Brakes dilemma

[Sloop John B]

Im in the course of inspecting my bearings & brakes. Finally got one of the hubs off. Gees, what a job. Cant get the back seal off. I thought one would just take a good sized screw driver and flip it off. Its rusted pretty bad and a crowbar and sledge havent had any success.

Im still trying to figure out how to activate the brakes. Ive seen posts on screwdrivers, C clamps and rachet lines.

The spline looks good where the bearings seat but in the middle, or between them, theres an area toward the outer bearing that is rough. Hard to describe. Like some kind of thin buildup of dark course metal. At least I think its a build up rather than a depression. Also, the middle of the hub that matches this area feels rough through all the grease. Maybe this is the way it comes, I dont know.

Any observations?

[Jack O'Brien]

The spindle is rough metal except where it has been machined. Only the bearing seats, the seal seats and the threads need be smooth, machined metal - the rest can be rough because it doesn't matter.

[Chip Hindes]

Put the wheel on newspapers back side down. Stick a good sized wooden dowel or piece of broomstick through the front of the hub and drive the bearing out from the inside with a few whacks on the end of the dowel with a hammer. The seal is almost always damaged and/or bent, and a new one is less than $5 so be prepared to replace it.

I used the ratchet strap method, but it takes a pretty good crank on the ratchet strap to activate the brakes. Don't do this with the wheels off or you will blow the cylinders and brake fluid everywhere.

If you haven't been flushing the the salt water out or even if you have been flushing it out but haven't exercised the brakes in awhile, there's a good chance one or both cylinders are frozen.

If they cylinders are frozen, it's almost not worth trying to salvage them as new ones are only $14/ea plus shipping, complete from Champion Trailers.

[Harry van der Meer]

I believe the following method works also:

Remove castle nut and outher bearing. Then put the castle nut back on. With the wheel mounted on the hub, you can remove the inner bearing and grease seal by pulling the wheel/hub off the axle.

I have not tried this yet, but I'm told this works.

[Chip Hindes]

I have not tried this yet, but I'm told this works.

I've done it quite a few times. It works, but I've also seen written that it is more likely to damage the bearings than the method I described. I didn't pass it along because I didn't want to get blamed if somebody else tried it and the bearings got damaged.

So, if your bearings get damaged, blame Harry.