Lost dust cap and exploded bearing

[ExFlyGuy]

A couple weeks back we went out to toquart bay, I lost a dust cap somewhere along the way and when we hit the gravel road I put a new one on(I keep a spare set of bearings,races and caps in boat) when I did a quick walk around. Anyways I drove it home and forgot about it. Then last weekend we fished locally and when I rinsed the boat and trailer down after I noticed a bunch of steam on the hub that lost the cap a couple weeks before.

I pulled the bearings today and this is what I found inside... ( these bearings were brand new in August and only had around 2000km on them)

Coincidence? Or if this happens should I always repack bearings?

 

[scott craven]

I don't think losing the dust cap had anything to do with the bearing failure.
looks to me like a seal failed allowing salt water in which rusted out the bearing cage.

 

[fogged in]

are you using Bearing Buddies or just caps?
Hard to say if loosing your cap was responsible for your failure, but I agree with Scott they were probably failing already...or maybe they were not installed correctly, or you put too much grease in and blew the inside seal?
Keeping rust out of bearings when you launch in saltwater is a never ending challenge.
I check my bearings regularly by jacking up the trailer and spinning the wheel.
You will know when they are failing by the grinding sound.
Generally change my bearings every second year.

 

[scott craven]

If using bearing buddies( good plan) there is a tiny weep hole which tells you when there's enough grease
so you don't over fill.

 

[casper5280]

Bearing failure which heated spindle and that is why the dust cover fell off. When you replace put on a SKF Speedi-Sleeve, double lip seals,new bearing and water proof grease. Ever since I've started doing this my bearing have anyways been good when checked.

 

[Sotally Tober]

Get a temperature gun to measure the bearings and /or brakes on your trailer when you make stops along the way.
It can help diagnose a bearing going bad or brake that may be not be working or dragging.
We have found the bearings will be relatively equal in temps. If there is a big difference between them, it may indicate there is a problem. It's the same idea for the brakes if they are functioning equally.
These units are sometimes on sale at Canadian Tire for about $40.

 

[Derby]

just grab one from black Friday at Canadian tire for 19 bucks

 

[ExFlyGuy]

I think I like Scott's theory on this.

It was the inside bearing that failed and the outside one still looked brand new.

 

[scott craven]

The inside seal will fail if over greased,
you can hear the loose rollers grinding around once the bearing breaks up.
nasty

 

[Kildonan]

The inside seal will fail if over greased,

True. I learned this the hard way.

 

[Sr SQ]

Bearing failure which heated spindle and that is why the dust cover fell off. When you replace put on a SKF Speedi-Sleeve, double lip seals,new bearing and water proof grease. Ever since I've started doing this my bearing have anyways been good when checked.

Agreed 100%, those sleeves are the ****!
I put them on all my trailer hubs, even new ones, they never wear or grove allowing the seal to destroy itself

 

[spring fever]

Amen to speedi-sleeves!! Agree only salt water into the inside bearing thru the rear seal will do that. Just to be absolutely sure--if you have a braked trailer it is possible that if the brake actuator is not retracting properly the brakes can stick on; heat up the bearing, boil the grease and cause a failure. Putting a hot hub into the water will also suck water through a double lipped seal. Check hub temps before immersing!!!

 

[Mike_R]

You may have lost the dust cap because the bearings had failed and allowed the the wheel to wobble and knock the dust cap off.

 

[spring fever]

You may have lost the dust cap because the bearings had failed and allowed the the wheel to wobble and knock the dust cap off.

Very real possibility! The cap coming off may have been a symptom of the problem not the cause!

 

[trophywife]

the dust cap will fill with heat and fall off easily.. i have definitely lost a few over the years due to thermal expansion. lol

 

[profisher]

I would say a bearing that wasn't quite tight enough and caused a small wheel wobble...have had this happen before with bearing buddies falling off. Always happens right after having the rotors off for bearing and caliper maintenance.

 

[gunnerlove]

If using bearing buddies( good plan) there is a tiny weep hole which tells you when there's enough grease
so you don't over fill.

I have had a few people now tell me that you should spin the wheel while pumping grease into the buddy for the first time and to only put in enough grease when topping up to just get the piston to float so it does not trash the hub side grease seal. It does make sense if you think the buddy is there so the grease has a place to go (other than past the grease seal) when it expands not to constantly feed grease into (and through) the bearing.