PM for a 500 Mile Round Trip

[Iplayfarmer]

My wife volunteered me to haul the tractor to her sister's place in a few weeks to help do some landscaping and yard prep. It's about a 500 mile round trip. I have an old tandem axle tilt bed trailer that handles the tractor great, but I've only every taken it 50 or so miles from home before. I'm looking for suggestions on what preventive maintenance to do on it before the trip.

I think I'm going to get new tires. I've got a friend who runs a tire recycling business, and he's got some newly re-treaded tires that he'll just give me.
Is is hard to re-pack wheel bearings? Is that something I should look into doing?
What other PM stuff do I need to think about?

 

[RollTideRam]

Pack the bearings is they have never been done. Check you lights and the wiring. You may want to carry a spare tire also. Do you have a jack that will work on the trailer? After a few miles down the road, check your tie downs on the tractor. Have a safe trip. JC

 

[Diamondpilot]

Check the tires, pressures, bearings, brakes, lights, general condition of the trailer. Make sure you have a spare, jack, and a lug wrench to fit your trailer. Don't forget the truck also, make sure its up to the task.

Chris

 

[Bird]

Is is hard to re-pack wheel bearings?

As with many jobs, it may be hard, if you've never done it before and don't have anyone to help or show you how. For those of us who have done lots of them, it's a relatively simple, but quite dirty job.

 

[Jimbrown]

If it is in fact old and never been serviced the bearing need to be done. But, If I was pressed for time and not sure how to do it. I would just jack up each side and spin the wheels to see how rough they really are. If they turn smooth or just have a little roughness they should be alright. The problem with doing them with a dead line is you get them apart and then find that you really need bearings and then you gotta go find em. Sometimes easy sometimes not depending on what make the axles are.
If the tires are more than 6 years old I would be cautious. I carry two spares for my goose neck just because of the heat around here.

 

[RobJ]

Pack the bearings is they have never been done. Check you lights and the wiring. You may want to carry a spare tire also. Do you have a jack that will work on the trailer? After a few miles down the road, check your tie downs on the tractor. Have a safe trip. JC

Ditto,

bearings are easy, especially on a tandom (if you forget you have an example right next door!). If you have never done it/them before, get some new carter pins, just easier for a noob. Check the seals, probably ok. I would not replace the bearings unless they are falling apart. When reassembling, tighten the spindle nut tight, to draw everything up(the wheel won't spin), then back it off about 1/4 turn. The wheel should spin freely and if you hold the wheel and 12:00 and pull it in and out, you might detect a little movement, that's ok. When putting the carter pin back in, if you need to move the spindle crown nut some to line up the hole, I always back the nut out a bit. I'd rather have it a little lose than tight. Once you get rolling for a while and make a stop, feel the hubs, they'll be warmm but should not be hot.

Should take about 10-15 minutes a wheel with cleanup.


good Luck,
Rob

 

[radioman]

its pretty easy to repack the bearings. i was able to attempt repacking the bearings by going to this nice video here :

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-demo_trailer_bearing_packing.aspx

if you scroll down further in that webpage- it will show other video links related to trailer parts as well. i find it refreshingly informative and reassuring as well. good luck on your trip.

 

[radioman]

its pretty easy to repack the bearings. i was able to attempt repacking the bearings by going to this nice video here :
Packing Trailer Bearing Demonstration - etrailer.com

if you scroll down further in that webpage- it will show other video links related to trailer parts as well. i find it refreshingly informative and reassuring as well. good luck on your trip.

 

[SnowRidge]

I'm not sure, but I seem to recall reading never ever retread a trailer tire. I would make sure those tires can handle the load properly.

Do the wheel bearings, no question. Make sure you have a sturdy jack and some big blocks of wood, just in case you have to work in dirt. A couple of jack stands along for the ride wouldn't hurt a bit.

Almost forgot, got brakes?

 

[Bird]

Does the trailer have brakes? I'll never again pack a wheel bearing on anything that has brakes without using new seals. Leaking grease onto brake linings is not good. And yes, I prefer new cotter pins. And while you certainly may be right, Rob, I replace any bearing that has any roughness to it at all. I'd rather do it while I already have it apart than to take a chance on having to do the job over sometime soon.

IF you are going to reuse the old grease seals, instead of prying them out and taking a chance on damaging them that way, I'd remove the cotter pin, castle nut, washer and outer bearing, then put the castle nut back on loosely and jerk the wheel straight off. That will pop the rear, or inner, bearing out along with the seal.