Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

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Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby DigitalMechanic » Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:26 pm

So, on my quest to make sure my trailer is efficient and safe, I decided to check out the spindle and bearing on my trailer's axle. Come to find out when I popped the bearing buddies off, the inside was full of mud looking grease and water, accompanied by fairly nice size shards of metal. Furthermore, it appears the spindles are pitted, presumable from the water that has been sitting in there. And finally, the back bearing would not come off until I sanded down the spindles to remove some of the pitting. The back bearing was where the larger shards of metal were resting as well. I accidentally dropped the back bearing (a few feet), and all the little rollers fell out. A few pictures are below...

Excuse my ignorance, as I was not ignoring this, but simply did not know better until reading up on these things recently with al the trailer talk happening on the forum. Good thing I caught it before something crazy happened on the road. Anyway, my questions are...

1. Is this a complete axle replacement job, or is this salvageable in any way shape or form?
2. The seal to the back bearing, that is presumably supposed to seal to the spindle to keep water out, seemed like it was able to rock around a lot (see pics), but the rubber ring around it was in tack. Is this normal? Is this a location to be concerned about water entering? Was the hub possibly mis-sized to the axle?
3. There were bearing buddies on the hubs. Obviously I never filled them because I did not know to until now. When I push them from the inside, they will go out, but they do not spring back in immediately. They seem to take their time resetting. Is this normal? I know they depend on suction to do their job, but it kind of feels like the spring should put them back to start position when off the hub. Are these re-usable, or do they need a replacing as well?

-Paul
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DigitalMechanic
 
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Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby KingsTransom » Sat Jul 23, 2016 1:12 am

If you'll worry about the axle, replace it. The U-bolt that holds the spring, also holds the axle. While pictures are good, nothing beats looking right at the job, so the final say is yours. That said, the pitting looks to be on the shaft between the bearings, not where the inner races of each bearing contact. Large-radius pitting will only weaken the axle by the reduction in area, whereas sharp notches weaken by creating a stress-intensifier, from which cracks may propagate. Use a sharpening stone and oil on the axle, not sandpaper. Being hard & flat, a stone will do a good job of grinding off the high spots without removing much that you want to keep. Sandpaper is just random, though better if backed by a block of steel.

Ordinarily, if the races look perfectly sound as do the rollers, you can reuse the bearings, but without removing rollers from the cage, it's hard to see all surfaces of all rollers and impossible to inspect the inner race. If you're picking out pieces of metal, replace the bearings. The chips are either bits of the roller cage that have corroded and self-destructed, or flakes of the race and/or rollers that left due to Brinelling. The metal bits may also be what's left of the seal's spring, used to press the lip against the axle.

Seals can fail in a number of ways, mostly by the wear and tear of the lip(s) that contact the axle, or by the seal separating from the steel carrier. Corrosion of the axle where the seal lip makes contact can quickly eat up a seal and are a good reason to replace the axle. The tech at the trailer service center near me said he never uses bearing buddies because they cause seal failure. While mine was only one case, the seal did fail with BB's. It would be unlikely to have bearings that would fit a misfit hub to the axle.

Did the BB's have vinyl dust caps in place? If not, they get filthy and the piston may not move well. Clean everything up and see if it works better. BB's are only supposed to be filled so the piston moves out about 1/8 inch (?). BB's do not work on suction, rather the spring & piston allow for expansion of the grease and air in the hub cavity while under way and hot and, when subsequently cooled by immersion, provide a reservoir of grease, under spring pressure, to prevent water from being pushed into the hub cavity.

Scott
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Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby DigitalMechanic » Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:53 am

I think I am going to try and replace the hubs (and all inner workings), but keep the spindles/axle. The part the bearing sits on looks smooth and clean. I would replace the axle but I found out this morning (on the phone with the trailer place) that I have a "non-industry standard" spring center to spring center distance of 50" (vs the 48" standard). Thus, I am looking at fabrication work to fit a new axle. I have a welder, but I suck at welding and do not trust my ability in this scenario. Also, I do not really want to pay someone a few extra hundred dollars to fabricate a $100 axle if not necessary (turning it into a $300-$400 axle plus hubs, etc may be better off looking at a new trailer which I do not have the money for). Also, I have a reversed (upside down) attachment point of the axle to the leaf springs. Usually the axle attaches on top of the leaf spring. Mine attaches to the bottom of the leaf spring. If I moved the axle on top to attach a new one, I would have to replace the tires as well to lift the trailer back up (my tires are pretty new). Considering the axle looks good to me aside from the pitting on the spindle confined between the bearings, which the bearing will not touch, I am going to start with just the hub work.
DigitalMechanic
 
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Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby DigitalMechanic » Sat Jul 23, 2016 2:59 pm

Well, I replaced the hubs, everything is nice and tight, spins well. I noticed that one side had a slight wiggle to it. Unfortunately, while doing the second hub, once finishing up and going to fill her up with grease, I noticed the grease fitting was not working. When I went to remove the grease gun, the fitting was stuck in the gun tip. Sucks... back to the store so I can do this job a third time....
DigitalMechanic
 
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Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby DigitalMechanic » Sun Jul 24, 2016 8:27 am

Job completed.... Finally.

I used these.... http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200466886_200466886

So, if I understand correctly the bearing buddies and EZ-Lube both put grease in the front of the hub and push it out the back (presumably at the seal). This concept has the grease fitting back by the rear seal, and as you fill it pushes the old grease out of the front of the hub where the rubber cap is. Seems like it would help better protect the seal in the rear. The rear seal looks pretty beefy compare to the old hubs as well. Hopefully they will perform well. At any rate the trailer is back in action, let's go sailing :)
DigitalMechanic
 
Posts: 374
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:00 am
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby KingsTransom » Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:19 am

The part in the hub that the bearing sits on is the outer race - part of the bearing. These must be replaced when replacing the bearings as the bearings are a matched set of inner & outer race, plus rollers. Nothing is interchangeable. The axle spindles are stubs that fit into the axle beam (U-channel) that makes up the axle assembly. I do not understand what the spring center to spring center would have to do with it. No welding should be required to swap axle spindles.

The bearing buddies do not provide an adequate means of packing the bearings. If that's all you did, you must remove them and pack by hand. The grease is not just for lubrication, but also to move heat from the bearing to the hub. Air pockets prevent that movement of heat. Put a tablespoon of grease in your palm and, with the bearing in the other hand, scrape off the leading edge of grease with the bearing cage until grease comes out the top. Walk the bearing around until grease has come out the top of the full perimeter of the bearing.

There should be no wiggle to the hubs once installed on the shaft. If it wiggles, the bearings are too loose, possibly because the outer races were not fully seated into the hubs. To seat the bearings, tighten the hub nut to 90 inch pounds while turning the hub - easier with the wheel installed to act as a flywheel. Then back off the castle nut to the next set of slots and install the cotter pin. If you do not have an inch-pound torque wrench, then buy one. This procedure is from a 1969 Plymouth service manual.
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Re: Axle/Spindle/Bearing Problems

Postby DigitalMechanic » Mon Jul 25, 2016 8:18 am

The whole hub assemblies were replaced. They came with a new hub, lugs, bearings (front and back), races (front and back), seals, cotter pins, and caps. The axle w/ spindles, and castle nuts were re-used. Bearing were packed prior to install, and lubed the crap out of everything else by hand. Once installed, I used the grease gun to finish filling them up. What a messy job...

As for the spring center to spring center... If you buy a new axle off the shelf, it will have a (industry standard) distance of 48" between the little holes on the axle (plate) that you affix the pin on the leaf springs. My trailer is home made (from who knows what era), and the distance is 50". So, I would have to cut the spring center brackets off the new axle and re-weld them 1" further out on each side.
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