Will this ruin my bearings?

[speedfreak]

After years of dreaming I finally got my own utility trailer. Just a 5x8. 2000lb axle. I use it primarily to move my riding mower. The thing is I leave my mower sitting on the trailer all the time. I understand excessive idle time is not good for bearings but I will be using the trailer at least ever week or two. Is it okay to just leave the mower on the trailer? Btw, right now bearings have whatever they had in them from the factory. Will repack them with Mobil 1 synthetic next season. Also...a little unrelated...assuming bearings are repacked every season (even though I won't likely do more than 1000 miles), good synthetic grease is used, and load limits are observed...what is the expected lifespan for bearings in a utility trailer? Axle is made by Dexter axle if that means anything.

 

[Steve S]

If the sealing surfaces are good where the hub seals rub and you put in new seals with the M! grease all will be fine and you shouldn't have to repack the bearings every year. Don't speed with the small dia tires.

 

[JimPghPA]

Boat owners do it all the time with much more weight.

 

[jstutz]

In a good axle, there is no need for lube every year. Condider that some two wheel drive trucks have similar bearings in the front wheels that get lubed almost never and last a very long time. There will be no harm done to the trailer axle if the mower sits on it unless it has suspension and sometimes the leaf springs are a little on the light side so they may not like holding the load constantly. Personally i dont think there is any need for synthetic grease either. Any wheel bearing grease will work fine. Like Jim said, boat trailers do it all the time with a lot of weight and are subjected to about the worst case conditions.

 

[speedfreak]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Don't speed with the small dia tires.

With 12 inch wheels and approx 1000 on trailer I should be good to drive 70mph right. Assuming load is well balanced of course.

 

[daman]

No problem..i store two of my sleds in my enclosed trailer every year.

 

[speedfreak]

Originally Posted By: jstutz
In a good axle, there is no need for lube every year. Condider that some two wheel drive trucks have similar bearings in the front wheels that get lubed almost never and last a very long time. There will be no harm done to the trailer axle if the mower sits on it unless it has suspension and sometimes the leaf springs are a little on the light side so they may not like holding the load constantly. Personally i dont think there is any need for synthetic grease either. Any wheel bearing grease will work fine. Like Jim said, boat trailers do it all the time with a lot of weight and are subjected to about the worst case conditions.

True, but trailer bearing tend to fail much more frequently then any passenger vehicle bearings. Several reasons for it. Point taken on not needing synthetic grease, but like many BITOGERS I'm gonna go ahead and use it anyways. Lubrication OCD. Thanks for the quick replies. Great forum.

 

[daman]

Where ya located speedfreak?

 

[speedfreak]

Oakland county.

 

[Kestas]

Statistically, the number one reason for bearing failure is improper installation. All that repacking opens yourself up to the chance that you may miss the proper preload some time, or damage the seals. You're better off doing it once and doing it right.

 

[speedfreak]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Statistically, the number one reason for bearing failure is improper installation. All that repacking opens yourself up to the chance that you may miss the proper preload some time, or damage the seals. You're better off doing it once and doing it right.


That makes sense. Guess I will repack them once with good grease and new seals then just leave well enough alone. At least for a few years.

 

[Ducati996]

I have had a couple situations with trailer bearings.
I would remove the wheels & inspect the bearings because they may have been improperly greased when assembled or they may be an inferior imported product.
If the bearings are not a quality name brand then I would replace them with Timken or other quality product and pack them with quality grease.
If you find name brand bearings clean and repack then you know they are properly assembled and greased.

 

[speedfreak]

Hey Ducati...is Dexter axle a reputable brand? I don't know if they make their own bearings or not. I would imagine they do seeing as they pretty much specialize in axles. I guess my trailer has whatever bearings they use. Input would be appreciated.

 

[Ducati996]

Manufacturing bearings requires very expensive/precise machinery which china does have however quality requires more than the best machinery. Quality also requires attention to detail in the entire manufacturing process from procedures to materials.
High quality lubricants (grease) are also required to get maximum life expectancy from a bearing.
I have worked in an engineering lab designing and building the transmission in the US Armies Bradley Fighting Vehicle and know that quality does not come cheap.
I currently do auto repair I have found bearings imported from china do not have the life expectancy of USA products.
One supplier I have used for automotive front wheel bearings that were manufactured in China had a lifetime replacement policy. That policy was discontinued due to the high failure rate.
I have had numerous new bearings in passenger cars fail within 1 year and now advise customers to consider this;
Get out cheap with imported bearings and risk another failure and pay again or Install quality American made in USA bearings and forget about it!
I will not install import bearings in a truck!
Quality is more than the eye can see.

 

[gamefoo21]

Almost all bearings now a days are made in China, it's just a sad fact of life.

What I've noticed though, is the grease they tend to pack into the bearings is quite honestly [censored]. To clean out a double roller I just spun it up and almost all of the grease came charging out. I repacked with Schaeffer's and did the spin and that grease just stuck. They also rolled smoother and easier with the upgraded grease. 6 months so far and the bearings are still tight.