AL-KO wheel bearings

[Mark Halliday]

Has anyone suffered from AL-KO wheel bearings?
This bearing had done around 1000 miles in 3 years, before it gave up the ghost yesterday afternoon. Luckily no one was hit by the wheel and drum as it shot across the road. The bearing "sealed for life" and can not be re-greased, or so it seems. This was the second axel in 6 years.

[Scary Des]

is the middle of the hub broken?

[Richard B]

Mark - do a search on "AL-KO" here on RIBnet there's some other bad reports.

[Mark Halliday]

Des
Not broken - melted!
I think that the bearing seized and then as the hub detached it ground the thread off at the bottom. I could not find the cover or bearing races along the side of the road. The bearings were rumbling on the way over, 6 miles, bet when I felt them and they were not even very warm. The whole lot gave up half way home.

Richard
I shall have a search. I need an alternative.

The trailer is going to be given a good going over next Sat. New U bolts, loads of wire brushing and Galvafroid. But the weather was just too good yesterday not to go out.

[Suzuki416]

Exactly the same thing happened to me in December. Bearing seizes, then melts then the hub comes off still attacked to the wheel.

I did manage to get a bearing supplier to get some bearing savers for me but will now be checked every 3rd trip......

New hubs are £100!

[Dirk Diggler]

I always specify AL-KO for all of my trailers, and have done thousands of miles with them, but I have suffered an identical problem to you. This resulted in having to buy a complete new crossbeam with suspension units attached!

The only thing I can say in their defence is that they are designed for caravans.

I've tried Peek, Indespension and a few others, but still prefer the Al-Ko system.

[rads]

Bearing savers may be inneffective on these hubs, as bearings are "sealed" thus you will not push much grease into them. They "may" help to keep some of the water out though.

Both our trailers have sealed hubs, and we have in the past had similar failures. I now replace all the bearings as a matter of course every winter. The trailer manufacturers will not just supply a bearing, as the bearing is a press fit into the hub. However the beaings are standard automotive wheel bearings (Mk1 Golf for our indespension axles, 1800 Cavalier for our Alkos) so are easy to obtain, and easy to fit given access to a press.

Bearings work out at somewhere between £15 and £25 a throw, relatively cheap insurance for a trouble free towing season ,IMHO!

David

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by rads

1800 Cavalier for our Alkos
David

You learn new something everyday, cheers for that, have a credibility point.

[Scary Des]

Looking at the photo’s I can’t see the stub axle, is part of the hub still in place? Or is the stub really rusty? Finding alternative might be difficult because there is very little choice. There are really only two manufactures in the UK.

What annoys me is that trailer manufactures use drum breaks because they are cheap for them, once they are on the trailer the hub manufacturer have a captive market for the spares which are expensive, infact very over priced. What we really need is disc brakes which are very cheap both as original equipment and as spares. It would also be easier to get the salt of disc because they are more open.

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Scary Des

What we really need is disc brakes which are very cheap both as original equipment and as spares. It would also be easier to get the salt of disc because they are more open.

You need to buy a German or American trailer then.