Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Ask questions about Harbor Freight trailers, or questions about building your own...

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby QueticoBill » Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:22 am

Based on what I did, I hope he is right enough that I won't regret not packing hub with grease. :?
QB
A tear with no name: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=67624
QueticoBill
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 1183
Images: 22
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:22 am
Location: Clayton NY

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby godskid » Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:34 pm

No "where to take it" advice, for a gal who doesn't want to do it myself? I suppose I should start a thread with that actually in the title .....

Deb
User avatar
godskid
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 365
Images: 10
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Chicago area

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby dancam » Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:14 pm

godskid wrote:
Pinstriper wrote:I'm watching this thread with great interest, having just transitioned from "let the shop do it" to "I can do this myself".


I just got here, but I'm scanning this thread with great trepidation .... and while I've installed my own hitch receiver and the wiring, in my car, I'm ready to transition to "let the shop do it" if somebody can suggest what shops are good. Is Merlin reasonable for this kind of thing? I've got about 11k on my teeny teardrop, and I suspect it's time I had the bearings looked at.

Deb


godskid wrote:No "where to take it" advice, for a gal who doesn't want to do it myself? I suppose I should start a thread with that actually in the title .....

Deb

Any place that works on trailers. Any mechanic shop that works on cars. Its a very, very straightforeward job. If you dont personally know someone at a shop its hard to say if they will do it right no matter how good or bad the shop is supposed to be. Simple jobs like this get given to the youngest apprentice or floor sweeper. Just depends on how good he is.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
dancam
500 Club
 
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:27 am
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Top

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby dancam » Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:17 pm

From the manufacturer:

timken:
Step 1: Tighten the nut while turning the hub. When there is a slight bind on the bearing, the parts are seated correctly.
Step 2: Back the nut off 1/6 to 1/4 of a turn or sufficiently to allow .001” to .007“ end play.
Note: Failure to back off adjusting nut could cause bearing to run hot and be damaged. Wheel could lock or separate.

Verify end play with a dial indicator. Wheel end play is the free movement of the tire and wheel assembly along the spindle axis.
a) Make sure the brake drum-to-hub fasteners are tightened to the manufacturers’ specifications.
b) Attach the dial indicator with its magnetic base to the hub or brake drum.
c) Adjust the dial indicator so that its plunger or pointer is against the end of the spindle with its line of action approximately parallel to the axis of the spindle.
d) Grasp the wheel assembly at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. Push the wheel assembly in and out while oscillating it to seat the bearings. Read the bearing end play as the total indicator movement.
NOTE: If end play is not within specification, readjustment is required.

for semi trailers:
torque to 200 lbf•ft (271N•m) While Rotating Wheel
back off One Full Turn
torque to 50 lbf•ft (68 N•m) While Rotating Wheels
back off 1/4 turn
endplay 0.001-0.005

I used a guage to measure endplay. Its a lot less than you would think, lol. 1 thousanth of an inch isnt much. Anyway, i always tighten them like this, drive 50km or so and then recheck. I end up adjusting it almost every time. I do this far more often on my car than the trailer, but same deal.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk
dancam
500 Club
 
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:27 am
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Top

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby QueticoBill » Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:21 pm

I'd guess if I can hear a slight click as I slide it on the spindle but can't visually detect the movement, I'm in that .001 to .007 range. I'd guess lower end of it. But just about what I did as a kind of consensus of quite a few youtubes and other instructions provided.
QB
A tear with no name: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=67624
QueticoBill
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 1183
Images: 22
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:22 am
Location: Clayton NY
Top

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby godskid » Fri Jul 28, 2017 1:23 pm

dancam wrote:
godskid wrote:
Pinstriper wrote:I'm watching this thread with great interest, having just transitioned from "let the shop do it" to "I can do this myself".


I just got here, but I'm scanning this thread with great trepidation .... and while I've installed my own hitch receiver and the wiring, in my car, I'm ready to transition to "let the shop do it" if somebody can suggest what shops are good. Is Merlin reasonable for this kind of thing? I've got about 11k on my teeny teardrop, and I suspect it's time I had the bearings looked at.

Deb


godskid wrote:No "where to take it" advice, for a gal who doesn't want to do it myself? I suppose I should start a thread with that actually in the title .....

Deb

Any place that works on trailers. Any mechanic shop that works on cars. Its a very, very straightforeward job. If you dont personally know someone at a shop its hard to say if they will do it right no matter how good or bad the shop is supposed to be. Simple jobs like this get given to the youngest apprentice or floor sweeper. Just depends on how good he is.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


Thanks! I guess I should go interview the floor sweepers, before picking a place. ;)
User avatar
godskid
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 365
Images: 10
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Chicago area
Top

Re: Pull seals or clean and use zirk?

Postby Pinstriper » Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:23 pm

jondbar628 wrote:Opinions on greasing bearings are like noses - everybody has one.. :D .....so here"s my story......For years, I packed bearings as others do - clean & pack bearings, grease the races, pack the hub with grease so the bearing grease can't "go" anywhere. Never had a bearing failure......Then the plant where I worked as a tradesman brought in a rep from Rotanium (they're a manufacturer of high-end industrial greases, specializing in high-temp applications). HE went through the cleaning & packing process (pretty much standard fare), then went on to say that many, if not most folks use way too much grease in their applications - filling the hub (as I did) being the main fault.
He said that you have to remember that grease is not just a lubricant, it's also an insulator. So if you pack a hub full of grease, and you have a bearing running a little hot for some reason, that heat has nowhere to go. It will just keep increasing at an accelerated rate, causing earlier bearing failure as the grease in the bearing will eventually break down. Leaving an empty space between the inner & outer bearings will allow some of that heat to dissapate, extending the life of the faulty bearing. .......I switched to his method, and still have not had a bearing failure, so who is right?.....food for thought.......jd
This is very interesting, thanks for that.

Sent from my RCT6213W87M using Tapatalk
Let's eat, Grandma !
Let's eat Grandma !
Commas. They save lives.
User avatar
Pinstriper
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 3:40 pm
Location: Outer SW Portlandia
Top

Previous

Return to Trailer and Chassis Secrets

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests