Saturday, September 24, 2011

Bearings

Dragging the trailer home after the ball game, I thought that I heard a squeaking noise coming from behind me. Got home and did a quick check, one of the trailer bearings had given up. Given up badly. I spent the morning taking it all apart, beating the races out of the hub and cutting the inside bearing sleeve off the axle. It took almost an hour to get the cotter-pin out. Yeah, it was that bad.

I'm not going to mess with it any more today. I'll go buy bearings tomorrow afternoon and put it all back together. Then, later this week I'll check the other axle and make sure that the bearings are good there. An ounce of prevention, etc, etc.

4 comments:

Gerry N. said...

I learned at an early age, about 9, if memory serves that bearings should be replaced in sets. Wheel bearings on both sides of a bicycle wheel, car fronts and rear wheel bearings, trailer wheel bearings, table saw arbor bearings, anything similar to that. Bearings are incredibly cheap for what you get, I've never been able to understand that, and always marvel at a new bearing in it's paper wrap gleaming through the packing grease.

Old NFO said...

Yep, I'd probably replace the other one just on general principles...

Rivrdog said...

Maybe reading too much into your post, but do you have to work those ball games on your own ATV?

Pawpaw said...

No, rivrdog, I don't have to work those games on my own ATV, but if I want to ride rather than walk, I'd best bring it. I pack an ice chest full of water to hydrate my crew, and I installed lights to provide overhead flashers. It comes in handy, but no, the Sheriff isn't going to provide an ATV for me.