BCB: wheel bearing replacement help

[Aruss1984]

Looks like I need to replace my trailer wheel bearings on my 08 cougar trailer.

What size do I need? Can I buy the parts from somewhere other than BCB as I'm in a pinch

[Aruss1984]

Do I remove the rubber seal and then the backing plate? IMG_20191103_150101.jpg

[OldTimer57]

I believe NAPA keeps UFP seals and bearings. In fact, I think it is a "kit" that contains bearings(2), races(2) and seal(1).

I am not sure what you mean by "backing plate".

Steps are:

(1) remove center cap (bearing buddy, whatever).

(2) remove cotter pin, castle nut and washer.

(3) slowly pull wheel off of spindle. outside bearing will be loose and can be pulled out. If I recall correctly, you need to remove the two bolts holding the caliper on so that you can get the caliper out of the way and not interfere with the brake rotor. Seems to me that the hub and rotor are one assembly but I might be remembering wrong. But I believe that every disc brake hub I removed had this problem even if they use the "top hat" style rotor that goes on over the wheel studs and is held on by the wheel and lug nuts.

(4) take a screwdrive/prybar or seal removal tool if you have one and pry out the inner seal (rubber, metal and spring).

(5) now you can remove inner bearing.

Replacing the races is a bit of a pain. You can rent a tool that will help (a giant C-clamp with adapters) you can use to press the races out. Or you can use a big punch and hammer, and punch the outer race out from the inside, and the inner race out from the outside. I then use a big socket and that C-clamp to press the new race in (I put a thin film of grease on the inside of the hub and on the outside of the race to help it along). If you don't have the c-clamp, you can still use the socket + hammer, but you have to be careful. It is a very tight interference fit and it is easy to start it crooked. The race is brittle and will break if you don't have it going in straight. You do not want to bang on the race, you want to bang on something that will distribute the force equally around the entire race, and ONLY on the outside edge of the race, not the part where the bearing rolls.

I've done this many times to cars, trucks, trailers, and once to my 08 Bass Cat trailer.

Hope that helps.

edit: one more note. You CAN get races that are just a few thousandths too large. You can bang on those all you want, they ain't going in. Probably best to either (a) order from BCB as they will absolutely be correct or (b) knock the old races out, take 'em to NAPA and make sure the new races have the same outside dimension. Anything larger will become way more than a royal PITA. NOTE: measured with a caliper, not just by feel.

[Chisco]

Looks like you still have the bearing buddy on (silver cylinder).....just knock it off with chisel and hammer at seem. That will get you to the cotter pin and nut.

[Superpro]

Looks like you still have the bearing buddy on (silver cylinder).....just knock it off with chisel and hammer at seem. That will get you to the cotter pin and nut.

I agree