How to Repack and Grease Trailer Wheel Bearings

How to Repack and Grease Trailer Wheel Bearings

Taking good care of your trailer is essential to ensuring it serves you well and operates safely for many years to come. At Trailer Liquidation Direct, we want to make sure that you get the best performance out of any new trailer or used model you purchase with us. With that in mind, we’ve put together a straightforward guide to maintaining your trailer’s wheel bearings, so that you can perform this trailer bearing maintenance yourself.

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How Often Should I Repack the Wheel Bearings on My Trailer?

It’s a good idea to grease and repack your trailer’s wheel bearings once a year. If you’re towing long distances or exposing your trailer to salt water, you may want to perform this process every 6 months.

What Supplies Do I Need to Repack Trailer Wheel Bearings?

Before you dive into packing trailer bearings by hand, it’s a good idea to have your supplies ready and your workspace clear. This will prevent you from having to run out for tools or parts in the middle of the work. To maintain your trailer wheel bearings, you’ll need:

• High-temperature wheel bearing grease
• A jack
• Jack stands
• Pliers
• Flathead screwdriver
• Rubber mallet
• Wrench
• Socket set
• Brake cleaner or mineral spirits
• Parts brush
• Rags
• Bearing packer, if desired
• New grease seals
• Rubber gloves (optional)

How to Maintain Your Trailer Wheel Bearings

Working on your trailer is much easier when you tackle the project one phase at a time.

Phase 1: Preparation

1. Park your trailer on level ground and set the parking brake.
2. Loosen the lug nuts on the wheels while the trailer is on the ground, but don’t remove them yet.
3. Elevate your trailer using your jack and secure it on heavy-duty jack stands.

Phase 2: Disassembly

4. Remove one of the wheels.*
5. Remove the lug nuts completely and take off the tire and rim from the trailer hub assembly.
6. If the wheel has a dust cap or bearing protector, remove them with slip point pliers or a flathead screwdriver.
7. Remove old grease from the dust cap or bearing protector and set them safely aside.
8. First, wipe away the surface grease. Second, remove the cotter pin. Third, unscrew the castle nut and remove the washer. Then, you can slide the hub off the spindle.
9. Remove the outer bearing from the hub and clean it before setting it aside.
10. Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the grease seal, then discard it.
11. Remove the inner bearing from the hub, clean it, and set it aside.

Phase 3: Cleaning & Inspection

12. Remove old grease from inside the hub and clean it with mineral spirits or brake cleaner.
13. Inspect the bearing races for pitting, scoring, or any other damage.
14. Thoroughly clean the inner and outer bearings with brake cleaner or mineral spirits and allow them to dry completely.

Phase 4: Repacking & Reassembly

15. Repack the bearings. You can do this by hand, by spreading a small amount of high-temp wheel bearing grease over the bearings and ensuring it is thoroughly coated with grease. Or you can use a bearing packer, which helps to press grease into your bearings. (See below for more information.)
16. Spread a layer of grease around the inner bearing race and press the inner bearing into the race, ensuring that it seals evenly.
17. Place a new grease seal over the inner bearing and tap it into place with a rubber mallet, ensuring that it seals evenly. Spread a layer of grease around the space between the inner bearing and the grease seal.
18. Spread a layer of grease on the outer bearing race, then press the outer bearing into the race and make sure it seals evenly.
19. Cover the spindle in a layer of grease and carefully slide the hub onto the spindle.
20. Slide the washer onto the spindle, then thread the castle nut on and tighten them with a wrench.
21. Slip in a new cotter pin and bend it around the nut.
22. Fill your bearing protector or dust cap with grease and gently tap it onto the hub using a mallet.

Phase 5: Finishing Up

23. Put the wheel back on the hub, hand-threading the lug nuts.
24. Lower the trailer until it is lightly touching the ground and tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross pattern with a lug wrench.
25. Fully lower the trailer to the ground and remove the jack stand, giving the lug nuts a final tightening with the lug wrench, again following a criss-cross pattern.
26. Repeat the previous steps with the trailer’s other wheels.

* We recommend working on your trailer’s wheel bearings one at a time, as it means keeping track of fewer parts and makes it easier to clean up if you have to stop mid-way through the process.

How To Grease Trailer Bearings By Hand

While you can use a bearing packer to more easily grease your bearings, many of our customers prefer to do this by hand. To manually grease your trailer bearings:

1. Put a half-dollar-sized amount of grease in the palm of your hand.
2. Press part of the widest side of the bearing into the outer edge of the grease closest to your thumb, forcing grease into the bearing’s interior.
3. Continue pressing grease into the bearing while rotating the bearing from roller to roller.
4. Keep going until the entire bearing is liberally coated with grease.
5. You should be able to see grease through the rollers, ensuring it is thoroughly worked into the bearing.

What Should I Do If I Notice Damage in My Trailer’s Wheel Bearings?

If you notice any damage to the components of your wheel bearings, do not continue repacking them. Trailer wheel bearing replacement is essential when you notice damage, so that you aren’t using your trailer with broken or damaged parts. You should replace the bearings if you notice any of the following:

• Pitting or scoring
• Rust
• Heat discoloration

Contact Our Trailer Dealership in Lexington, NC

If you have questions about repacking your trailer wheel bearings, or any other aspect of trailer axle maintenance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Trailer Liquidation Direct. Our expert staff is here to help, whether you have questions about maintaining your trailer at home or you’d like to schedule a service appointment for expert attention. Whether you’re coming from Welcome, Tyro, Midway, Thomasville, Southmont, Advance, Spencer, East Spencer, Wallburg, Denton, Clemmons, Trinity, Franklin, Bermuda Run, Salisbury, High Point, Archdale, Mocksville, Granite Quarry, or beyond, your local trailer dealer is conveniently located to help you find the support you need to take great care of your trailer for years to come.

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