Wheel Bearing Maintenance on my Escapade Elite Trailer
Time to inspect and maintain the wheel bearings on my Escapade Elite motorcycle trailer. I was actually WAY over due on this inspection, but I never had any "play" in the wheels and they spun freely with no noise or resistence, so I figured I was good to go. Upon my inspection, after many thousands of miles of pulling this trailer, everything appeared just fine. I replaced the rear seals (ordered from the factory pretty cheap), repacked the bearings, and she's good to go for another couple of riding seasons. I pull this trailer often and far, and I usually load it up pretty heavy. This is an excellent quality trailer and I am very satisfied with it. Ok, here we go:
For the full Escapade Elite Wheel Bearing Maintenance Instructions with part numbers from the factory, CLICK HERE.
Read and understand them before beginning. Refer to them for details that I leave out.
My workshop is not as nice as Bulldogs Goldwing Emporium, but it sufficed for this task. Have a look.
I jacked up the back of the trailer with my Sears jack, and put some boards under the hitch.
Remove the wheel. I noticed the tire rubbing marks in the wheel well... probably from over packing my trailer and doing off-road riding with not enough pressure in the air shocks. The air-ride suspension can be adjusted from inside the trailer. These marks rubbed right off, and before I replaced the tire, I took the opportunity to clean the wheel well and associated components.
Remove the hub cap
Remove dust cover
Remove the cotter pin
Remove the castle nut. There are 2 washers under the castle nut. Take note of which order they are in and which way they are facing.
They should be replaced the same way.
Pull the wheel hub towards you to loosen the outer bearing cone. Don’t let the cone fall to the ground.
As the hub is removed, the inner bearing and grease seal will come with it.
Observe which direction the inner seal is facing.
Pry out the inner seal and discard.
Here are all the removed components.
Keep track of which is your inner bearing and outer bearing, and replace them in the same place after repacking.
Remove all old lubricant from the hub assembly and wheel spindle with kerosene or mineral spirits.
CAUTION: do not use gasoline to clean and remove the old lubricant
Inspect the spindle for scoring, bending, thread or other damage.
A light grease coating on the spindle will make bearing installation easier and prevent rust from forming.
Inspect cups in the hub for pitting, metal flaking, scoring, rust or other obvious damage.
Remove any damaged cups with a mild steel bar. Replace cups and cones in matched sets only; not one at a time.
Here's the inner cup.
Here's the outer cup
Repack cones immediately after inspection or fresh from carton.
To hand pack cones, force wheel bearing grease under the cage between the rollers from the large end of the rollers until it shows at the small end.
Fill the hub with grease to the inside diameter of the cup.
Install the repacked inner cone in hub (the cone which slides on the wheel spindle first), then install the new grease seal.
Make sure the new seal faces in the same direction as the original; the lip should face the grease.
Lubricate the grease seal before attempting to install and slide wheel assembly back on spindle,
being careful not to damage the seal against the spindle threads.
Insert grease-packed outer cone. (sorry it's blurry)
Replace washers and adjusting nut.
Tighten the adjusting nut (castle nut) by 1/6 to 1/4 turn or to the nearest locking hole,
or sufficiently to allow the wheel to rotate freely within limits of .001” to .010” end play.
Lock nut in this position using a NEW cotter pin.
WARNING: FAILURE TO BACK OFF ADJUSTING NUT WILL CAUSE
THE BEARING TO RUN “HOT” AND BE DAMAGED. THE WHEEL
COULD THEN LOCK OR COME OFF DURING OPERATION!!!!!!
I found that I really had to torque down the castle nut pretty hard to seat the bearings and get the play out of the wheel.
I would torque it down, spin the wheel, torque it down, spin the wheel, then back it off a little.
Make sure there is no "play" in the wheel
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