Wheel bearings
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3323
Printed Date: 11 May 2024 at 3:34am
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Topic: Wheel bearings
Posted By: Robwid
Subject: Wheel bearings
Date Posted: 14 Mar 2013 at 10:24pm
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Howdy campers, I'm curious how often you are repacking your wheel bearings. How many miles or years? I've only got one season on my 177 so my plan is to wait until next year. Does anyone know if there are any tricks or special tools required on our pods? I've done it on my old volkswagen bus and it's a pretty simple job. Sign me 'anxiously waiting for spring'. Thanks in advance! ------------- Rob 2012 HRE 177 2010 Toyota Tacoma |
Replies:
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 8:18am
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I do my wheel bearings every spring. Its a simple job and no special tools are required, although I find that a bearing packer makes it easier. You'll need replacement seals as its almost impossible to get the old ones out without destroying them. As far as replacement cycle, with trailer bearings, in normal use its more an issue with how long the trailer sits idle (and the grease slowly migrates out of the bearings, leaving them dry for the first few miles of the next trip) than how many miles the trailer has travelled. That said, if you travel 20,000 miles in three months, they should probably be looked at.
Here's a video from YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMiunGtuSP4 - link ) - I've found the etrailer videos to be closest to how I do maintenance. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 6:58pm
 Outbound: I store my Pod in a closed machine shed and use jack stands to hold the tires off the cement floor. About once a month, I give both tires a few reverse spins. Will that help keep the grease spread on the bearings?
------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 7:21pm
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Question for ya'll ... we just got our Pod in October last year and have taken it out 5 times, all very local to where we live (furthest away was 29 miles). Do you think we need to repack the bearings this spring, or would they be okay until next year? ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 7:29pm
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I've often seen "every 5000 miles" as a general rule of thumb (8046.72 kilometers for Outbound). I got my pod in August of 2010 and have put about 3500 miles on it. I recently had the bearings repacked but only because we will be putting over 5000 on it this summer. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 8:03pm
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I did mine after our first year of owning our Pod, just so I could learn to do them and be confident with it. I now plan to do ours every 2 seasons now. It is a very easy job to do, a bit messy is about the only complaint with it! ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2013 at 8:18pm
The friction from rotating, along with the motion softens up the grease and coats the bearings. A few spins isn't really going to do much for the bearings. That said, if you're putting 4023.36 km/yr (half of 8046.72  ) or so on your trailer, packing your bearings every other year should be fine. Make sure to squeeze some grease into the hub nipple in the spring of the no-repack year.------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: Bill-GA
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2013 at 10:01am
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Can someone give me a quick list of steps of how to access the full bearings for greasing? Take off wheel lug nuts, pull off brake hub, pop seals??? Any "watch out for". Where do I get grease seals? Trailer store / auto store? I currently just pop the dust cover and use the grease nipple and pump grease until it comes out the side. Is this sufficient or should I do a full bearing pack? Opinions accepted  Thanks. ------------- Bill & Bev 13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2013 at 8:01pm
Yikes. Its been a year since I last did it, so my memory is a bit rusty:
Well, I suggest that Canadians go to Princess Auto. Canadian Tire may carry them - but its kinda doubtful. I'll let the Americans on here suggest their favourite shop. An RV dealer should also carry them, and I've definitely seen them in Camping World in Syracuse. You're looking for seals for a 3500lb axle.
Nope. A squirt of grease doesn't cut it. You've got to get the bearings out, soak them in kerosene, clean up the spindle and the races (brake cleaner works well), pack grease into the bearing and lather everything else in grease. Make sure to inspect the bearing for physical damage and for signs of overheating (significant discolouring). Check out this step-by-step from etrailer ( http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wheelbearingpack.aspx - link ) - they describe the process fairly well and there are pictures. Personally, it takes me about 2 1/2 hours total to grease the bearings and adjust the brakes (including pulling all the tools out and putting them away afterward). ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: Bill-GA
Date Posted: 16 Mar 2013 at 9:27pm
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Outbound, thanks for the info and the link. This s really a GREAT bearing 101 class! Unfortunately, now I thinking, since I got everything open .... -check brakes? -replace if needed .. Parts from camper world...? -adjust brakes ??? Is this just a star wheel adjustment (like the old days)? Any good links? I think most of you guys are like me ..... -replace the missing shingle on the house ...10 min job -maybe replace whole side ... What the hell do whole house roof! -wait a minute ... Some roof sheeting needs replacing ... -ops ... Two roof rafters need to be sistered .. -are those soffits and facia soft? Those gutters are getting old .... 10 min job has now become 2 weeks !!! Heaven help me! ------------- Bill & Bev 13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2013 at 12:09am
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Bill, I looked on the web site for the type of axle that is on our POD (Dexter) and found a trailer dealer close to home that sells them. They have all the parts in stock on the shelf from whole brake assemblies or parts to bearings and seals. There is also some one on hand that knows about trailer axles if you have a question. This was a whole lot closer than going back to the RV dealer. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2013 at 3:21pm
 Make sure that you use a high quality axle grease! WalMart Bearing Grease is not good enough!Lippert (and Dexter) recommend a "high Dropping Point" grease (230C/446F) minimum. If you look at some of the big box store grease...their grease doesn't even come close to this! Specs: Lithium Complex Grease Dropping Point: 230C/446F minimum Consistency: EP, Corrosion& Oxidation Inhibitors Base Oil: Solvent Refined Petroleum Oil Base Oil Viscosity: @40C(104F) 150cSt(695 SUS) Min. Viscosity Index: 80 Minimum Pour Point: -10C(14F) Minimum Approved Grease: Mobilgrease XP Ronex (Exxon) MP Kendall L-427 Valvoline (Ashland) Val-plex Grease Penzoil Premium Bearing Grease 707L When I first went over to my local 'axle repair shop' to buy a couple of grease containers, the workers there could not find any of their brands that came close to the required specs. I ended up going to my local RV dealer...they only used the brands listed above. They said that they found using cheaper grease caused more trouble than it was worth...and sometimes the warranty companies would not back the warranty if cheaper grease was used. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2013 at 6:02pm
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I use Mystic JT6 which meets the same specs that Tidalwave listed. It can be found at O'Rielly Auto Parts or Auto Zone. Saves a lot of miles down to the RV dealer. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2013 at 4:28pm
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Never repacked an rPod hub, so take every thing I say with that disclaimer... 1) rPod hubs are no different than front wheel bearings on rear wheel drive cars. I have owned many of them and replacked many. I would never consider once per 5000 miles to be necessary. More like once per 25,000 miles if you know they are done right to begin with. 2) Any recommendations for boat trailers do not translate. Many boat trailers back down into the water to launch. Rapid cooling of warm bearings cause intake of water into hub.. this is a problem. 3) rPod trailers should be no different than utility trailers and horse trailers.. I have repacked a bunch of them. 4) Repacking has two great dangers for the novice... 4a) Getting grease on the brake shoes.... can be a disaster and cause big problems. 4b) Getting the castle nut too tight and causing bearing failure. Seldom is too loose a problem as you can feel the wobble. Other than these thoughts the previous instructions are great... ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171 
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Posted By: Bill-GA
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2013 at 8:08pm
Thinker, I "think" I agree with your basic guidelines. However, I bought my rPod used and I'm not sure how long it sat in someone's back yard. I greased via the fittings last year, but opening the hub, checking the state of the brakes and knowing the bearings have a good grease job will give me lots of "peace of mind" when I'm on the road. I'd hate to discover the brakes or bearings were deficient 1000 miles from home base. I'm like many rPoders and like the DIY style of maintenance to know it was done right. Just because you pay top $ at a shop, doesn't mean it was done right. That's what is great about these online discussions. Again, thanks to everyone for your comments. ------------- Bill & Bev 13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2013 at 9:29pm
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I am with Thinker, as an A C Delco shop owner of 24 years, he is correct at to it is the same as a good old chev c 10 pickup. G.M. recomends repacking front wheel bearings every 30,000 miles. Now use common sense and if you have been through deep standing water, or if the pod has been setting for a long time that is different. My pod has a grease fitting that puts grease to the back of the bearing and forces out the old toward the front. Use the grease that Forest River recomends and I doubt if you will have any problems. If you want to do it every spring, its no problem unles you get the bearings too tight then they will wear out rapidly. I am going into season 2.5 we got ours late in the fall of 2010, I will jack up the axle one side at a time, check the free play, lube the bearings through the zirk fitting, check the brake adjustment and we will be good to go. Happy podding ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2013 at 1:47pm
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I agree with the 'dsmiths'. Before each trip, I give the axle zerk fittings a couple of gentle pumps from my hand grease gun. I add (if needed) just enough high quality grease to have some of the old grease come out of the hub exits. I bought my Pod new and know that it has never been driven through deep water, etc. I also add grease before storing the Pod for the winter. After two seasons, I brought my Pod in for bearing repacking. The shop mechanic commented that the grease appeared to be 'new' (whatever that means). In his opinion, I didn't have to bring it in every two years. By the way, I do bring my grease gun with on long trips...I give the axles a couple of squirts of grease every 1,000 miles. And whenever I stop for gas, I do a 'walk-around' the Pod to make sure everything looks ok. I gently touch the hubs for over-heating. Even in 90F weather and traveling for a couple hundred miles...the hubs have never been hot, barely warm. Another member talked about buying an infra-red temperature gun. Harbor Freight carries them, I may buy one and carry it on trips. Just aim the gun at the hub and it will tell you the hub temp. I am a 'belt-and-suspenders' person. For my longest trip of more than 5,000 miles, I bought a replacement hub from the manufacturer (cost me $55 plus shipping). I carried it in the back of the pickup. That way, if a bearing did go out...I could replace the hub immediately, rather than waiting in some small out of the way town in a wilderness for a hub to be ordered and shipped out. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: Bill-GA
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2013 at 9:27pm
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I found this basic grease your trailer video with a hub which looks exactly like mine. Some of the recent comments and this video gives me more confidence to just grease the bearing and wait a while to do a complete bearing repack. http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=O6ndN_9NQL4 - http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=O6ndN_9NQL4 ------------- Bill & Bev 13 yr old dachshund 'Elsa' 2010 RP-176T (tent & slide-out) 2011 Toyota Tundra 2WD TV |
Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2013 at 11:28am
Good video... here is the non mobile version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ndN_9NQL4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ndN_9NQL4 ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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