bearing cost

[RalphL]

Always did it myself but time crunch has me thinking about hireing it done. What can I expect to pay for a set of bearings and races installed. Single axle?? (boat Trailer)

[rebelsportsman]

the mechanic i have used for many years does mine for 30 plus parts.

[mrmike]

Ralph L I lost a bearing last year on my boat trailer on my way up to Wickiup Res what a mess always keep my maintance up. had to leave my boat up there for a week I fellow fisherman should me a completely inclosed OIL Bearing he had the same problem and went to these completely inclosed OILED BEARING SYSTEM if they get low you can re add oil with a fitting since I just replaced my bearing its something I will add shortly something to look into

[RalphL]

you mean a grease zirt? Dont they all have that in the hub??

[mrmike]

Ralph L No this isn't a Zerk fitting this unit is completely inmuged in OIL and has a fitting if it needs more oil you can add no more grease used in your bearing are contantly submerged in a oil, in a self contained see through unit, and completely water proof. I had Les Swabs do the work. (repair my trailer). This fisherman was kind enough to assist me and showed me his boat trailer really TOP SHELF.

[RalphL]

tnks...... will check it out!!!

[Old School]

Mr mike is referring to oil bath hubs. They have a clear plastic window to visually ck oil levels whenever. They use oil vs grease. General consensus seems positive. I still have grease bearings/ bearing buddies. Never paid for bearing service, but considering labor and parts I would say between 100 and 200 would be accurate. Of course I live in bay area where everything is more expensive. For me it's as much of a piece of mind thing as much as anything. I want this job done right, and I can do it, so I do it myself.

[DLM]

Oil bath is great, in fact, every 18 wheeler you see going down the road is riding on oil bath bearings.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that since you keep the oil reservoir about 1/2 full, condensation could occur although rair. The condensation can cause pitting and rust on the bearing what are not sitting in the oil during long periods of storage.

The answer, every couple weeks move your boat forward a few feet and back to coat the bearings with oil.

[RalphL]

Mr mike is referring to oil bath hubs. They have a clear plastic window to visually ck oil levels whenever. They use oil vs grease. General consensus seems positive. I still have grease bearings/ bearing buddies. Never paid for bearing service, but considering labor and parts I would say between 100 and 200 would be accurate. Of course I live in bay area where everything is more expensive. For me it's as much of a piece of mind thing as much as anything. I want this job done right, and I can do it, so I do it myself.

I'm guessing replacing the front and rear bearing plus the races and seal on each wheel will run about 200 given that the bearings are over 50 bucks.. Will have to look into the cost/benefit of the oil bath.

[sheepdog-dad]

Ralph,
I can tell you the cost of not replacing and or maintaining your bearings. In my case $1000 plus I lost a week of vacation :( I check my bearings every year but all I was really checking was if they had grease. Last spring the entire wheel hub assembly flew off the trailer on the way out of town. Fortunately I was still in town and not on I-5. The new axle has the oil bath system. It seems like it should work well. I think that you would need to change out your hubs in order to get the oil bath system on you axle.

[lowe1648mt]

I've used oil bath bearings for 5 years now. I've had no problems. As stated, check the oil level befor every trip. If low or waretr contaminated, change the oil. All you have to do is unscrew the clear cap and drain into a cup or pan. Check the "o-ring seal" if it is damaged, replace it. To refill, add 80-90 gear oil to the cap untill it is 1/2 to 3/4 full. Put it under the bearing and tilt up. then tighten the cap. If it is over full, unscrew and let some oil out. The 80/90 weight was a change from 50 wt. that took place about 3 or 4 years ago.
In 8 to10 years of using this type of bearing set up, I've seen no failures evcept when the bearing nut is too tight( heat build up), or too loose
( seal failure).

[kokanee_slayer]

I've run grease bearings on boat trailers for 20+ years and have never had a failure. Although, I always carry an extra set of bearings with me just in case. The key is yearly Preventative Maintenance. Clean, Inspect/Replace if necessary, Repack and always replace the seals.

[mrmike]

Kokanee-Slayer well its was an expensive Kokanee trip for me 4month earlier I had Les Swab put two new tires on my boat trailer and requested the bearing be checked and repacked. There is always a first time had to borrow a trailer in Bend I lost the spindle had to change/replace the axle. Didn't want to leave the boat in the lake anyway. I tried my best. I did my PM most of the time it works. The folks in Bend there service was excellent.I sure didn't take it back to SWABS (only 90 day guarantee)

[kokanee_slayer]

mrmike, Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I guess maybe I've just been fortunate, lucky or both. My newer rig has Oil Bath bearings and agree with lowe1648mt in that they may be more forgiving if you keep an eye on the oil.

[Physion]

I have the ability to add grease from the inboard side of the wheel. Every trip or two I pump a bit of grease through the wheel. I repack the bearings and change the seal every two years. I've not had a problem. My boat is a light 12 footer, so the bearings don't have to work as hard as those supporting heavier boats.

I prefer to do as much of my own maintenance as I can. A bit of ownership is a significant motivator to do the job well.

[smokin' Kokes]

sorry to hear about your trailer bearing problems with Schaub. have only had tire work done by them, always great.
hard to find anyone anymore that wants to and will do a greasy bearing job the correct way. way to messy for these Les Schaub kids, they might get their girly hands dirty

the days of the greased bearing are about dead in the auto field

never ever use the cheap imported from India/China bearings. very poor quality metal/can't even call it a steel. poor corrosion resistance, little nickle/moly.

best =s Timken. I get several years longer service on the Timken, never had one peel the hard surfacing and gall out. double lip seals only

I'm old school and been broke down too many times out in the dingle bush too far to walk. used to touch all the brakes bearings on a walk around on every pit stop 2 hrs max.
now I'm lazy, use a laser temp sensor gun. good for the tires too. these modern radials can be low but I can't see it, temp gun tells the truth. I'm too old and decrepit to be bending down with an air P. gauge with rigs zipping by at 80 mph

guys are right on the oil system bearings. much easier to service.
best feature =s if there is the slightest water leak in by the seal, the oil in the sight glass turns milky frothy white and says FIX ME NOW.

plus never have a Bearing Buddy flip off at 60 mph and dive off into the Snake River canyon never to be seen again. Can't tell ya how many of those suckers I bought until I started drilling the hub end and putting in a lock screw.