Wheel Bearing Maintenance

One of the most important items to maintain on a trailer are the wheel bearings. The wheel bearings should have enough lubricant (wheel bearing grease) and the tapered wheel bearings should have the correct adjustment. The procedure for checking wheel bearing tightness is as follows: Block the trailer on a level spot so it cannot move, raise the trailer one side at the time. Locate the jack in a safe location preferably on the trailer frame. Raise it up just enough so that the wheels are free to rotate. Check for wheel play (looseness) by placing on hand at front and one at the rear of the tire and rock it back and forth. If there is play remove the axle cap with a sharp object such as a screwdriver or fine chisel. Under the axle cap there is a castlelated nut with a cotter pin or a special washer (EZ lube spindle). The cotter pin must be straightened and pulled out and the EZ lube washer tabs must be pried up and out of the way of the nut so that the nut can be tightened. Tighten the castle nut one notch at the time then rotate the wheel. There should be a little resistance on the wheel when it is rotated. Too much resistance will cause the bearing to overheat. Finally, to install the axle cap, line the cap up straight with hub, using a drift (hammer) and a wooden spacer such as a short piece of 2"x4" material drive the axle cap on. Hammer it straight on. Do not hammer directly onto the axle cap as it will become damaged. Let trailer down, remove jack and apply the same procedure to the other side.