How often should boat trailer bearings be repacked?

Bearings and races can last an awful long time if you properly keep them greased and examine them when you repack with grease. With or without bearing buddies, we recommend repacking grease once a year. This not only provides fresh grease each year, but it is the perfect time to examine races and bearings.

Keeping this in view, how often should boat trailer wheel bearings be repacked?

Some manufacturers recommend inspecting and greasing an RV's wheel bearings once every season, or at least every 10,000 miles. But boat trailers with small wheels require re-packing every 2,000 miles. Generally, the smaller the tire, the faster the wheels spin, which puts stress on the bearings.

Also, how often should you grease your trailer bearings? Standard tapered trailer wheel bearings are recommended to be re-packed with fresh bearing grease about every year or every 12,000 miles under normal use. In certain conditions this interval could be shorter, such as if you routinely tow the trailer under conditions of extreme heat or near its maximum load capacity.

Also to know is, how many miles do trailer bearings last?

Wheel bearings have an average lifespan of 136,000 to 160,000 km (approximately 85,000 to 100,000 miles).

How often should you change boat trailer tires?

Helpful Expert Reply: Generally trailer tires should be replaced every 5 to 6 years regardless of mileage and use.

38 Related Question Answers Found

How do I know if my trailer bearings need grease?

Keep your hand on the wheel and spin it. If you feel any motion that is not smooth, hear any noises, or if the wheel does not spin freely, the wheel bearing is defective or needs lubrication.

Do bearing buddies grease the inner bearing?

Expert Reply: Bearing Buddy pumps grease into the center of the hub all the way back to the grease seal. It would then fill the cavity inside the hub and continue to the inner bearing.

Can you over grease wheel bearings?

There's no such thing as too much grease for bearings! You would not pack grease in the hub otherwise and not in the drum since the brakes would not be able to grab with grease in the hub. Grease caps, dust caps, and bearing protectors have to be installed right to avoid losing them.

What is the best grease for trailer wheel bearings?

Best Wheel Bearing Grease for Travel Trailer Reviews

Lucas Oil 10301 Heavy Duty Grease.
Sta-Lube SL3121 Wheel Bearing Grease.
Timken GR224C Wheel Bearing Grease.
Lucas Oil 10682 Marine Grease.
Star Brite Wheel Bearing Grease.
LubriMatic 11404 Marine Trailer Wheel Bearing Grease.

Do you need to repack bearings with bearing buddies?

When you use the Bearing Buddy Bearing Protectors like # BB2441, so you do not need to take apart the wheel hub and repack the bearings. The Bearing Buddy Protectors have a spring loaded seal that keeps the moisture and debris out of the bearings.

How much wheel bearing play is too much?

Re: Wheel bearing play - how much is too much? (

Not enough torque can actually cause premature failure. There should be no more than . 002" bearing end play (yes, 2 thousandths max). Any play is too much.

How tight should the nut be on a trailer wheel bearing?

The nut on the spindle should be tightened until snug, with no side-to-side play in the hub and then backed off slightly, about maybe a 1/8 of a turn. If the spindle uses a castle nut and cotter pin or tang nut, tighten the nut finger tight until it…

Should there be any play in trailer wheel bearings?

For adequate trailer wheel bearing maintenance, you need to check your bearings on a regular basis. Check wheels for side-to-side looseness – There should be a very slight amount of play in the wheel, typically 1/8-inch or less. If the wheels are loose or spin with a wobble, the bearings must be serviced or replaced.

How do you repack trailer wheel bearings?

First, loosen the lug nuts on one wheel and raise the side of the trailer with a jack. Support the trailer with jack stands and then spin the wheel and listen to the trailer bearings. If the wheel spins freely and quietly, proceed with repacking the bearings.

How warm should trailer bearings get?

About 130-140 is too hot to touch and anything above that probably too hot for a wheel bearing. Compare it to your hot water temp at home. If you can't touch the wheel then I would consider them too hot… warm to the touch is OK.

How much does it cost to replace wheel bearings on a trailer?

The average cost for a wheel bearing service is between $158 and $198. Labor costs are estimated between $140 and $178 while parts are priced between $18 and $20. Estimate does not include taxes and fees.

How much play should a wheel bearing have?

One way to check wheel-bearing play is to raise the wheels off the ground and rock the tires in and out while watching for any looseness. As a rule, there should be no play on most FWD cars, but up to . 010 inch of play in the front bearings may be acceptable on RWD cars and trucks with adjustable bearings.

Can you put too much grease in a bearing?

Too much grease volume (overgreasing) in a bearing cavity will cause the rotating bearing elements to begin churning the grease, pushing it out of the way, resulting in energy loss and rising temperatures. This can result in accelerated wear of the rolling elements and then component failure.

How do you know when your bearing Buddy is full?

You should see the piston extend out or the blue ring past the front of the Bearing Buddy® when it's properly filled. However, as air escapes the piston (or blue ring) is going to collapse inward. This is normal. After driving several miles, check the piston (or blue ring) to see if it has moved inward.

How long does trailer bearing grease last?

Standard tapered trailer wheel bearings are recommended to be re-packed with fresh bearing grease about every year or every 12,000 miles under normal use. In certain conditions this interval could be shorter, such as if you routinely tow the trailer under conditions of extreme heat or near its maximum load capacity.

How much grease does a bearing need?

Using the chart and the formula, the bearing only needs 8 grams of grease every 10,000 hours. If your grease gun delivers around 1.35 grams per stroke, that means the bearing needs 6 strokes every 13 months; you could average it out to a stroke every 8 weeks or so.

How long do trailer wheel bearings last?

approximately 85,000 to 100,000 miles