefer the “wheel at a time” method.  I simply crank the trailer tongue down low, drop one rear corner stabilizer to the garage floor, then place a car/floor jack under the frame rail on the side you wish to work on.  Loosen the lug nuts on the tire before you lift it off the ground….remember, on many models, the driver side lug nuts will be opposite from the passenger side….mine are marked with an “L” and they are reverse thread…they need to be turned clockwise to loosen!

Now you’re ready to lift the frame rail.  When the tire just gets off the ground, use the tongue jack to crank up the front a bit more, and your tire will be well positioned off the ground, allowing the axle to drop freely.




 Use a hammer and screwdriver to loosen the cap from the center of the wheel. I tap a flat blade screwdriver into the edge between the hub and the dust cap, then turn it sideways a bit to pry it off a little at a time, moving around the cap.   See photo for area to begin prying the cap off…

NOTE:  This photo is not of an Apache hub, so your hub will look different...will probably have holes where there studs are...but the dust cap is basically the same....



Make sure the inside of the cap is clean and put it aside. You will see a large nut beneath the cap, with a cotter pin through it. Bend the end of the cotter pin straight and push it out (or pull out with pliers) the other end to remove it.  See the photo for cotter pin just behind the end of the spindle.



and here the cotter pin has been bent straight for removal:



 Clean it and put it aside. The nut should only be hand tight, so you should be able to remove it without tools. Once the nut is removed, you will be able to remove washer, outer bearings, and wheel hub.

Photo shows retaining nut removed and bearings (behind the washer) still on spindle inside hub:


 There are outside bearings and inside bearings... The outer bearings(the ones you can see) are behind the washer that you can see.  They can be removed at this point by simply edging them out with a screwdriver. Pop out the  bearings, wipe all dirty grease from them, and place them in a safe spot (I like to put them and the cotter pin right into the dust cap I removed first.) Once the bearings are out, pull the hub off and wipe clean the area you just removed the outer bearings from.

Now place two wood blocks (I use 4x4’s) on the floor a few inches apart.  See photo:



Place the hub on them so that you can tap out the inner (rear) bearings and seal.  I use a socket extension bar since it’s fairly blunt and won’t damage the bearings or seals.  You just need to catch the edge of the bearing and tap around to pop it free….it may take a good whack, so don’t use a screwdriver…it may gouge the bearings.  Once the bearings and seal pop out, wipe them clean and inspect for damage.  Here’s a photo of the inner (rear) bearings and seal after removal and wiping:



Now turn the hub over and wipe clean the rear side of the hub opening (where the rear bearings and seal were just removed from)  Lubricate the entire inside area from the rear and front with a good coating of bearing grease.  It’s also a good time to wipe the inside of the drum (see photo) and scrape out any buildup at the back edge of the drum…mine had accumulated rust/dirt/grease.




Now is a good time to inspect the spindle of the axle.  I use a compressor to blow any material out of the wheel hub and wipe off the spindle.  I sand any rust on the back side so there’s less chance of friction between the front and rear of hub after re-assembly.  If you use electric brakes, now’s the time to check the condition of the brake shoes…(See brake assembly in photo)….Now lubricate the spindle that the wheel hub and bearings will slide back onto.




Now it’s time to clean the bearings and seals.  Place them into a coffee can with some parts cleaner…many use gasoline, but use EXTREME caution if you choose to do this….after a few minutes of soaking, use a small brush (old toothbrushes work great) to work the dirty grease out of the bearings and seals.  I then use an air compressor to blow the residual cleaner and grease out of the bearings.



 To repack the bearings, just put a big blob of wheel bearing grease (from auto parts or hardware store) into the palm of your hand, and "shave" the grease from your hand with the bearing, working the grease into the gap between the bearing housing and the bearings themselves. (It's very self-evident when you look at it.) The old dirty grease will push out the top.  You may have to use a good amount….you’ll know when the bearings are full of grease.  Here’s a photo off the web of the “shaving” process to fill up the bearings with grease (I couldn’t take a photo for obvious reasons!)



Now it’s time to replace the inner (rear) bearings.  You’ll tap the seal back on after placing the bearings back inside the hub.  Not to worry…if the seal won’t go back on, you can always replace it at most automotive parts stores…just bring in the old one to match up.  Here’s a photo (not mine) of the rear (inner) bearings in and the seal being tapped on…it’s not off an Apache, so the hub looks different…just make sure you're putting the bearings in the rear side (they’ll only fit in one direction) and hold the seal down on one side while tapping the other, moving around the seal in a circle:


When the rear bearing and seal are in, you can use your finger to smear a little more grease around the inside of the bearing, then slide the hub back onto the spindle.

Take the newly-packed outer (front) bearings and place them over the spindle, seating them in their original position.  Take the washer you removed and coat it with a layer of grease, placing it over the spindle.  You’ll see that it’s notched and will only go over the spindle one way.  See photo showing bearings and washer back in hub:



Now replace the retainer nut.  Fasten it down snug against the washer, then back off one “notch” in the nut until you can see the hole for the cotter pin.  Place the cotter pin (straightened out, of course, or a new one if you splurge for the thirty cents or so…) through the hole and bend the longer end out and over the edge of the nut.  This keeps the pin from ever falling out.  See photo:


Now you will replace the dust cap.  Again, make sure it nice and clean, especially along the edge that goes into the hub…no need to re-introduce dirt and foreign objects to your nice, clean bearings!  To replace the dust caps, hold them in place and tap the top edges with a hammer lightly, moving in circles.  You can use a wooden block if you’re afraid of marring them (the way mine look, I just whack ‘em with a hammer.)  See photo:


You’re done with this wheel!  Repeat for other side (unless you did the two-for-one special…)


 You’ll probably notice a difference in the  "free spin" of the wheels. It also allowed me to lubricate all the trailer brake parts located behind the wheel. And if you need to sand and paint your trailer wheels, this is a good way to do it because you have them off and there's no danger of paint contaminating the grease. Just plug the center area with newspaper and spray. Good Luck. - Pete

[pratch2]

Very Very nice job! Maybe the pictures will help some of the skiddish repack those bearings. Its a must if you havent done it and should be checked for safety sake!  :wink:

[timsch]

This is obviously French propoganda to get you to surrender, dont take the bate people! :roll:

[FiremanPete]

Oui, Timmeh, oui!

[DDLTexan]

Good job Pete!

Thanks for posting the How To with pictures.

That will help alot of owners.

[pratch1]

Nice job Pete
That will help others  :wink:

[DDLTexan]

This thread is now a Sticky to keep this at the top of the list for people to use as a reference guide.

[timsch]

I noticed that by it being stickey.

[DDLTexan]

Yes, bearing repacking can be VERY VERY sticky!
 :lol:

[timsch]

I know, I need to wash my hands now because when I opened the thread I did'nt realize you made it stickey and well...I see now that it is, stickey that is.

33 words,
no content,
Humor, priceless.

[DDLTexan]

LOL

And getting stickier by the minute!
 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[DDLTexan]

Humor is what helps keep me sane.

I don't want to think of the opposite.

[tractorman]

As much as I liked the pictures and how to lines, I would caution you about using air to blow off the parts. Most brake shoes contian adbestos( not sure if I spelled it right) in a fine powder form. This stuff is very hard your your lungs. The recomended way to remove the dust in to use a wash, ussally water, to clean the parts at first. This helps to keep the dust from being airborne, and letting you inhale it.  Another way is to use a brake parts cleaner that comes in a spray can. Its cheap, and will disolve most of the grease, oil and keep the dust out of the air. It will also leave you with clean and dry parts.  It does have a smell, so best to use if out side or in the ventalated area.  I do this kind of work for a living, so I'm well aware of the risks involved with the dust.  

On another note, what kind of grease are you using? One picture its looks blue, another it looks white. I'm not aware of any high temp grease that looks like that. I use a valvoline product, part # 633. This grease was used in the wheel bearings of Ford cars from the 60's and early 70's. It will take temps from -40 to 320 degrees. It is a Moly-Fortified Lithium based grease. It is very black looking and I beleive it contains graphite in it. I also use on most of my farm equipment, and seldom having any bearing failure with it. I'm sure that everyone has there favorite grease, from there favorite supplier, but this stuff works real well on high speed, temp bearings.  Just my two cents worth.   Jeff

[timsch]

Jeff, spraying brake cleaner around and breathing it and contacting it on skin is also bad. A carcanajin if I am not mistaken. But then again when i was in the Navy we painted birthing compartments with the green apoxy based paint with not resperators or ventilation. I also bath in MEK and brake cleaner. What the (Censored word, PLEASE REMOVE!)), life is over rated! :roll:

I am trying to find some Wolfs Head bearing grease as my first choice but use the Valvoline as you stated. Your description I have found is right on the money. You have to forgive pete as he is converting to French and that frontal lobatomy is finaly kickin' in. Pretty soon he will be surrendering to the door bell like all go froggies.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I consider the brake cleaner to be the lesser of the two evils. One just need to remember that your not to bath in it, just use enough to clean the parts and trap the dust.  Also i'll note that it likes to eat plastic, so keep it away from the ABS parts.( this is something that the tent trailers dont have much of)  Water might be the best solution for the ones that don't like the chemical cocktail.  You just have to think about the hazardous things present in older type units, that aren't in the newer ones.  I too, would like to use some Wolf's Head products, but they seem to be harder to find here than when I was younger. We used there oils on drag cars in the 60's and 70's. Good stuff, hard to find a replacement for. I relise that most people here would like to fix and repair there own stuff, but sometimes the health hazards might make it better for you to go to a dealer or someone trained in how to keep the nasty stuff off of your skin, and out of the lungs.  I believe that there are also warnings for skin contact on motor oils, the grease, and just about every other product that is used in the field.   It would be irony to be killed off by the things that helped you go camping and get back to nature.    Jeff