Wheels

[Kelly]

I am glad to read, Joan, that you were able to get your trailer to a shop and repaired.

Of late I have been wondering whether it would be helpful to have a handy section in the forum that provides reviews or some sort of commentary about TD garage experiences during times when it isn't possible to get our trailers back to the folks at Camp-Inn (eg. the name of the business, where, whether they passed/failed, what you liked/didn't like about them).

Last year I made an appointment for a bearing inspection, but was concerned that their practice was to put the trailer onto a fork lift to move it. I checked with Cary beforehand and he told me not to allow them to. The repair shop refused to move the trailer any other way, so I cancelled the appointment. This is just one example of what to avoid when taking our trailers in for repairs.

It would be nice to have a readily accessible resource on the forum that identifies those businesses that are prepared to cater to the particular needs of our TDs.

 

[David Olson]

Joan,

Get it checked out, do what it says in the owners manual to see if the bearings are loose, I don't have the brake option but that could be a cause for concern as well.
Always a good idea to jack the CI up from time to time, spin the wheels and listen for any unusual noise or grinding sounds. If it sounds bad it probably is.
Glad I checked mine recently, had a rough sounding bearing and sure enough the grease seal had failed allowing water in and the inner bearing was on it's way to failure as well.
These things happen and now I carry a spare set of pre-packed bearings, grease seal and cotter pin in a zip lock bag, if you can't do the work yourself you will still be way ahead. All for pretty short money if you get stuck on the road miles from anywhere.

J&B

That is a great idea to carry an extra set of bearings.
I went to my local parts dealer yesterday and got an outer and inner set of bearings and the grease seal. I just put them in a bag and put with the spare tire. At least that way if something were to happen you may not have to wait around several days for a set of bearings to be found. Since I had one wheel off to get the #'s I went ahead and repacked them both sides.

 

[Jean W]

Where and how does a non-mechanical person find the bearing number?

What is the expected cost of an extra spare set of bearings?

Jean

 

[JB]

Jean,

The numbers can be found on the bearings themselves. They are etched on the "cup", the outer piece or "race" that is pressed into the wheel hub, and on the "cone", the inner piece or inner "race" that rides on the axle itself.

The numbers are L44610 for the cup and L44649 for the cone, they come as a set. These are industry standard numbers and a good auto parts store should have them and be able to set you up with the proper grease seal as well. Manufacturer's part numbers may vary but that's ok. I believe the cotter pin you may need is a 5/32" by 2 1/2" or so.

Both inner and outer bearings are the same so two bearing sets, one grease seal, and one cotter pin per wheel.

Remember, wheel bearings are best replaced in a garage setting but with these parts you may just make it off the side of the road in a pinch.

As far as cost, wish I had not tossed the receipt, maybe $35-40 per wheel?

Hope this isn't too much mumbo jumbo.

J&B

 

[David Olson]

Where and how does a non-mechanical person find the bearing number?

What is the expected cost of an extra spare set of bearings?

Jean

I paid $27. for 1 complete set. But I also bought a tub of bearing grease. So bearings alone for me maybe $21-22.