Keep it Greasy: Packing RV Wheel Bearings on My Camper
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2024
- My spring Camper tune-up continues with a slippery subject: Wheel Bearings. This was my 1st time cleaning and packing the bearings myself, and it wasn't as difficult as I thought!
Yes, "Keep it Greasy" is a Frank Zappa Song with lyrics not for the faint of heart. But it is also the only song I know of performed in 19/16 time. Vinnie Colaiuta is a kickass drummer!
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Several have inquired as to why I didn't just use the grease nipple and pump new grease into the bearings. Here's a quote from a trusted RV manufacturer of 50 years: "Don't rely on that nipple to grease your bearing, it's not reliable, all you're doing is putting clean grease with dirty grease. Taking them out and inspecting them is the best way." Thanks! SP
Did you get any offensive swearing at you this time?
The grease nipples aka “bearing buddies” are great for topping off the grease in between full repacks (I usually give them a squirt before every trip).. but I make sure that during a repack when everything is disassembled, I squirt fresh grease into the nipple to flush out all the old grease. This makes sure that you’re not pushing contaminated grease into the bearings.. I gasped when I saw you use the piece of wood to tap in the seal.. and exclaimed “oh no” when I saw the sawdust it left behind.. That sucked! Hopefully you got most of it cleaned up and the debris won’t cause any issues down the road. We don’t want a “Bearing Maintenance Part 2: The Carnage” episode.. lol 😂
Good video and I am happy to see you addressed the "Bearing Buddy" issue. I too believe that those just give a false sense of security... pump some grease in and all is well. Do your regular maintenance on the bearing like Slim did and inspect, inspect, inspect. A little time, money and dirty hands will eliminate a costly roadside emergency repair. And on boat trailers which get submersed in water regularly, do this cleaning and inspection every fall. There's nothing worse than bearings surrounded with water, then ice. Any imperfection in the bearing surfaces (rollers and races) will multiply when ice is present.
Thank you SP...this was educational. I don't think my husband is so thorough. I will show him this video.👍
Absolutely... it only adds grease but doesn't get rid of the old grease... Doc
Slim, I think you’re the only person on RUclips who can make bearing replacement interesting to watch. It’s likely one of the most mundane repairs on earth, but somehow here I am watching you do it. I guess that says something, doesn’t it?
I was thinking the same thing. At the end of the video I said to myself that this was pretty interesting lol. I don't have a trailer nor do I camp yet, but I actually enjoyed watching!
Slim could read the dictionary and with his story telling ability, we'd all watch and enjoy.
I agree it was interesting. I'm looking forward to other similar videos. Here are some title ideas.
5. Armour All, Newish Tires.
4. Front Elevation, Jack This.
3. Installing a Pigeon Coop, Redundant Communication.
2. Hitch Hikers 101, Say Yes.
1. Naming the Trailer Kilroy.
Slim, I got more if you need ideas. 😮
Aw! Jellybean got a pedicure spa treatment.🥰 I saw for first time what it looks like behind a tire, and learned what the maintenance of a vehicle’s wheel parts consists of. As a women I don’t believe I will ever be doing this, however, I sure know more now than before.👍🏻🙏 Thanks to your video. I love learning!❤
Exactly
As a woman, I'm glad I can and have done a lot of maintenance and repairs for myself. And now I am able to afford to pay someone else to do it when I want.
I don’t have a trailer anymore with bearings that need greasing, but your video prompted me to ask a friend that I met this winter who has a 15 year old Cassita if she had ever had this done. She had purchased the trailer used and had no idea that the bearings needed to be re-packed. I encouraged her strongly to get them re-packed before she headed back north for the summer. Sometimes your videos have benefits, you may not anticipate!
Slim, a tip for your viewers, when having to change a tire roadside, use your vehicle floor mat under your knees for protection from mud and sharp gravel.
I wait til Saturday morning to watch you with my morning coffee always a pleasure
Good job Slim , at 14:07 what you are calling a ring is actually the spring that would have gone around the inner sealing lip of your old wheel seal. It looks like that probable had came off from the old bearing seal and it should have been discarded. But I do not think that it will hurt anything being inside there. That may have been why the grease was black on the inside bearing , with the spring being off from the seal the seal could not do its job very well and it may have been letting in brake dust which would cause the grease to turn black. I think that you are okay though. Thank you Slim , have a good day! 👍
I have edited this section from the video. The ring will be removed.
@@SlimPotatohead My same speculation, the spring holds the lip of the seal against the axel. I worked in an auto shop and had the use of a professional wheel packer tried
@Richard Thomas, wheel barring grease brakes down from multiple heat cycles and will turn black naturally.
The brake wire will rub through again if you don't remove the excess slack . It can short the circuit and blow a fuse resulting in no brakes on the trailer. There is a clip holding the wire in place. I would use a flat head screwdriver to pry it slightly open just enough to pull the wire up about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch, about 6 mm. Buying a spare set of brake pads to have on hand is a good idea, they aren't that heavy and they won't use much storage space. Stay safe, my friend!
Thanks Slim. I repacked small airplane wheel bearings in a Piper shop 50 years ago, maybe 100 times in a short career. It was nice having a parts cleaner that recycled mineral spirits through cervices to flush the grease out of the bearings. And a supply of red rags. Your video brought back some memories of this, other routine tasks, the shop, the men I worked with.... Thanks Slim.
I've been doing my own wrenching on cars, outboards and trailers since the 60's and I was about to give you an A- until you pointed out the EZ Lube Zerk fitting. You are right that a proper hands on grease packing is the best way. So you get a full A. You should be good for 10,000 miles or one year. Whichever comes first. Anyway, that's how I do it. 👍
Yep. An A for Slim. Like you I do my own wrenching. I was card Slim was going to struggle, but as always he came in like any rockstar.
After watching you do this, I think I can do it! Thanks Slim! Love your channel!
I certainly hope there's never a first time for me to have to do this job, but thank you, Slim, for giving a great demonstration, just in case. Knowledge is power!
Right. I was taught to change a tire and when I finally had to put it to the test (cousins got a flat tire), I couldn’t get the last lug nut off. Neither could my cousin. Eventually we gave up and call AAA. 🤷🏽♀️
Here's a tip....never use cinder blocks the way you did. They can crumble. They should be turned on the side as if building a wall.
I was working on mud. Turning them on their side would cause them to sink. SP
A piece of plywood or a couple of 2x4s under the block would help prevent it from sinking.
@ T K, I agree. Good Point! SP
У меня с собой в богажнике всегда есть небольшая толстая (крепкая доска.) для того чтоб под домкрат можно и в лужу и грязь подложить. Я, один раз в заказнике застрял, там вообще ни когда машины не проезжают! И досок нет. Так что пусть лежит крепкая толстая фанера или берёзовая, дубовая доска. Самовытаскиватель даже летом иногда надо или зимой!
HEY! Good morning Slim! I always enjoy your videos! Thanks for taking us along and thumbs UP!!
Good morning!
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Good to see a well maintained rig.
Thank you Slim, it is not so much the information you give that is inspiring, it is your confidence in your self. Thank you for that.
Just a tip, at 7:43 when you pull the hub off, put the nut back on BEFORE you pull the hub off. You can usually use the nut to pull the inner bearing/seal out. Just put the nut on a couple threads and give it a good yank. On really small hubs, the nut may not fit all the way through but works for many applications.
Skip the nail puller thing you put together. Hahaha
Slim, buy yourself a magnetic parts tray. The best and most helpful tool. It's a game changer. Subscriber since the start. We never miss an episode!
Good morning from Godley Texas, great how to video on replacing wheel bearings. Always enjoyable watching you work/repair things. Stay safe and happy travels 😎
Wow, good info. I just bought a cargo trailer and it probably needs this done. Thanks again! Happy camping 😊
I would also be a bit worried about all the rust on the brake components. When I changed mine a few years ago, I bought the entire (inexpensive) brake assembly for each side already prebuilt on a new backing plate - new everything (electromagnet, springs, brakes, hardware, etc.), and simple bolt on operation plus one wire connection. Quick and easy job.
I’m glad you have your bearings
Just a tip. Original WD 40 is not a lubricant or a penetrating oil. To free rust or semi seized fasteners use a penetrant like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster. The WD 40 Company now has lubricants and penetrating sprays, it's just not the Original Formula WD 40. You already got the idea of using a bearing packer. You will need your grease gun to fill the bearing when it's in the tool. Otherwise you did an A+ job! My Dad taught me how to pack/repair wheel bearings on our 57 Chevy! Thanks for the memories!
Hello Slim always a joy to see you
What a man can do, another man can do too,
What Slim can do, we can do too.
Thanks for showing this maintenance as an easy step by step guidance,
I just paid $400 to have mine re-packed on my E450 dually. I didn't have a big enough jack to lift a 14,000lb RV at the corners and remove 100lb wheels... Easier next time is to throw the grease and bearings in a Ziplok and just knead it all in... no mess! BTW, always loosen/tighten in a criss-cross pattern, and I highly recommend a Harbor Freight breaker bar... they work fabulous! Good job!
Hello Slim, I love your video's and I watch them all. One of the things I have always been impressed with you, is your ingenuity, your way of thinking outside the box, to bring fourth solutions to problems. I also love watching you do DIY as well, and so this video is a real treat. I just want to let you know, that gone are the days when you needed shop air, in order to have an impact wrench. I run a mechanics shop, and I use a battery operated 1/2 drive impact wrench from the Milwaukee brand, works amazingly well, better then my pneumatic one to be honest. Lots of brands make them though, so you can get one in your price range, they sure make life easier then working an old school lug wrench! I also agree with getting a bearing service kit too.
Great video Slim. Just beware about over packing bearings with grease. We were always taught to leave 20% of the bearing roller volume free of grease. Over packing can lead to overheating the grease, popping the seals and it running out. 😱
Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
So good to see you Slim! I trust NAPA too! Glad you got the bearings cleaned & packed. Happy Easter! I hope you have a good week!
Good morning Slim ... y'all have a good weekend. Time to get packing for camping! Always a "fun" job but maintains an important part of any trailer. For my Aliner, the dealer told me to place the back of my hand on the wheel bearing after a highway run. If it wasn't hot, no need to repack the bearing, if hot, best to do it. Never needed to on the Aliner but had do this on other axles.
Good job Slim! Slim potatohead mechanic. Look forward to your camping videos in the future. Stay safe out there
use a capped off 4in peice of pvc pipe thats the same size as your seal and tap on top to set bearing seals in place with no mess. I use them all the time and they work great.
Great solution. Thanks! SP
I came here to suggest this too, and the pvc stores in a tool kit easily, with things inside it.
@@SlimPotatohead idk if you could tell that I may have been drinking when I posted that coment and thak you for being able to understand what I was saying. Ps. Keep up the great vids Slim
@@lory2622 i have them in all sizes, they save me so much time setting seals and such, I find them to be usefull in all sorts of other stuff too.
This was a great lesson for me. Always heard about "packing the bearings", but never had seen it done. Thanks!
Slim getting ready for spring. While I s>t in 10 degrees F and a foot and a half frsh snow on the ground.
Thanks Slim you're the best.
I love repacking wheel bearings (I’m a woman). I volunteer to do it! I like the new grease. 😂
Great Video...Ive always Repacked my Trailer Bearings Every Season whether 1 trip or 20 trips. Being stuck on the side of the road one time was, one time too many, Thanks for the Great Content!
Thanks Slim! I feel like I learned something, always a good thing.
Thanks Slim. Very educational
Very nice video! I never knew how to do this- you made it seem very doable for a novice! Thanks for making this and posting it!
I'm a Ford service adviser and fleet administrator. This is not something I really want to see, or think about, after hours. However, only Slim could make a video like this that I would enjoy and want to watch! Great, informative video as always Slim!
What good timing of this video. I had just made an appointment to “de” winterize and have my bearings repacked. I had no idea it was that easy! But, I am a woman with a duel axle trailer so I can’t imagine doing this. But THANK YOU for the education - now, I could do it myself if need be
Amazing. Would never think of tackling this myself. Inspiring! Well done Slim!
Nice job, and good to help educate ppl. Always good to save a few bucks. 🙂👍
Thank you for the information. I always learn something on your channel!
love to watch you do stuff
Slim, Thanks for providing content and entertainment on a regular basis for us armchair voyeurs!
Good morning Slim. Other then the way you packed the bearings, you did it just fine. I personally put a big heap of the grease in the palm of my hand, and push the grease in through the roller bearings from the side. But this was a good information video, and hats off yo you for your first time. Looking forward to camping trips.
CHEERS from Colorado
Thank you! I always learn something from you. We have a short bus for travel, and live in a tiny house.
Thanks for the video. I have to do this to my double axle camper this year. It’s on my to do list.
Yep, greasing bearings is messy. My dad showed me how to do them by hand. You take a glob of grease and put it in the palm of your hand and like you did force the grease into the bearing. Good job for your first time. I have a cone greaser you put the bearing in it tighten it down and use the sirt to pump grease into the bearings with a grease gun.
Thanks! I always wondered how this is done and the video is very informative!
❤
Thank you for your enjoyable videos. I'm sure the video would be useful to anyone thinking of doing this project.
Check your lug nuts once and awhile. I have jeep liberty that everytime I get work done on that tire the lugs nuts back off after a few days or weeks. I found out on the highway. When I pushed the gas pedal , there was a noise that stopped. When coasting, the slight noise would be audible. Got home and could almost take my tire off with my fingers (no tools) as all lugs were loose.
Slim, next time to remove the seal take out the outer bearing and then put the nut back on the spindle. Then you can grab the hub and pull it towards you and the nut will catch on the inner bearing, with a couple good yanks it will pop the rear bearing and seal right out..
Fantastic job Slim I like to do as much maintenance on my vehicle as I can.
Thanks for the info.
Outstanding, Slim! Thanks!
Tom in The Hat
Thank you.
Always great to reference Frank Zappa!
Thanks for reminding me
Well done Slim. Have done many of them. you are correct that tool is a great investment. Its mess to use but always just storeed it in a zip lock bag. if its a once a year worth cleaning up before packing away.
That's really slick work Slim!😎👍
Thanks Slim.... Looking forward to digging our Outback out of the snow (a late Colorado low) any day now 🙂
Great stuff Slim...LOVE your channel!
oh boy... that wooden block 🤦♂ great video lots of information, thanks for sharing!
Good job Slim.
Good job 😊
Love the video. Never had a camper but I did have a boat and every year we had to repack the trailer wheels. I did use a boat store for the work. I always said the boat was cheap compared to the trailer.
Slim just a note on the cinder blocks. The two holes in the block should be up and down not side to side. There is a good chance the block could break.
See previous comment
You sure made it look easy!! Good job!!
Your the slim of all trades, or the jack of all trades, your the best and thanks for the entertaining video,
Awesome video Slim! I actually need to do this too on my ATV trailer and now I know how.
There is an accepted way of hand packing bearings. It would be a good idea for a first time attempt to watch a video on hand packing a bearing. Yes, it requires 2 hands and grease on the palm. It will force grease into the rollers of the bearing and you will know when it is full. It will squirt out the other side. Enjoy your videos.
great stuff thanks
Another thing, the heat from the brakes will make the tape fall off, causing a possible failure. You could use liquid tape to do the job though, 2 coats.
Good job as always..
Glad you got that accomplished.
Thanks Slim! Love ya man!
Another great video. I have repacked hundreds and hundreds of bearings over the years. Just a couple of thoughts. Number one is it is absolutely a yearly maintenance item!!! Number two is as you mentioned get the repacking tool. Number three and you may have done this is after you have cleaned the bearings blow them dry with compressed air. Number four is take your heat reading gun and get a temp reading before repacking and then also after repacking. Not a bad idea to drive a few miles and take a reading. Many times after repacking they run cooler which is good. Also not a bad idea to make that a regular part of a stop is to occasionally take the temp reading. So many trailers break down on the side of the road because they didn't do this maintenance. And lastly as you mentioned don't count on the grease zerk or bearing buddies but do the yearly repacking.
Thankx Dan
It's a good idea to carry a spare set of wheel bearings in case you do have a failure in the road. It's really cheap insurance. Great video..
Great job! Thanks for sharing.
Makes this look less scary to do for those of us that may think about trying to do it ourselves 😁
Very Interesting video! Thank You.
Hi Slim. Thanks for another good video!
Nice!!
Watching a Canadian play with grease... all I hear is Trailer Park Boys references inside of my head!
Nice work. I have to repack the wheel bearings on our boat trailer. It would be my first time, as well. Thanks. Cheers!!
When we come to trailers' mechanics, differences between US and UE are so deep! In Europe we use inertial brakes instead of electric ones, we put the rim in place with screws you use nuts, we place the wheels in the middle of the caravan body, you more rearward ... That's really interesting! Greetings from Italy
I'm sowww proud of you 👏
It is lot a good information to RV lover
Thanks again!
God bless you!@
Hi Slim you did a great job, save that money, stay blessed
Fantastic video Slim. I've always wondered how to do this.
You are so clever!
Thanks for putting up the video, Slim. Thanks also for putting up with the critics… Read the previous comments folks, if 5 people have already mentioned something a sixth time’s not adding anything.
I, too, can’t get on with thicker gloves on most jobs - a box of those thin latex type gloves are handy to have around, I find. The strongest ones I have found are the Gorilla Grip brand they have at Home Depot. 👍🏻
Great job, If your new seals use a spring to put tension on the axle to keep the elements out of the hub assembly ,pack the back side of the seal with grease and that should retain the spring in the seal before you install it. Recheck lug nuts at about 100 km. Also check to make sure trailer brake emergency battery is holding voltage , with the wheel in the air pull the safety pin and try to spin the wheel , you should not be able to rotate the tire. Can't wait to see future vids.
Awesome video
Always put some antiseize on any bolt thread, especially wheel studs, before putting the lug nuts on. Will allow an actual correct torque and prevent corrosion and allow easier removal of the nuts. I have 70 year old farm machines that are still easy and rust free on bolt threads using this system. My Grandfather started doing this when the equipment was new, and it still looks new today.
I tackled that job myself, and it was not as easy as you made it look. But, I'm an old fart and not mechanically inclined. I also had to swap out a couple of the bearings for new. Removing the old races took forever! Your video was interesting and entertaining, as usual!
Good tools are never a bad investment.
fun one