How do you identify bearing size?

[Erin]

I thought my trailer was sounding a bit 'rumbly' when I pulled the boat out last week, and having been a bit lazy on servicing it last year I decided I ought to take a look at the bearings. Glad I did.

First challenge however was to remove the bearing savers (misnomer if ever there was one ) see piccy 1. The tapping (belting ) it with a hammer trick didn't work and as I didn't have a bit of pipe large enough to slide over them I ended up using an old scaffold tube jointing piece (piccy 2) to give the required leverage and wobble factor to walk them out.

Not a pretty sight inside. I'm pretty sure it ain't meant to be brown in there . Piccy 3

After a bit of coaxing I managed to get the hub off and the old bearings out - piccy 4. I suspect the rear seal has failed allowing water in. The section of axle that the seal sits on was pretty lumpy and rusty so it's no wonder it didn't seal properly.

The trailer is a Dixonbate which I see is now under the ownership of Bradley. There don't seem to be any agents for them in the Channel Islands, so the question is, do I need specific Dixonbate/Bradley taper bearings or will they be a standard size? The only identifying marks I can find are Peer L44649 on the outer bearing and Peer POS1622637 on the seal.

[Boats&Outboards]

Good job (dont forget the shells). Think the bearing you need is the standard taper bearing found on most boat trailers. I've took a screen grab from eBay but by just googling the bearing number you will find lots of suppliers.

Don't take my word for it though. Check the bearings are the same.

Peter ~ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[Erin]

Thanks for that Peter. However, if I find a kit with the correct outer bearing will the inside bearing automatically be the right one too? Or are there too many different combinations for it to be that simple?

[Boats&Outboards]

It should be but it's worth maybe googling the inner ones part number too. They seem to be a kit so I'd guess it's the right one. Remember to get the shells out though else it's pointless doing the bearings.

That 2nd pic has all the diameter sizes for you to compare, the first pic was the first returned search so you mat find a cheaper set if you browse better than I did

Peter ~ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007

[SPR]

Towsure - buy new hub 1inch tapper! easier than removing shells, gives new studs and nuts!

Lazy way of doing it!

[Boats&Outboards]

Agree with that!! But the price goes up quite a lot on that hub. Our trailer centre does deals on the standard 4in pcd hub 2 for £40 (can make big saving online but i like to buy local if posible) which comes complete with bearings etc. Makes life easier and better selling point but on the larger hubs the prices seem to go up a lot more with the hubs so we just do the bearings unless the hubs are in need of replacement

[Paul Cannell]

I would clean the rust off the stub axle with a flap wheel on a drill (be careful not to go to mad) & put a protective coating on it, otherwise you'll be back to square one shortly.

Pack the rear seal around the spring with grease, this should stop it rusting & failing in future, easier if the seal is a separate item.

I've never had bearing savers, always squirted a couple of pumps of grease after each outing & striped down each year, only changed 1 set in 5 years

[Crusher]

Hi Erin,

I think the condition of your hub looks no different from every one I have ever split. Novel / good idea to take the bearing savers off, I'll remember that should the need arise!
You should find a number on both bearings, only way to be 100% sure the 'Sets' offered are correct, however my experience is that they are.
My only concern, and sorry I haven't found an answer yet (hopefully somebody reading this has....) I worry about the quality of these 'cheap' bearings on eBay. I changed the the bearings on my trailer at the start of this year and was really disappointed to find them rumbling after not many launches later.
I had used water resistant grease, which after talking to others, I won't do again.
Now looking at changing bearings again this winter, just unsure where to source quality bearings from.
:-)

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

[Hightower]

It would be handy to build a database of where people get their bearings from and to find out if they were pleased with them or not. Same with grease too.

I haven't done bearings for years and when I did I used the hubs from towsure on an unbraked trailer which was a cheap as chips soloution but only lasted a season.

The grease I use is the blue Aqua stuff from indispension.

[Boats&Outboards]

Originally Posted by Crusher

Hi Erin,

I think the condition of your hub looks no different from every one I have ever split. Novel / good idea to take the bearing savers off, I'll remember that should the need arise!
You should find a number on both bearings, only way to be 100% sure the 'Sets' offered are correct, however my experience is that they are.
My only concern, and sorry I haven't found an answer yet (hopefully somebody reading this has....) I worry about the quality of these 'cheap' bearings on eBay. I changed the the bearings on my trailer at the start of this year and was really disappointed to find them rumbling after not many launches later.
I had used water resistant grease, which after talking to others, I won't do again.
Now looking at changing bearings again this winter, just unsure where to source quality bearings from.
:-)

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

Agreed ref the taper quality but that's pretty much par for the course with most on the Market. None of them seem great quality, rather mass produced Chinese products. That's kind of my point ref the sealed v taper discussion on another thread

Peter ~ Boatsandoutboards4sale ~ askboatsandoutboards4sale@sky.com ~ 07930 421007