Mark Rinker
08-30-2009, 07:52
I have been toting around a spare eight lug hub for a 7K# axle for some time now, waiting for the day that I smoke a bearing and need it, fast.
Well, that day came earlier this week, on a long and lonely section of I80W in Wyoming, when smoke started coming from the driver's side middle axle (triple axle boat trailer).
I caught the problem quick enough to save the spindle, the culprit was the outer bearing. Was feeling pretty smart with my hub kit all ready on the truck, until the race from the outer bearing refused to budge - it was basically welded to the spindle. Finally gave up, unhooked the truck and headed 40 miles to the closest NAPA (thanks, Garmin) store and bought a cheap pitman arm puller that was exactly the size needed for the task. The stubborn race came off with only a few turns of a large wrench. All the tapping and cussing in the world wouldn't have accomplished this 'precision persuasion'...
Greased up the spare hub, threw the tire on, and went to screw on the lug nuts...hmmm....seems that my spare hub used 5/8" lugs, and the rest of the trailer was set up with 1/2" lugs...ever been stuck by the side of the highway, 40 miles from nowhere, for the need of eight stupid 5/8" nuts, instead of the eight 1/2"ers in your hand? Its pretty damn frustrating! (Back to NAPA - what the hell its only 80 miles roundtrip...)
Lesson: Next time, make sure the 'hub kit' has all the stuff you'll need!!! :)
Hub - complete with inner/outer bearings, grease seal, castle nut, washers, cotter pin (make sure its a complete match, right down to the lugs and lug nuts!!!)
Fresh set of lug nuts (in case the other hub is lost completely...i.e. flys off into the lake you were passing.)
Tub of fresh grease, plenty of shop rags
Puller for stuck races, rubber mallet and cold chisel
Hasp and emory cloth for smoothing burrs from damaged spindle
Can of brake parts cleaner - for making everything nice before re-installing freshly greased spare hubNow THAT is a complete hub kit to carry with you, a compliment to the fresh spare tire and rim that you might also need, if the original is lost or damaged completely as a result of the bearing failure.
BE PREPARED!
Well, that day came earlier this week, on a long and lonely section of I80W in Wyoming, when smoke started coming from the driver's side middle axle (triple axle boat trailer).
I caught the problem quick enough to save the spindle, the culprit was the outer bearing. Was feeling pretty smart with my hub kit all ready on the truck, until the race from the outer bearing refused to budge - it was basically welded to the spindle. Finally gave up, unhooked the truck and headed 40 miles to the closest NAPA (thanks, Garmin) store and bought a cheap pitman arm puller that was exactly the size needed for the task. The stubborn race came off with only a few turns of a large wrench. All the tapping and cussing in the world wouldn't have accomplished this 'precision persuasion'...
Greased up the spare hub, threw the tire on, and went to screw on the lug nuts...hmmm....seems that my spare hub used 5/8" lugs, and the rest of the trailer was set up with 1/2" lugs...ever been stuck by the side of the highway, 40 miles from nowhere, for the need of eight stupid 5/8" nuts, instead of the eight 1/2"ers in your hand? Its pretty damn frustrating! (Back to NAPA - what the hell its only 80 miles roundtrip...)
Lesson: Next time, make sure the 'hub kit' has all the stuff you'll need!!! :)
Hub - complete with inner/outer bearings, grease seal, castle nut, washers, cotter pin (make sure its a complete match, right down to the lugs and lug nuts!!!)
Fresh set of lug nuts (in case the other hub is lost completely...i.e. flys off into the lake you were passing.)
Tub of fresh grease, plenty of shop rags
Puller for stuck races, rubber mallet and cold chisel
Hasp and emory cloth for smoothing burrs from damaged spindle
Can of brake parts cleaner - for making everything nice before re-installing freshly greased spare hubNow THAT is a complete hub kit to carry with you, a compliment to the fresh spare tire and rim that you might also need, if the original is lost or damaged completely as a result of the bearing failure.
BE PREPARED!