How to Replace a Wheel Hub Assembly
- Step 1: Prepare your work area. ...
- Step 2: Loosen the lug nuts. ...
- Step 3: Jack the vehicle up and use jack stands. ...
- Step 4: Remove the old wheel hub assembly. ...
- Step 5: Install the new wheel hub assembly and brake parts. ...
- Step 6: Reinstall the wheels. ...
- Step 7: Jack the vehicle back off of the jack stands. ...
- Step 8: Torque the wheels. ...
Full Answer
What to do if your trailer bearings are making noise?
What is dust cap?
How to remove a wheel hub from a trailer?
Why is it important to remove old grease?
What is the lip of a seal?
How to straighten a cotter pin?
How to remove outer bearing from a wheel?
See 4 more
About this website
How do you install a trailer hub assembly?
1:294:45How to Assemble and Install a Wheel Hub Kit for Your Boat TrailerYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPlace the rear seal into the hub. And tap into place with the rubber. Mallet. You can use a block ofMorePlace the rear seal into the hub. And tap into place with the rubber. Mallet. You can use a block of wood. And a regular hammer if you don't have a rubber mallet.
How do I know if my trailer hub is bad?
0:071:20How To Check a Utility Trailer Wheel For a Bad Wheel Bearing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf there's no play then your wheel bearing should be good there's a lot of play then you would wantMoreIf there's no play then your wheel bearing should be good there's a lot of play then you would want to change your little bearings out and get some new wheel bearings.
How long does a wheel hub assembly take to replace?
How long does it take to replace Wheel Bearings? Replacing a single wheel bearing can take 90 to 120 minutes depending on the type of vehicle and complexity. There are a lot of moving parts that need to be maintained and properly sealed to complete this type of work.
What holds the hub on a trailer?
A castle nut at the center of the hub assembly holds the hub and the bearings in place on the axle. A sticklike piece of metal called a cotter pin then secures the castle nut.
How often should trailer hubs be replaced?
Many trailer manufacturers recommend this maintenance every year if your trailer gets normal use, or at least every 20,000 miles.
How do you get the inner bearing out of a trailer hub?
Use a hammer and punch to tap out the inner bearing. Place the tip of a punch inside the hub against the inner bearing. Tap the back end of the punch with a hammer to knock out the inner bearing and seal. Work your way around the bearing until it falls out underneath the hub.
How long do trailer hubs last?
Thanks for any advice. Expert Reply: We recommended to repack the wheel bearings on your trailer every 12 months or 12,000 miles. There is not a specific guideline as far as actually replacing the bearings.
What causes hubs to go bad?
Like all the components under the car, wheel hubs are continually exposed to water, dirt, dust, and other contaminants. They will corrode over time. Cars that live in cold climates are subject to salt and magnesium chloride. If you drive in the rain, some water may splash on the components in the undercarriage.
What tools do I need to replace a wheel hub assembly?
What tools do you need to install a wheel hub assembly?Safety glasses.Wheel chocks.Jack and jack stands.Ratchet, various size sockets and various size wrenches.Breaker bar.Mallet.Punch.Torque wrench.More items...•
How much does it cost to have a hub assembly replaced?
The cost to replace one front-wheel hub assembly varies widely. Some variables include the make and model, the garage's labor rate and the cost for parts. The national average is about $350 to fix the wheel bearings at one wheel. As you might imagine, however, luxury brands cost more.
Do you need an alignment after replacing hubs?
We know it's super frustrating when car parts unexpectedly fail: the short answer is that yes, you need your alignment checked after replacing a wheel hub. Your wheel hub connects the wheel to the axle and suspension, allowing the suspension to play its important role while the wheel rotates.
What is the part called that holds the wheel hub?
On each wheel, you'll find the wheel hub assembly between the drive axle and the brake drums or discs. On the brake disc side, the wheel is attached to the bolts of the wheel hub assembly. While on the side of the drive axle, the hub assembly is mounted to the steering knuckle either as a bolt-on or press-in assembly.
What holds the wheel hub in place?
Wheel Studs The wheel studs are an integrated part of the wheel hub. These studs are what connect the wheel to the wheel hub assembly. The brake rotor and wheel slide over the studs, while the lug nuts secure the wheel in place. Without wheel studs, there's no way to connect the wheel to the hub assembly.
What connects a hub to the axle?
Most axle hubs are attached to the axle through the use of bearings and an axle nut. The bearings, typically roller bearings, ride in a bearing race that is mounted within the hub, while the axle is positioned through the bearing and the hub.
Should you fill trailer hub with grease?
Grease: Proper lubrication is essential to the proper function and reliability of your trailer axle. Bearings should be lubricated every 12 months or 12,000 miles. You should repack your bearing cone by placing a small amount, roughly the size of a half-dollar, of grease into the palm of your hand.
How often should I grease the hubs on my trailer?
Greasing Regularity At the very least, you should grease your axles once per season. Most trailers need greasing every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. A single axle utility trailer may need less frequent greasing than a large K-trailer. On the other hand, boat trailers with small wheels may need more regular greasing.
How often should I grease the wheel bearings on my trailer?
every 10,000 milesWhen Should You Grease Your Bearings. With a larger travel trailer, you should grease your trailer wheel bearings every 10,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. If you have a smaller travel trailer, however, you'll need to grease your wheel bearings every 2,000 miles.
How many bearings are in a trailer hub?
The hub holds 2 bearings, the inner bearing (inside the hub flange, closest to the trailer center), and the outer bearing. Since one size trailer wheel bearing does not fit all, to determine the correct size wheel bearing for your trailer, you'll have to take apart the hub. Here's how: Support your trailer with a jack.
How do you remove the inside wheel bearing?
0:191:37Inner Wheel Bearing Race Removal - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd remove the inner race with an air chisel. Now in most cases you'll take a regular chisel.MoreAnd remove the inner race with an air chisel. Now in most cases you'll take a regular chisel.
How do you free a stuck hub assembly?
If that does not loosen it, there are some other techniques you can use to remove a stuck wheel hub.Remove the Wheel Hub with a Slide Hammer. ... Tighten the Bolt on the Backside of the Hub with Pressure from the Two Puller Bolts. ... Chisel the Ears on the Hub Body. ... Heat the Mating Area with a Torch and Tighten the Puller Bolts.
How do you diagnose a bad hub assembly?
The most common signs of wheel hub assembly failure include:Roaring or rumbling noise.Vibrating or loose steering wheel.The vehicle pulling to the side when braking.Uneven rotor and brake pad wear.
What does a hub going bad sound like?
The most common symptom of a bad wheel hub assembly or wheel bearing is a rumbling, squealing, growling or chirping noise coming from the wheel or tire area of your car.
How do I know if my trailer spindle is bad?
Look for an scarring, gouges, discoloration, or scoring on the spindle. If the spindle is damaged then the bearings won't ride properly and can fail again or it can cause other problems such as uneven or excessive tire wear and ride quality problems.
How do you know if your wheel hub bearing is bad?
Bad Wheel Bearing Symptoms and When to ReplaceHumming Noise. The most easily identifiable and common symptom of bad wheel bearings is audible. ... Squealing, Growling. ... Clicking Sound. ... Wheel Wobble. ... ABS Failure. ... Uneven Tire Wear. ... Vehicle Pulls to One Side. ... Steering Wheel Vibration.More items...
How much to replace trailer wheel bearings? : r/boating
Thinking I should replace my trailers wheel bearings this season. I found some grease splatter on the rim of the passenger side tire. Looked into doing it myself but it looks a little too involved for me to want to bother with it.
How to Remove Trailer Hub Bearings - Fast and Simple - YouTube
A short how to video giving you step-by-step directions of how to quickly and easily remove trailer hub bearings.
What to do if your trailer bearings are making noise?
It’s essential to keep them in good shape to keep your trailer functioning safely. If you notice your bearings start making noises, then it might be time to replace them. In order to do so, you’ll need some basic mechanical tools, a new set of bearings, and a flat work surface.
What is dust cap?
The dust cap is also known as a grease cap. It covers the nut that holds the hub assembly to the spindle shaft of the trailer. You need to remove it so you can take the hub off the spindle and access the bearings.
How to remove a wheel hub from a trailer?
The hub assembly is the round metal part right behind the wheel that holds the wheel to the spindle shaft, which is the shaft under the trailer that spins the wheels. Grab the hub assembly with both hands and place your thumbs over the outer bearing so it doesn’t fall out. Pull the whole hub assembly carefully towards you until it slides completely off the spindle shaft, then set it face-up on a flat work surface.
Why is it important to remove old grease?
Grease gets dirty over time, so it’s important to remove the old grease and relubricate everything with new, clean grease.
What is the lip of a seal?
The lip of the seal is the non-metal part of the seal. It needs to face the bearing so it holds the grease in.
How to straighten a cotter pin?
It goes through the side of the nut in the middle of the hub and through a hole in the end of the spindle shaft. Use pliers to straighten out the cotter pin, then pull it out once it is straight.
How to remove outer bearing from a wheel?
The outer bearing is the bearing in the middle of the hub that faces outwards towards the wheels, right underneath the adjusting nut and washer that you removed. Slip your fingers in the middle of the outer bearing, lift it up and out, then set it aside.
When to Service Your Trailer Hub and Wheel Bearings
Service your boat trailer bearings at least once per year or every 3000-3500 miles, whichever comes first (even if your trailer is equipped with bearing protectors). Because boat trailers are frequently submerged in water, service your trailer wheel bearings more frequently than bearings on a regular trailer.
Bearing Protectors
A typical bearing protector is a metal cap that replaces the standard dust cap on a trailer axle. Bearing protectors allow you to add grease to the bearings and hub without removing the tire and hub. The bearing protectors are equipped with zerks or grease fittings that allow you to add grease using a grease gun.
Bearing Buddy
Although several bearing protectors are commonly available, The Bearing Buddy brand is the most prevalent in the marketplace. The Bearing Buddy bearing protector is simple to install and simple to use.
EZ Lube Spindle
Similar to other bearing protectors, EZ Lube Spindles have a metal cap that is installed in place of the regular dust cap. In the center of the EZ Lube cap is a rubber plug that covers the grease zerk. Remove the rubber plug to expose the zerk.
Packing Wheel Bearings
Packing wheel bearings with new grease is a messy job, but not difficult. It is, however, a necessary service to prevent bearing failure. Because the trailer is frequently submerged in water, the chance of water intrusion is very likely. The tools and supplies required are:
Disassembly
It is good practice to attach the trailer to a tow vehicle to prevent it from rolling fore or aft while loosening the lug nuts or bolts. If this is not practical, block the tires using wheel chocks or suitable blocks of wood. After loosening the wheel nuts, raise the tires off the ground using a jack.
Cleaning and Inspection
Always wear eye protection and rubber gloves with working with compressed air and solvent. Never use gasoline as a cleaning solvent.
Review on Removing and Reinstalling a Trailer Hub
First off, we will take off the hub, then take off the nut on the inside, and we will pop the whole hub off and take it to the workbench and clean it up from there. You can see there is a lot of rust in there, there is a lot of condensation. Basically water got in there through either condensation or a seal leak.
Questions and Comments about this Video
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How to tell what size hub you have on a trailer?
If you do not know your trailer's hub size, there are a few methods that can help you find out. Trailer hub sizes are determined by the size and shape of the spindles on your trailer's axles. Once you take off the wheel and trailer hub assembly, look at the spindle. You may have either a tapered or a straight spindle.
What is a trailer hub?
The trailer hub is composed of many distinct parts like inner and outer bearings, castle nuts, cotter pins, dust caps and other miscellaneous pieces. You'll find all these parts on our online store for sale individually or packaged together in a trailer hub kit. To accommodate a variety of trailer applications, we carry numerous trailer hub assemblies and trailer hub replacement parts. For example, you'll find boxed and pre-greased trailer hubs, Dexter 10K, 12K and 15K parts, implement hubs, trailer hub caps and much more. Finding a specific trailer hub replacement part or trailer hub kit can be confusing. Contact us online or call us at 936-295-9900 to work with our friendly, helpful team of experts.
Why do you need a hub on a trailer?
Connecting the tires and the axle, the trailer hub assembly is essential to keeping your trailer rolling on the road. If a trailer hub suffers damage, corrosion or improper installment, it probably comes as no surprise that your trailer, vehicle and load are at risk of serious damage. You do not want a wheel disconnecting from your trailer ...
What is the number to call for a trailer hub?
Finding a specific trailer hub replacement part or trailer hub kit can be confusing. Contact us online or call us at 936-295-9900 to work with our friendly, helpful team of experts.
How often should you replace a Husky trailer hub?
Depending on the size of your trailer's wheels and how frequently you use it, the parts in each trailer wheel hub, especially the wheel bearings, should typically be replaced each year. Husky Trailer carries everything you'll need to maintain and replace your trailer hub assembly.
How many measurements do you need for a straight spindle?
If you have a tapered spindle, you need to make two measurements whereas you'll only need one measurement for a straight spindle. If you have a digital caliper, place it on the spindle at the bearing locations and measure the diameter.
What to do if your trailer bearings are making noise?
It’s essential to keep them in good shape to keep your trailer functioning safely. If you notice your bearings start making noises, then it might be time to replace them. In order to do so, you’ll need some basic mechanical tools, a new set of bearings, and a flat work surface.
What is dust cap?
The dust cap is also known as a grease cap. It covers the nut that holds the hub assembly to the spindle shaft of the trailer. You need to remove it so you can take the hub off the spindle and access the bearings.
How to remove a wheel hub from a trailer?
The hub assembly is the round metal part right behind the wheel that holds the wheel to the spindle shaft, which is the shaft under the trailer that spins the wheels. Grab the hub assembly with both hands and place your thumbs over the outer bearing so it doesn’t fall out. Pull the whole hub assembly carefully towards you until it slides completely off the spindle shaft, then set it face-up on a flat work surface.
Why is it important to remove old grease?
Grease gets dirty over time, so it’s important to remove the old grease and relubricate everything with new, clean grease.
What is the lip of a seal?
The lip of the seal is the non-metal part of the seal. It needs to face the bearing so it holds the grease in.
How to straighten a cotter pin?
It goes through the side of the nut in the middle of the hub and through a hole in the end of the spindle shaft. Use pliers to straighten out the cotter pin, then pull it out once it is straight.
How to remove outer bearing from a wheel?
The outer bearing is the bearing in the middle of the hub that faces outwards towards the wheels, right underneath the adjusting nut and washer that you removed. Slip your fingers in the middle of the outer bearing, lift it up and out, then set it aside.