| By Southern Boats on Trailer Upkeep  Nothing is more heart-breaking than having trouble with your boat trailer while on the way to that big fishing trip. You can prevent trouble by replacing the boat trailer wheel bearings before they go bad. It's a simple procedure that can be performed by most do-it-yourselfers. You will find that it is much easier to perform this task without the boat on the trailer. In fact, I would suggest that you do it with the boat on the trailer only in case of an emergency.
Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Things You'll Need: - Floor jack
- Jack stand
- Wheel lug wrench
- Large slip-joint pliers
- Flat blade screwdriver
- Parts cleaning solvent
- Compressed air
- Replacement wheel bearings (if needed)
- Replacement cotter pins
- Bearing grease
Step 1 Set wheel chocks on the tire opposite the side to be worked on. This will prevent the trailer from moving while you are working on it. Step 2 Raise the trailer up with the floor jack. Set a jack stand underneath for safety and remove the tire. Step 3 Remove the bearing dust cap using the slip-joint pliers. Grasp it firmly and simply wiggle it up and down to loosen. If the cap does not come off easily, carefully pry it off with a screwdriver. Take care not to damage the cap. Step 4 Remove the cotter pin, castle nut and washer. Step 5 Pull the wheel hub toward you slightly. This should dislodge the outer wheel bearing. Remove the bearing and remove the wheel hub from the axle shaft. Step 6 Pry the grease seal from the back side of the hub with a screw driver and discard. Remove the rear bearing. Step 7 Remove the old grease from the bearings and wash then in a parts cleaning solvent. Be sure to remove all of the grease and solvent. Step 8 Dry the bearing with compressed air. Do not cause the bearing to spin at high speed. This will damage the bearing. Step 9 Inspect the bearings. If there is any pitting, scoring, or other damage, the bearings must be replaced. Step 10 Grease the bearings with a bearing packer and a grease gun. If those things are not handy, simply place a gob of bearing grease on the heel of one hand and force the grease up into the bearing cage from the bottom with the other. It will take a few minutes to do thoroughly, but more grease is better. Step 11 Replace the rear bearing and carefully tap the grease seal into place with a hammer. Take care not to distort or dent it. If you do, it must be replaced. Step 12 Replace the wheel hub. Fill the cavity with bearing grease. Replace the front bearing, washer and castle nut. Step 13 Tighten the nut slowly until resistance is felt when spinning the hub, and then loosen the nut one-half turn. Repeat this several times to make sure the hub is fully seated. Step 14 Replace the cotter pin, bearing dust cap, and tire. Repeat on other wheel(s).      | 
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