How hot do your wheel bearings get?

[straycatt]

All of my other trailers have larger wheels (12"/14") than my motorcycle trailer (8").

 

On a recent 400 mile stroll at mostly x-way speeds, I noticed that the motorcycle trailers hubs were very warm to the touch. I wouldn't call them "hot" but it was very close. Before this trip I had hand greased the bearings and they all looked perfect.

 

The only thing I questioned was the free play that I left in the bearing. Before I took them apart there was, what I would call, too much play. The next tighter notch in the nut that would allow the cotter pin in, was....not snug, but left very little play.

 

I haven't pulled them back apart yet, to see how they look now.

At any rate, I'm wondering how hot these things normally run, my experience says warm is normal, but I've never run 8" wheels before.

 

How hot do yours run?

[BuckShot]

Mine get warm to the touch--can still hold my hand on them. If is extremely hot out,may not be able to hold hand on them for long. Not hot enough to burn hand at touch thou.

[Wanderer]

Warm to the touch only. The way to tighten a wheel bearing is draw the bearing down until the wheel will not turn by hand, then back off until wheel turns freely by hand.

[Monty]

You should NEVER back off a wheel bearing. You should snug it up until you can just barely feel any play when grabbing the tire at the top and bottom, then wiggling it. You want just a little play in it.

 

Tightening it up that much, and then loosening it will crush(for lack of a better term) it in too far, and create problems for you later.

[Wanderer]

From Popular Mechanics on Servicing Wheel Bearings:

 

"Keep spinning while tightening. You'll feel the bearing start to bind slightly as you tighten more. Stop there. Now back off the nut with the wrench until you feel that resistance dissipate, and one of the castellations on the nut lines up with the cotter pin hole."

 

I guess I was not totally correct, but not totally wrong either.

Edited June 10, 2010 by Wanderer
add my imperfection

[saddlebum]

You should NEVER back off a wheel bearing. You should snug it up until you can just barely feel any play when grabbing the tire at the top and bottom, then wiggling it. You want just a little play in it.

 

Tightening it up that much, and then loosening it will crush(for lack of a better term) it in too far, and create problems for you later.

Sorry to disagree with you on this one Monty.

But wheel bearings should be torqued snug while rotating the wheel to make sure they are properly seated. Then back the nut off 1/2 a turn and readjust until you have between one to five thousands of an inch of bearing lash.

Test it by giving the wheel a slight very soft spin and watch as it comes to a stop. If the wheel is too tight it will bounce back a bit when it stops rotating. If it is adjusted properly with just a little play it will come to a smooth stop with no backward bounce.

Edited June 10, 2010 by saddlebum

[davecb]

From Popular Mechanics on Servicing Wheel Bearings:

 

"Keep spinning while tightening. You'll feel the bearing start to bind slightly as you tighten more. Stop there. Now back off the nut with the wrench until you feel that resistance dissipate, and one of the castellations on the nut lines up with the cotter pin hole."

 

I guess I was not totally correct, but not totally wrong either.

 

 

 

The purpose of doing this is so the bearings make metal to metal contact to the race. If you do not do this, then you will get some slop in the bearing due to the grease filling the void when metal should be touching metal. Then, when the grease and bearings get warm, the grease melts away giving you looseness in the bearing that you really do not want.....Thank you.....

[short-haul]

Taken from ISIS (IHC shop Manule) this is the same basic procuder all manifuctures sugest unless you are using LGM bearing assembles.

I was all ways taught this basic methoud

"1 spin the wheel while tighten the bearing

2 when you feel friction on the wheel(it gets harder to turn) stop

3 back the nut off till it is just lose then tighten is so it just makes contect and install coter key"

 

 

WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTMENT

 

 

 

Satisfactory wheel seal operation as well as long bearing life depends on correct wheel bearing installation, cleanliness, lubrication and adjustment. The following will help you perform these required services for front wheels and hubs.

Wheels or hubs, bearing cups, locking nuts, washers, hub caps, and spindles are to be clean from any foreign matter. Bearings must be pre-lubed before installation. Refer to GROUP 10 - LUBRICATION in the CTS-5000 Master Service Manual for the proper lube specifications.

NOTE: If new bearing(s) are being installed, the new bearings must be seated to insure maximum service reliability. After the bearing and hub are assembled on the spindle, install the bearing adjustment nut. Tighten the adjustment nut to 120 to 140 ft-lbs. (163 to 190 Nm) while rotating the hub to seat the bearing. Back off the adjusting nut 1/2 turn and follow the procedure below.

 

 

 

 

BEARING END PLAY CHECK PROCEDURE

 

 

This procedure is done with vehicle on floor stands.

The bearing must be fully installed before checking end play (cotter key installed or jam nut jammed). Use a dial indicator to measure hub end play ( Figure 12 ) with respect to the spindle.

 

(Right click on graphic to bring up an option list)

Figure 12. Measuring Hub End Play

 

 

When servicing the hub assembly, check the bearing end play before the brake drum and wheels are installed.

Mount the dial indicator at the bottom of the wheel (remove hub cap or axle shaft if installed), or on the drum or hub as illustrated in Figure 12 . Grasp drum, hub or tire at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position. First push, then pull evenly on the drum hub or tire to measure the amount of end play. Note total indicator reading.

The bearing adjustment procedures are intended to result in .001 to .010 inch (.0254 to .254 mm) end play with no preload. However, for longer seal life, the .001 to .005 inch (.0254 to .1270 mm) end play (clearance) should be strived for (measured after the jam nut is torqued).

 

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[Monty]

Well, I guess I've been doing it wrong all of these years. That's the way I was taught.

 

Learn something new every day.

[tsigwing]

All of my other trailers have larger wheels (12"/14") than my motorcycle trailer (8").

 

On a recent 400 mile stroll at mostly x-way speeds, I noticed that the motorcycle trailers hubs were very warm to the touch. I wouldn't call them "hot" but it was very close. Before this trip I had hand greased the bearings and they all looked perfect.

 

The only thing I questioned was the free play that I left in the bearing. Before I took them apart there was, what I would call, too much play. The next tighter notch in the nut that would allow the cotter pin in, was....not snug, but left very little play.

 

I haven't pulled them back apart yet, to see how they look now.

At any rate, I'm wondering how hot these things normally run, my experience says warm is normal, but I've never run 8" wheels before.

 

How hot do yours run?

 

Mine get warm to the touch but never hot.

[short-haul]

Monty the way you were taught will work fine with a used bearing and most of the time it will work with a new bearing.

 

The reason for "seating" the bearing is to make sure the rear bearing & and seal are bottoming out on the spindle often time with the tight tolerances they do not bottom and after a short drive the bearing is lose.

 

I personally feel that both will work. Either way I would just pull the trailer around for a couple of miles and recheck the end play once the bearing have cooled down, then repeat after 200 miles.

 

I have seen more bearing failures due to a bearing being to tight or improperly packed (just wiping grease on the out side)then being to lose.

[dynodon]

With those little tires you probably will feel some heat on any trip, even in cool weather. Bigger wheels should be at most lukewarm to the touch, even on a hot day (ambient temp or just a bit more). Really watch how much weight you put in that trailer with those little wheels/tires. The setup could overheat quickly and pop the tire or seize a b earing. Either one could wreck you.

 

I make a habit of any time I trailer and stop, the first thing I do is walk around the rig and touch all the tires tread and sidewall, and then the bearings. If anything is too hot to touch, I am alerted to a possible problem. You will see pro truck drivers do this along with whacking the tires with a heavy tire iron/stick/hammer to check for one going down.

 

Also check the hitch to make sure it isn't coming loose and the chains/light wires are OK.

 

Do the bike (or the car/truck if not biking) tires too, give them a touch, and soon you will be very familiar with how things should be so when they start to go wrong, you will catch it quicker.

[barend]

On a side note: how many miles can one expect out of a 8" tire (480x8) I have one of those on the sidecar and already had to replace the tire. No sign of scrubbing or uneven wear.