A blown wheel bearing

If you’ve ever seen a trailer broken down on the side of the road odds are the bearings went bad due to lack of simple preventative maintenance.  Bearing failure is the number one cause of trailer breakdown, yet one of the easiest and most affordable to prevent.

When you leave your trailer in storage or just let it sit for long periods of time, as most RV’ers will before travel season comes around again, the risk of bearing failure increases exponentially. 

Prevent the number one cause of trailer breakdown with a bearing repack from Torklift Central.

This is what you need to know:

Wheel bearings

How bearings work

Your trailer’s wheel bearings serve a simple purpose:  To allow the wheels to roll safely without generating too much friction.  To do their job the wheel bearings need plenty of fresh grease to make sure their inner components avoid excessive heat generation that lead to breakdowns.   

Trailer in outdoor storage 

What happens in storage

When your trailer sits for extended periods of time the wheels are stationary which allows condensation to occur in the wheel bearing housing.  Condensation gives rust the moisture it needs to spread, compromising the functionality of the wheel bearings.  This can also cause the grease in the wheel bearing to lose its proper consistency prematurely.  

Damaged wheel bearing 

Risks, damage and accidents

Taking a trailer out of storage and hitting the road without performing a wheel bearing repack is risky business.

Compounding the issues caused by the condensation that can occur in the wheel bearing housing, heat produced by the friction of travel speeds up the process of grease breakdown.

This can lead to scratches on the wheel bearings and their eventual failure if a wheel bearing repack is not performed. 

Warning signs

A telltale warning sign of impending bearing failure is a groaning, whining, grating or any other unnatural sound as you drive down the road.  You may feel a slight wobble coming from the trailer, or it may pull to one side causing trailer sway and uneven stress and wear on the tires. 

If these issues go unaddressed for too long the wheel bearings can become so hot from the excessive friction that the bearings can actually weld themselves to the spindle.  This can cause the wheel to seize up and drag, or come off completely.  

Bearing repack tool

The simple solution

Torklift Central and many trailer manufacturers recommend repacking your trailer bearings annually or even semi-annually depending on how many miles you plan on traveling.  If your trailer sits in storage for a long period of time or even just between one of your next family trips, having the wheel bearings inspected is a crucial safety precaution to take before traveling.  

Technician performing a bearing repack service

A trailer bearing repack is the simple solution to keeping your trailer on the road for years to come.  To learn more about how we can help you prevent the #1 cause of trailer breakdown, contact us, give us a call or visit us online. 

Torklift Central
315 Central Ave N Kent, WA 98032
Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  877-343-6933
Website:  www.torkliftcentral.com