Trailer hub replacement

[RidgeRunner]

Tie Downs brake parts are annoying at best, but their posi-lube spindles and hubs are nice. They have galvanized hubs also. Just be careful buying hubs from other manufacturers, the offset of the seal can be too far outboard so as to actually make the little grease hole in the spindle outside of the confines of where the seal rides. IN other words, when you think you are greasing the bearings through the zerk fitting on the end of the axle, you really just have a large blob of grease around the hole and just inboard of where the seal rides.(messy) Ask me how I know.. I would go all in on your bearings being two sizes. (1 1/16 outer and 1 3/8 inner) Last four trailers I owned had the same, never know til you look though.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Blue_Runner

My thinking is, if I'm gonna replace two hubs I might as well replace all 4 at the same time.

Great info - thanks guys.

p.s. Destroyer I believe my bearing buddies popped off cause 1) I over packed the grease and 2) there was grease on the edges when I put them in. Still, I'm not a huge fan of buddies....but they are certainly better than nothing at all.

Hmmmm... but there's a greese/pressure relief hole in the buddies... it's impossible to overpack/overpressurize them because the greese will just ooze out of the hole. In fact, that's why they make the bearing bra for them, (so the ooze is captured by the bra and doesn't cover your wheels.)
Now, if your spindles are damaged, that's another story entirely and it's very possible they came off because of that. I agree with you that if you're gonna replace two it's only smart to do all four... and like everyone else said, I'm of the opinion you'll find you have two different size bearings on each wheel. Take off a hub, remove the bearings and take down the numbers... then do like Reelapeelin said and go buy some quality Timken (American) or German (FAG) or Swedish (SKF) made bearings. (Or take the bearings to your local bearing house and let them size them up for you). Remember that your entire boat, trailer and days outing are riding on these 8 little bearings spinning around at hundreds of times a minute. You want nothing but the best down there...

[macojoe]

get the super lube caps for loadrite trailers, they go on and have a rubber cap in the center just pop it off grease the zerk and put the rubber back in, no more removal of the caps!!

http://www.easternmarine.com/superlu...dust-cap-81168

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by macojoe

get the super lube caps for loadrite trailers, they go on and have a rubber cap in the center just pop it off grease the zerk and put the rubber back in, no more removal of the caps!!

http://www.easternmarine.com/superlu...dust-cap-81168

X2 Totally forgot about them. I actually have them on one of my single axle trailers, and they work great... no more pounding the dust cap on or off... love them.

[phatdaddy]

definitely get the caps, put after you take the rubber plug out, do not rub your finger inside to clean the edges. it's very sharp!!!

[Blue_Runner]

Already was eyeballing those caps. People seem to like them and they are a good match for the posi-lube spindle from what I can tell.

[Blue_Runner]

I ordered 4 stainless posi-lube dust caps online. I will regrease and install the caps now then take all 4 apart, replace rear hub seals, repack bearing and re-install this winter. I apreciate the help and tend to agree the hubs, bearings, races are probably all in good shape but will inspect and repack after fishing season. I feel dumb b/c didn't know what the posi-lube system was until recently!

[Blue_Runner]

Update - I got the 4 new posi-lube grease caps in stainless. I started work Saturday, jacked up one of the wheels with the rusty brake drum and immediately upon turning it by hand I knew I was gonna have to do something more than just regrease and put a new grease cap on. It made an aweful screetching sound when turning, so I looked for a minute and realized I could remove the inner part of the drum brake assembly and leave the outer drum as it is part of the hub itself. This meant I needed to pull the hub to access the 4 bolts that bolt the drum brake to the square flange on the axle. No problem right? Bolts were stubborn and a little hard to access - that is putting it lightly. Took about 2 hours to get those 4 bolts off! But when I did, that whole rusty concoction is now forever gone. Some metal had rusted off inside there and was free floating around inside the drum - accident waiting to happen. On the rear wheels all I had to do was pop off the grease cap, shoot new grease in/old grease out, install the posi-lub caps and done. To get the new grease in/old grease out you need to jack up the wheel and turn by hand while shooting grease. This helps to get as much old out and new in. Lots of shop rags (old t-shirts) were in order for this. Oh, and a fan cuz it was hot.

So, I have 3 done and one to go - the other side with the brake assembly. It will probably take a couple hours. Starting this evening....wish me luck! Gonna be nice to get this marked off the list. Next up is a new VHF b/c mine is starting to flake.

[reelapeelin]

I finally got so tired of messing w/trailer brakes, I yanked all mine off and upgraded all four disc rotors and pads on the truck...drilled and slotted w/hi-performance pads...nary a problem since...

[macojoe]

been there done that!! sounds like you were working on my old trailer!! just snap them bolts, your never going to nee them again any way!!

like reel i have always ripped all brakes off, trucks i have had did a good job of stoping.