I just brought my 5th wheel in to have the undercarriage checked, brakes looked at, and so on. Got a call from the service department that a wheel bearing had failed. Luckily, it is a Dexter wheel bearing and there is a 5 year warranty, so I won’t have to spend a dime. Bad news is that I won’t have it this weekend.
How often do you folks out there check your wheel bearings? How can you tell if there is a problem?
If you haven’t checked yours in the last year, I’d suggest that you have them looked at.
Best,
Flywaterguide
Flywaterguide
25' Sunnnybrook CKFS(Brookie)
2002 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 (8.1L/Allison/4.10, 45 gal tank, Wester's reprogrammed PCM, Gibson Headers, Flowmaster Cat-back) My Pics My Fly Fishing Web Site
You should be repacking and inspecting your wheel bearings at least once a season or I beleave 6,000 miles.
A good visual inspection goes a long way. Also check to see how much drag there is on the wheel and if there is any play.
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this is a reason the no lube axles can be a bad thing. If the bearings aren't checked and greased yearly the brakes might not get a look either. It just depends on the owner.
chevman
chevman
2001 35 ft avalon alpenlite RK
2005 3500 2wd duramax CC dually
prodigy
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does anyone have the reason why the fivers need annual bearing repacking,, seems that current technology would offer bearings and lubes allowing more than one year or 6k miles,,
compared to other bearings our fivers are high mntc,,
how often do you redo your front wheels on the tow vehicle,,??
thanks,,
[blue]2005 Ford F350 King Ranch, 6.0, SRW, LB, Crew Cab, 72 Gal fuel, Centramatics,,
1995 Alpenlite 33rk
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I repacked the right side bearings last weekend and will repack the left this weekend. My trailer is a little over a year old and has seen a little over 10,000 miles.
When I pulled the bearings, they still looked brand new, and looked like they were packed last week. But I still plan on doing the left side just so I will know they are freshly packed and have been looked at. I figure a few hours repacking them is a lot better than spending several hours or days stranded on a highway during vacation!
Good topic and recommendation, Flywater.
2006 Duramax Diesel 1 ton dually tugging around a 2006 Mobile Suites 36TK3 #2609. Retired and just travelling around now and then seeing the sights.
If you look at the requirements for your tow vehicle you will likely find that bearings on it need attention something like every 30K miles or two years.
Trailers bearings need an annual go-over every year because they tend to sit more and can collect moisture which leads to rust which leads to grit which leads to failure.
Doing an annual bearing job also provides a good opportunity for inspecting and repairing the rest of the running gear, especially brakes.
see bearing maintenance - the photo gallery has some pics of typical rust and a failed bearing.
O.K., Dumb(?) question here: Should the bearings be repacked at the end of the season, or before the season starts? Will there be any condensation during the winter months which needs to be addressed?
I always did it in the Fall as a part of my winterizing procedure, but what do the rest of you think?
Ted
Ted & Jan
2002 Arctic Fox 21-5R
2006 Ford F-350 CC, DRW, Diesel
(Overkill we know, but ready for the new FT trailer)
I do all my trailer bearings(all 6 trailers' worth) in the spring. I think it's more important to check everything in the Spring to make sure no wires are chewed and no critters made any winter accomodations in the drums.
Granted some may have the valid viewpoint to grease them in the Fall while winterizing so fresh grease and no moisture are present in the winter, but I think there will be a lot of condensation forming during the Spring thaw.
Snow Birds or those that live in warmer climates can do them whenever, as long as they get done annually.
Almost every time I stop, rest stop, campground, fuel stop, etc. I walk around and feel the wheels of the 5er. On hot days they will all be quite warm, but if a bearing is giving trouble, that wheel will be warmer than the others. Nothing is better than preventive maintenance, but in between time, a feel is a good test.
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