New axle or rebuild?

Nick Hearne · 03 January 2012, 12:29

Well my Christmas present to myself came with a not so looked after Bramber trailer, I had bought what I thought I needed to put it back on the road but not quite the hitch is the wrong size & the hubs have sealed for life bearing (the bearings are in good shape the hubs are not, I did nock them apart & inspect & grease up!) But I prefer old fashioned tapered roller type!
So my plane is to return the parts bought & fit new hitch & axle rather than try & rebuild & at the same time & can replace with tapered bearings for easy DIY maintenance!

Good idea or not?

Trailer Guy · 03 January 2012, 20:39

It's a good idea if you're planning on keeping it and you've got the pennies to do it, as it can be expensive!

... unless it's unbraked, in which case it's not too dear at all.

Feel free to ask any questions, if I can help I will.

mister p · 03 January 2012, 22:38

My trailer suspension failed on one side, so that the tyre was rubbing against the mudguard,( the rubber indispension type) and I was looking around how to replace the inserts.
I discovered that two full units, hubs, suspension units and carriers...........ie, unbolt the U's from the trailer and fit the whole new units.........came in cheaper than a rubber rebuild for one side alone. And they turned up in two days with all the nuts and bolts. In fact there were more fittings than I needed.
Under a hundred pounds, I kid you not! For both sides!! From the trailer frame down!!!(apart from w&t)
That's for a trailer carrying a 4M SR.

Downhilldai · 03 January 2012, 22:44

I've found that sealed ALKO bearings last a lot longer on unbraked hubs than on braked units. If the axle were unbraked, I'd be inclined to leave it with sealed bearings, but as you say the 'hubs' aren't in good shape, I assume you mean the brake drums?

Chris · 03 January 2012, 23:01

Why the aversion to sealed bearings.???

I had them on my last trailer and they were fine for the 3 years i owned the boat.

I carried a spare drum with bearings fitted as part of my towing kit along with a breaker bar and socket. If the bearings ever did fail I could change the drum and bearing in about 5 mins.

You are going to pay a lot for a new axle, why not just clean up the one you have now.

It cant be any worse than this was...

http://www.rib.net/forum/f49/trailer-refurb-44705.html

Downhilldai · 03 January 2012, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Why the aversion to sealed bearings.???

I think he answered it in post 1:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

..... tapered bearings for easy DIY maintenance!

Chris · 04 January 2012, 06:47

When I had tapered bearings A couple of trailers ago I found them a PITA to "Maintain" and I still had to replace them at least once over 2 years.

Nick Hearne · 04 January 2012, 08:24

Thanks for the input chaps, the trailer is braked or should be, but the brakes have been stripped out! I was going to rebuild it & have bought most of what I need but not all! My thinking is by the time I finish trying to rebuild this one I may as well buy a new one (Axle that is) & if so why not change it for taper bearings which I have always had on past trailers & happy keeping in shape with a bit of DIY maintenance. The drums are very rusty & how the hell I can get the old bearings out let alone fit new ones. The Trailer is all up weight of up to 1500 kg it is the same as this one http://www.rib.net/forum/f10/bramber...ale-35262.html

I have rebuilt a trailer in the past so have some experience of what is involved in rebuilding hitch & braking system (I told my self next time buy a new hitch) & fitting twin axles to anther which was a synch!

bedajim · 04 January 2012, 09:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Thanks for the input chaps, the trailer is braked or should be, but the brakes have been stripped out! I was going to rebuild it & have bought most of what I need but not all! My thinking is by the time I finish trying to rebuild this one I may as well buy a new one (Axle that is) & if so why not change it for taper bearings which I have always had on past trailers & happy keeping in shape with a bit of DIY maintenance. The drums are very rusty & how the hell I can get the old bearings out let alone fit new ones. The Trailer is all up weight of up to 1500 kg it is the same as this one http://www.rib.net/forum/f10/bramber...ale-35262.html

I have rebuilt a trailer in the past so have some experience of what is involved in rebuilding hitch & braking system (I told my self next time buy a new hitch) & fitting twin axles to anther which was a synch!

I'd buy a new one too, some suppliers will make one up with the same fixing brackets etc if you give them a drawing to really make it easy

It's cheap in my eyes compared to sitting at the side of the road or worse

Jim

jyasaki · 04 January 2012, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

I carried a spare drum with bearings fitted as part of my towing kit along with a breaker bar and socket. If the bearings ever did fail I could change the drum and bearing in about 5 mins.

That works as long as the spindle is undamaged.

A fully collapsed bearing set will usually score the spindle, rendering it unusable (at least long term; you might be able to get to a safe place, but a second failure is pretty imminent.)

On a torsion axle, the spindle is often (generally?) replaceable; on a leaf spring axle, they're often welded in place, which means replacing the axle (unless you know a welder who can take the time to jig things up to get the alignment right.)

jky

Nick Hearne · 04 January 2012, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

That works as long as the spindle is undamaged.

A fully collapsed bearing set will usually score the spindle, rendering it unusable (at least long term; you might be able to get to a safe place, but a second failure is pretty imminent.)

On a torsion axle, the spindle is often (generally?) replaceable; on a leaf spring axle, they're often welded in place, which means replacing the axle (unless you know a welder who can take the time to jig things up to get the alignment right.)

jky

Yep ends up like this!
Was sold this as a working trailer got them to supply 2 new axles for it in the end!

Nick Hearne · 05 January 2012, 09:17

I have now had it confirmed that the bearings are the original ones & still going strong after 5.5 years!! When I knocked them apart to check looked fine & I have just towed it 230 miles home, so may be they are a better long term bearing than tapered but I still cant change them so easily oh what to do??

Simon B · 05 January 2012, 10:16

We went through this on a couple of trailer axles, the cost of a full set of parts was pretty close to a new axle so we went that way and resolved to change the sealed for life bearings each year. This regime served us well till we sold the boat and trailer.

Nick Hearne · 05 January 2012, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon B

We went through this on a couple of trailer axles, the cost of a full set of parts was pretty close to a new axle so we went that way and resolved to change the sealed for life bearings each year. This regime served us well till we sold the boat and trailer.

So you stuck with the sealed for life bearing even with fitting a new axle?

Bern Hanreck · 05 January 2012, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

That works as long as the spindle is undamaged.

A fully collapsed bearing set will usually score the spindle, rendering it unusable (at least long term; you might be able to get to a safe place, but a second failure is pretty imminent.)

On a torsion axle, the spindle is often (generally?) replaceable; on a leaf spring axle, they're often welded in place, which means replacing the axle (unless you know a welder who can take the time to jig things up to get the alignment right.)

jky

jky is absolutely correct........but I also follow Chris's method......!

Nick Hearne · 06 January 2012, 20:12

Well to day I managed to rebuild the hitch, so new hitch is now surplice to requirement just have to sort out the brakes or axle now!