Replacing Trailer Wheel Hubs
If you keep your boat long enough and use it a lot, you may eventually need to consider replacing your trailer, especially if you boat in salt water.
By Steve Noury
February 28, 2006
This can be quite an expense. However, there are a number of things that you can do to keep
your trailer in good, safe working condition without having to buy a new one. Replacing your wheel
hubs is one such repair that you can do yourself that's fairly easy and relatively inexpensive.
STEP
1
The first step of this process is to locate a good spot to do the work. It should be as level as possible and on hard pavement, not grass or dirt. If the boat will remain on the trailer while you do the work, you may want to consider leaving the trailer attached to your car or truck for extra stability while doing the job. If not, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. An unattached trailer, when jacked up, is not as stable as a vehicle when it's jacked up. In this case, you'll want to use two jacks to make the trailer as stable as possible to avoid an accident. Don't forget to loosen the lugs before you jack up the trailer. You'll most likely need the weight of the trailer to do this, as the lugs have a tendency to somewhat "freeze" because they're frequently submerged in water. A little WD-40, as you might guess, is good for helping to loosen and remove the lugs. The first jack should go just in front of the wheel on the frame. The placement of the second jack should go all the way to the back of the trailer, as most boats are heavier in the back and tend to tip that way when jacked up. The second jack will equalize this uneven weight distribution and stabilize the trailer to allow you to work worry-free.
STEP
2
The next step is to remove the old hub assembly. Of course, you'll need to take the tire off first. Once the tire has been removed, you can easily see the entire hub assembly. To begin, first remove the dust cap or bearing buddy covering the end. Next, wipe away as much of the grease as you can to expose the spindle nut and cotter pin. Pouring a little gasoline over the end of the hub will help dissolve a lot of the grease so that you can see better. Once visible, straighten the cotter pin with a pair of pliers and pull it out of the hole in the end of the axle. You can now remove the spindle nut that holds on the hub. You may need a pair of channel lock pliers to do so, although many times this particular nut can be removed by hand, as it should not be overly tight. Once the nut is off, you should then be able to slide the entire hub assembly off of the axle. If it sticks a little, take a hammer and hit the backside of the hub, rotating around to give it an even push. Don't worry about damaging any of the parts of the old assembly, as they won't be used again (with the possible exception of the spindle nut). Once you get it off, go ahead and wipe off any of the excess old grease.
STEP
3
Once the old assembly has been removed, you're ready to install the new one. Most hub kits come pre-assembled. It's all one piece, so you don't have to worry about putting anything together. Before sliding the hub on, take some new grease and rub a little on the axle. Not too much, but enough to allow the hub to slide on easily over the axle. Once on, slide it all the way back until it sits firmly. Now you're ready to put the spindle nut back on to hold the hub in place. Tighten only to the point that the hub can turn freely in both directions without any play. Don't tighten too much, or the wheel won't turn easily. There should be a small hole in the end of the axle from the old cotter pin. Re-insert a new cotter pin in that same hole. To find it, slightly turn the spindle nut in either direction until the hole is exposed. Insert the cotter pin into the hole and then spread the ends to keep it from coming out. The spindle nut is what holds the hub on the axle, and the cotter pin makes sure that the nut does not come off the axle. Once this is done, you can put the tire back on. Only hand-tighten the lugs before lowering the trailer back to the ground. Once the trailer is down, secure the lugs tightly with the proper lug wrench.
STEP
4
The final step is to make sure the hub assembly is well-greased. A device called a "bearing buddy" (briefly mentioned in step 2) is highly recommended in order to protect your new hub assembly. It fits over the end of the hub to help keep water and dirt out, and grease in. Bearing buddies normally don't come included with most hub assemblies, so you'll need to purchase them separately, one for each hub. Holding the bearing buddy against the end of the hub, take a small block of wood, and drive it into place with a hammer. It has a lip that will fit snugly around the inside of the end of the open hub. Once it's in place, use a hand grease gun to add grease through the piston on the end. The piston is spring-loaded, so you'll see it move outward as you fill it with grease. Once it comes out about a quarter of an inch, you can stop. Don't worry too much about overfilling, as more is better than not enough. Be sure to check the bearing buddy often, especially if traveling, and add additional grease if necessary. To tell if grease is needed, observe the spring-loaded piston - it will push back inward if the grease escapes or breaks down over time.
STEP
1
The first step of this process is to locate a good spot to do the work. It should be as level as possible and on hard pavement, not grass or dirt. If the boat will remain on the trailer while you do the work, you may want to consider leaving the trailer attached to your car or truck for extra stability while doing the job. If not, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. An unattached trailer, when jacked up, is not as stable as a vehicle when it's jacked up. In this case, you'll want to use two jacks to make the trailer as stable as possible to avoid an accident. Don't forget to loosen the lugs before you jack up the trailer. You'll most likely need the weight of the trailer to do this, as the lugs have a tendency to somewhat "freeze" because they're frequently submerged in water. A little WD-40, as you might guess, is good for helping to loosen and remove the lugs. The first jack should go just in front of the wheel on the frame. The placement of the second jack should go all the way to the back of the trailer, as most boats are heavier in the back and tend to tip that way when jacked up. The second jack will equalize this uneven weight distribution and stabilize the trailer to allow you to work worry-free.
STEP
2
The next step is to remove the old hub assembly. Of course, you'll need to take the tire off first. Once the tire has been removed, you can easily see the entire hub assembly. To begin, first remove the dust cap or bearing buddy covering the end. Next, wipe away as much of the grease as you can to expose the spindle nut and cotter pin. Pouring a little gasoline over the end of the hub will help dissolve a lot of the grease so that you can see better. Once visible, straighten the cotter pin with a pair of pliers and pull it out of the hole in the end of the axle. You can now remove the spindle nut that holds on the hub. You may need a pair of channel lock pliers to do so, although many times this particular nut can be removed by hand, as it should not be overly tight. Once the nut is off, you should then be able to slide the entire hub assembly off of the axle. If it sticks a little, take a hammer and hit the backside of the hub, rotating around to give it an even push. Don't worry about damaging any of the parts of the old assembly, as they won't be used again (with the possible exception of the spindle nut). Once you get it off, go ahead and wipe off any of the excess old grease.
STEP
3
Once the old assembly has been removed, you're ready to install the new one. Most hub kits come pre-assembled. It's all one piece, so you don't have to worry about putting anything together. Before sliding the hub on, take some new grease and rub a little on the axle. Not too much, but enough to allow the hub to slide on easily over the axle. Once on, slide it all the way back until it sits firmly. Now you're ready to put the spindle nut back on to hold the hub in place. Tighten only to the point that the hub can turn freely in both directions without any play. Don't tighten too much, or the wheel won't turn easily. There should be a small hole in the end of the axle from the old cotter pin. Re-insert a new cotter pin in that same hole. To find it, slightly turn the spindle nut in either direction until the hole is exposed. Insert the cotter pin into the hole and then spread the ends to keep it from coming out. The spindle nut is what holds the hub on the axle, and the cotter pin makes sure that the nut does not come off the axle. Once this is done, you can put the tire back on. Only hand-tighten the lugs before lowering the trailer back to the ground. Once the trailer is down, secure the lugs tightly with the proper lug wrench.
STEP
4
The final step is to make sure the hub assembly is well-greased. A device called a "bearing buddy" (briefly mentioned in step 2) is highly recommended in order to protect your new hub assembly. It fits over the end of the hub to help keep water and dirt out, and grease in. Bearing buddies normally don't come included with most hub assemblies, so you'll need to purchase them separately, one for each hub. Holding the bearing buddy against the end of the hub, take a small block of wood, and drive it into place with a hammer. It has a lip that will fit snugly around the inside of the end of the open hub. Once it's in place, use a hand grease gun to add grease through the piston on the end. The piston is spring-loaded, so you'll see it move outward as you fill it with grease. Once it comes out about a quarter of an inch, you can stop. Don't worry too much about overfilling, as more is better than not enough. Be sure to check the bearing buddy often, especially if traveling, and add additional grease if necessary. To tell if grease is needed, observe the spring-loaded piston - it will push back inward if the grease escapes or breaks down over time.
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