Trailer Berings

[X19 Indy]

I posted this in the Trailer forum but thought I would ask here as well. I have an x91 on a backtrack trailer. I developed a vibration on my way home last weekend. I thought I probably broke a belt in a tire so I took it to Discount Tire down the street. Turns out it is a bering that is bad and they don't do berings. How hard is it to change the berings? Can anyone tell me how you replace the berings and if any special tools are required? Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[Kevin R.]

If you have never done this I would pay to have it done. If you get them too tight or loose it will cause issues fast. You have to replace the race which is very important to get flush in the hub. But the main job is to take the hub apart which is doable with hand tools. There will be a bearing cover or bearing buddy, a cotter key(always replace with a new one), the nut;and sometimes washer; an inner and outer bearing, then the seal(always replace the seal also). You have to use a drift and a hammer to remove the races and then get the new races out of the packages and drive them in whith a bearing race and seal driver(can rent at autozone), making sure they are fluch in the hub. Then you need to pack the inner bearing bearing with grease and put a light layer on the race. Install the bearing and the new seal. Put the hub on the spindle and then pack the outer bearing with grease and put a light layer on the race for it. Install the bearing making sure it is centered on the spendle. Install the washer if it has one, and the nut and tighten down on it while you turn the hub counter clockwise( if the nut is going clockwise, I have seen a left hand thread on one side of a spendle before) untill the hub drags. Then back off the nut just a hair and spin the hub. Now this is where it get tricky. I (myself saying this, others may do it differntley, this works for me) like to spin the hub with some force and if it slows down and stops byitself with in 2 spins, I see if I have any side to side or up and down play I call it good. Install a new cotter key and reinstall the bearing cover.

[Ranger391v]

The long story - short .......
- it's really not that difficult.
- it's a lot of little things that need to line up perfectly.
- it's something that can easily be learned after you have someone show you how the first time.
- it's something that can turn ugly quick if you don't do it right.

So either get someone to show you how this time ... or just pay someone to do it.

Only tools you should need:
- pliers (cotter pin removal)
- hammer (bearing buddies and races)
- crescent wrench (castle nut removal/install)
- punch (knocking races out/in)
- grease gun
- bearing packer (optional, but makes it really nice)
- seal puller (again optional, but makes it really nice)

Replacing:
- 2 bearings with matching races
- all old grease
- rear seal
- dust cap (depends if you're running dust caps, Bearing Buddies, etc)

This is assuming you're running Grease hubs and not Oil Bath.

Oh yea, one other thing ....... not all trailer bearings are the same size ...... and most of your bigger boat trailers run a larger bearing in the back than in the front. Just a little FYI incase you didn't know that.

[X19 Indy]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

I think I will probably will enlist the help of a profesional.

[Kevin R.]

[Ranger391v]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Kevin R. &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote"> </td></tr></table>

What he said.

Like we mentioned above ..... it's no big deal, just get someone that knows what they're doing to show you.