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Old 09-22-2014, 05:53 AM   #1
Capt Kidd
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new axel

As we were pulling into Tahoe Vista Campground in South Lake Tahoe this last Thursday I had to make a sharp U-turn and heard a loud pop. I looked in the mirror on the drivers side and saw the left rear wheel on the Montana was at a very sharp angle.

When we got into the site the rear wheel was sticking out about 2 inches beyond the front wheel.

Called XtraRide our extended warranty folks and about 3 hours later a mechanic showed up and confirmed we had a big problem. It seems the outer bearing had exploded and lunched not only the bearing but also the spindle. In as much as the spindle is part of the axel we are having to get a complete axel. A Dexter 7,000# unit.

Of course there are no Dexter axels to be had in Northern CA or Nevada so it had to be ordered from Oklahoma.

Fortunately the mechanic was able to make a temporary fix so that we could tow it to his shop (about 8 blocks away) on Sunday. We than came on home and he will call us when it is fixed.

Our rig is 4 years old an only has about 15,000 miles on it I would have thought that a bearing would last a lot longer.

I don't normally buy extended warranties but this time it was well worth it as my total out of pocket will only be $100. Oh well could have been much worse it could have happed on the side of the road somewhere.








 
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Old 09-22-2014, 06:50 AM   #2
DQDick
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Very true, glad it worked out for you.
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Old 09-22-2014, 07:33 AM   #3
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guess if it has to happen, that was a good location to experience it.
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Old 09-22-2014, 01:08 PM   #4
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So if you had to replace the axle, you have to replace it with an axle with the same # rating. Correct?
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Old 09-22-2014, 01:14 PM   #5
Phil P
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Hi

I would say there is something we don’t know. We have 80,000 miles on our trailer and have only had the wheel hubs off one time to replace brakes. However I do lube the bearings using the EZ lube system once a year.

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Old 09-22-2014, 11:32 PM   #6
dunrovin1955
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Really have to be careful on those sharp turns. A lot of side pressure on the bearings and hubs, especially if you are on a hard surface.
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Old 09-23-2014, 01:26 AM   #7
1retired06
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Phil P

Hi

I would say there is something we don’t know. We have 80,000 miles on our trailer and have only had the wheel hubs off one time to replace brakes. However I do lube the bearings using the EZ lube system once a year.

Phil P
I would say you are very lucky.
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Old 09-23-2014, 04:23 AM   #8
mazboy
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actually your axle cost you $100 plus whatever your extended warranty cost.
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Old 09-23-2014, 03:26 PM   #9
Phil P
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

I would say you are very lucky.
Hi

I have had many trailers one of which I have had for over 50 years. I have never had a wheel bearing failure on any trailer.

Pleas notice I didn’t say I never change any bearing to prevent a failure I just have never had a failure.

The statement that the spindle was damaged indicates the trailer was pulled with a bad bearing for several miles.

The tight turn while it does put excessive loads on the suspension system it is very unlikely to cause a bearing failure. However it sure would cause a bearing that had all ready failed to do just about what to OP says.

I had the outer bearings out of our trailer when I put new brake shoes on. There wasn’t any indication of impending failure.

The only thing I can offer as a reason for this is: I lubricated the bearings after the first 3,000 miles. I did this myself because the selling dealer didn’t have enough qualified personnel (as in NONE I found out a couple of years latter) to do this. When I did this lubrication I found that the trailer had been delivered with minimal lubrication in this area. Had I not lubricated them when the trailer was only a few months old I would guess that I would have had a bearing failure possible before out of warranty. The second reason is I use my trailers; the Montana is 4 years old that’s an average of 20,000 miles a year. All of my previous RV trailers were used like this as well. The old trailer I have is a flat bed that I use to move all kind of “Stuff” It sits a lot so it gets much more frequent attention to the wheel bearings than the rest. I am a firm believer that if you store your trailer for the winter then use it for a few weeks in the summer you should remove the wheel bearings for inspection before the first summer trip.

Phil P
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Old 09-26-2014, 04:00 PM   #10
worleyjrtx5
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X2 on bearing inspection and maintenance. I have a farm and a couple of farm trailers in addition to the Monty. All have some version of the Dexter Ezlube, but still, as they sit for some time between use, it is always best to pull the hubs and see what is really going on in there, at least once a year. Not a big job, takes about two hours with the right equipment(safety first!) and we are on the road. After repack and reinstall, check the hubs after about 50 miles at road speed for excess temperature.
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Old 09-27-2014, 09:12 AM   #11
Art-n-Marge
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When I do my bearing service I was inspecting the spindles and thought that is looked like it just bolts onto the ends of the axle. Is everyone recommending that if the spindles need replacing that replacing the axle is the way to go? In this case was it because of the damage that probably damaged the end of the axle? So can the spindles be replaced in some sort of assembly if one catches a worn spindle prior to a mishap? Now, it sounds like this might be expensive and maybe too much for me to do myself.

Of course, keeping the bearing well lubed should prevent the spindles from needing replacement but you just never know with these heavy trailers and the friction at work..
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Old 09-28-2014, 12:35 AM   #12
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Actually when there is bearing failure it takes very few miles to take out the spindle. Once the bearing fails and spins on that spindle you have done damage to that spindle. Maintenance is a must on these things. Take a 10,000 pound plus trailer and a bearing go out, you have a major problem in most cases.

Dave
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Old 09-28-2014, 10:29 AM   #13
Phil P
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Hi

We can make a mystery out of bearings if you like but I have been working on this kind of stuff for 50 years.

I have repaired massive 80,000lb tractor after the wheel and hub assembly came off and still saved the spindle.

Just the first of this month I replaced the bearings in a heavy trailer after the wheel and hub had come off and there was not any damage to the spindle I even put the nut back on by hand except for tightening the preload. By the way the hub and wheel assembly was so big I had to use a tool carrier with forks on the front to pick it up and put it back on the trailer.

Caterpillar tool carrier.




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