HOW TO REMOVE AND REPLACE TRAILER WHEEL BEARINGS
For more info see Dexter's article "Hubs, Drums, & Bearings" HERE.
HOW TO REMOVE AND REPLACE TRAILER WHEEL BEARINGS
0. Remove old hub/drum.
a) Jack up wheel. On the INSIDE of the backing plate, take off the oval shaped
plug. Inside you should see a star nut. Using a screwdriver, turn this DOWN
(from top to bottom). Do it until the wheel spins relatively freely. This will
loosen up the brake pads from rubbing against the drum, allowing you to get
the drum off more easily.
b) Back to the outside of the wheel, take off cap on end of spindle. Usually
a screw driver will do the trick.
c) Take out the cotter pin
d) Unbolt the large spindle nut. On my 7000 lbs axle it is a 1 7/8" (?)
nut. Take out the washer and the nut and set aside.
e) Grab the drum and pull it straight off. Take care not to drop the outer bearing
into the dirt.
1. Make sure that your brakes are good. I just installed new backing plates
and brakes and hardware.Cost is about $50 per wheel. Note that with torsion
axles, the brake backing plate studs are pressed into the flange and then welded
onto the axle housing (You can't put new studs on without removing the flange
and welding it back on!) Since these were 11 year old very rusty studs, I ground
them down, then punched them out, then installed a 7/8" Grade 8 bolt and
special thin Grade 8 nuts. I was JUST barely able to use a flat washer on the
head side and a lock washer on the nut side.

2. Using fine sandpaper, sand down the spindle and clean off the threads on
the spindle. The fit of the bearing onto the spindle is precision machined,
so if there is rust or crap built up on there, it will not go on very easily.
3. Apply a thing layer of grease onto the spindle.
4. Below is a picture of the inner bearing. Grease this. You can do it by hand
or with a bearing packer. I saw an idea that I would like to use next time.
Someone suggested using a zip lock bag. Put grease in the bag, then the bearing
into the bag. Seal it and kneed the grease into the bearing. Not only does this
not get your hands greasy, but it doesn't get dirt, leaves, grime etc. into
the bearing. Also, I would highly suggest using synthetic grease.
5. Apply thin layer of grease onto inner bearing race and then drop the inner
bearing into new hub/drum assembly. It only goes 1 way and it should be pretty
obvious as it is a cone shape. If you were re-using your old hub/drums, you
would need to tap the old bearing race out and tap the new one in.
6. Tap inner bearing seal on - I used a wooden block and a hammer to try to
get it even. You can see it is a little bit banged out of shape but it should
do the job.
7. Slide hub/drum assembly onto spindle as evenly as possible. If it doesn't
go on, try putting the outter bearing in to make it go in evenly and straight.
This may require a little bit of force but not much (no kicking).

8. Outer bearing - same process as inner bearing.

9. Put on spindle washer and spindle nut. Tighten to 50 lb/ft WHILE spinning
hub/drum.
10. Loosen spindle nut (Don't spin hub/drum while loosening). Hand tighten spindle
nut. Insert cotter pin. Spindle nut should be free to move with only cotter
pin stopping it.
11. Put wheel back on.
12. Hammer on end cap.
13. Tighten lug nuts.
14. Do the opposite of Step 0a., tightening the star nut by moving it upwards
until you cannot move the wheel at all. Now, back off a few turns into it can
turn freely. Remember to put the oval plug back.
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