Advice re Changing Hubs?

[Frank C]

I'm replacing the drum brakes and backing plates with Turbo Lube hubs from Tie Down Engr. Removing the brakes was easy, and the backing plates no problem either. But I had a problem with the inner race on left side, which is frozen to the spindle. Even with the brake backing plate off, it's very difficult to get behind the race to "coax" it off, because the axle flange is so close that there's no room to "angle" a tool so as to tap with a hammer from behind.

I really don't want to use the old race, since the new hubs came with all new parts. I'm guessing I'll need to go after it straight from the front with a cold chisel & hammer, but thought I'd ask for suggestions first?

[kmclemore]

Well, you can use the fact that the race is made of extremely hard steel to your advantage... here's an old mechanic's trick (from, as it happens, an fairly old mechanic - me! )

Take a Dremel tool and cut a *thin* slot all the way across the bearing race surface (use one of the abrasive high-speed cutting disks). You do NOT need to cut all the way through, just cut a slot, and avoid going so deep that you hit the spindle. Once you have a fairly deep, thin slit created, take a sharp cold chisel, place it right into the center of the slot, pointing straight down at the center of the spindle (ie, perpendicular to the slot), and give it a hard *smack* with a hefty hammer - the race will crack off and you'll be able to easily remove it.

The other alternative is to use a long-legged puller to try and pull it off, but frankly the slot-cut method is a lot faster.

[Casey]

A cold chisel works. Another quick trick if it is not too tight; I have also used a pipe wrench to loosen the race. You may have to tap the pipe wrench jaws with a hammer to get it to bite. If it does not work, the cold chisel is the way to go.

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

you must replace the race.
go at it easy and take your time.
it's really not that difficult.
i've always used a small flathead screwdriver and a rubber mallet.
just move around the edges until you get an initial release.
then it will pop right out.

[Frank C]

Well, thanks for the advice on removing the frozen bearing race, guys ... I used every hint! None worked exactly. The 10" pipe wrench seemed like the quickest & easiest, but it had no chance of gripping, let alone enough leverage.

So I broke out the Dremel. (More precisely, I have an 18v cordless Ryobi). Those cutting disks are AMAZING! I was mainly worried about going too deep & damaging the spindle. In final analysis, I didn't go nearly deep enough. The cold chisel just bounced (the race just laughed).

(BTW, I cut the slot ACROSS the race, parallel to the spindle's centerline. I'm now thinking, Kevin, that you meant to cut a circumferential slot?)

I cut three more shallow slots across the race in hopes that the pipe wrench would have something to bite (but the race said, "Bite this!") Finally I figured out that using the chisel in each of the slots, the hammer COULD coax some rotation into the race so it slowly spun around the spindle. Of course after rotating about 180, it was easy to wiggle it off. Thanks again to all.

Turbo Lube hubs, 15-inch GY Marathons, load-range C, on new aluminum trailer wheels. Still need the welder to fab some brackets to hold the new plastic fenders. Once he's done I'll post some pix in the mods page.

[kmclemore]

Well, I'm glad to hear that it finally did work, but I'm sorry it wasn't 'as designed'!

As for my advice, the cut was to be made in line with the axle - that is, on a line running from outside the trailer to the center line of the trailer - with the line cutting about 1/2 inch across the race. This slot should be just wide enough for a *sharp* cold chisel to fit into, and the slot must be fully across the whole sruface of the race. And when you smack it, you have to smack it *really*hard* - I use a hefty dead-blow hammer to transfer the most force... IME it will almost always simply crack off, but in the rare time that it doesn't, I cut another slot on at about 90-degrees to the original slot and smack it again and it 'pops' off.

[Frank C]

I'm sure I should have been able to crack the race - the chisel was brand new.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the correct socket for removing the fender, resulting in virtually zero hammer-swing. Also had just a carpenters' hammer. (Heard my machinist-Dad's echo ... something about correct tools). All's well that ends well.

[Chip Hindes]

So guys, sorry to get into this one so much after the fact, but please explain:

The inner bearings (both bearings for that matter) are an integral inner race, a bunch of rollers and a cage, a "three" piece assembly. These in turn mate to a separate outer race which normally remains on the hub.

So what you're saying is when you pulled off the hub, the inside bearing race (with or without cage and rollers) remained "welded" to the spindle?

I've been doing this for probably almost as many years as Kevin and I've never seen this.

Glad to learn you were able to work it out.

[Frank C]

I guess that I misunderstood the term "inner race," but you got the right picture. The hub rides on an inside bearing (1-3/8") and an outside bearing (1-1/16"). The "spindle" race for the inside bearing froze to the spindle. It's obvious why it might better be described as the outer race of the inside (or inner) bearing.

Due to the original problem described below, my trailer's bearings, drums, wheel cylinders and brake shoes were shot. I obviously wanted to do some upgrades, but I still needed the trailer mobility. So I had replaced the bearings & reassembled old drum-hubs without any brake shoes. I also bolted the actuator tongue w/ a case-hardened bolt to solidly lock it. The spindle had a light sheen of rust during the make-shift reassembly, so I just lightly greased the spindle and shoved the hub w/new bearings together. I should have first used emery cloth to polish the spindle.

Warning about drum brakes (word to the wise for 26X owners).
When my original problem occurred, a dragging brake shoe overheated the entire right hub assembly. This brake shoe must have locked as I backed into my driveway on Saturday night, after a day-long tow. Monday morning after I shuttled the rig to my marina dry-storage slot, I smelled the brake shoe and saw smoke around the right trailer wheel. The left side wheel is my "backing guide" as I angle the rig into dry-storage, and probably my more frequent "survey wheel" as I drive down the highway, but the right side is sorta forgotten, unless I'm stopping to survey.

My long-distance towing routine is to stop each half hour to survey temps of hubs & tires. Of course this didn't apply for the 30 mile shuttle trip from home to marina ... but during that short trip the dragging shoe developed an unbelievable amount of heat. It boiled the grease, boiled the paint off the backing plate, boiled some of the paint from the white factory wheel, and actually charred the tire. You can see the darker color on the tire and see it wobble (spin it when jacked up). I was undoubtedly within a mile or two of a fire.

Mine is mainly a salt water boat & trailer. Considering that usage, IMO, the drum brakes are the second greatest maintenance liability for the entire rig. The only greater risk is that the factory's tires (ST225-14) are overloaded, even worse if you're unlucky enough to have the smaller ST215-14 tires. For any 26X owner who tows the rig more than a half-hour, I'd suggest that disc brakes and 15" tires (or a second axle) are an almost-mandatory trailer upgrade (especially for salt water). Otherwise, you need to do very frequent surveying & maintenance of the trailer.

I'm unsure why the dragging brake wasn't more obvious to me ... I had no obvious indication just by driving the rig ... and I can't suggest a method to verify brakes are okay as one pulls away from the curb. I can only suggest that disc brakes are an obviously necessary improvement. And it's my guess that Roger DOES read this forum - note that the 26M comes with 15" tires and disc brakes.

[Chip Hindes]

I'm unsure why the dragging brake wasn't more obvious to me ...

It only takes a small amount of drag over 30 miles to heat things up pretty badly; and that might not be enough to signal you that the truck was pulling harder than normal; and once it heats up, the braking force drops way down anyway. The only clue might have been the trailing smoke screen I believe one or more locked brake shoes is a fairly common failure mode; I know my drafter and her husband had this problem last year with their new (to them) X boat the second time they towed it.

One of the methods I've implemented for avoiding this kind of thing is stopping within a few miles after leaving either home or the ramp. I already have the pullover points memorized depending on which direction.

This is on three basic theories:

1) You may think you've done a good final check, but you were in a hurry, got distracted from your mental checklist, and may have forgotten something;

2) If something is going to go wrong, it's most likely to happen within a few miles of startup. We engineers have a term called "infant failure" which could be used for the sake of politeness; however, in my case it could probably be more accurately termed a regularly recurring attack of gross stupidity;

3) Some problems won't show up until you actually tow the thing a ways (as you found out); go back to #2.

I've lost count of how many times I've discovered a dragging line, or the captain's seat still tilted up, the motor tilt preventer not installed, a tool laying loose on the rear deck, or forgot to hook up the trailer lights and/or safety chains; Once I even forgot to lock down the ball lock on the hitch. You name it. BTDT.

My once around doesn't take more than two minutes. Feeling the brakes and hubs is part of it.

[Frank C]

I'm unsure why the dragging brake wasn't more obvious to me ...

One of the methods I've implemented for avoiding this kind of thing is stopping within a few miles after leaving either home or the ramp. I already have the pullover points memorized depending on which direction.

Thanks, sounds like the only reasonable solution for a brake-drag problem ... Good advice

Once I even forgot to lock down the ball lock on the hitch

Mee toooo! .... my trailer parted company from the truck as I gently accelerated, attracting quite a bit of attention from neighbors on front lawns!! Since my street is an incline, as the trailer bounced and then dragged, it left an inch-deep, 3 foot-long gouge right down the center of the street. (face-flushed, silly grin & shrug to neighbors)! Yeah, chains were crossed but obviously with a little too much slack.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

I heard a "BUMPING" sound when towing my former MAC 26C, 95 MILES for some INLAND LAKE sailing. After a nice Sailing day, I checked things before putting the boat on the TRAILER. YEP, there it was -- a TRAILER HITCH BALL very loose, about one half totally unscrewed (Now thats a case for DISASTER). MY NEW CHECKLIST: check trailer hitch BALL on VEHICLE !!!! "CHECK LISTS" < Very Valuable

[Catigale]

We stop every hour when we trailer and do the walkaround and feel the tires for heat.


Its good for the drivers concentration too, I think.

[Frank C]

I'm replacing the drum brakes and backing plates with Turbo Lube hubs from Tie Down Engr.

(27-Oct-2005) Follow-up regarding Tiedown's Turbo Lube hubs . . .

. . . please don't follow my example, at least until I complete the first season on these puppies. At present, it's looking as if they really are not suitable for immersion. It looks like they are getting salt water into the hubs, even though I have carefully avoided hot immersion (also avoided even warm immersion).

Also, for the record, Tiedown was explicit in their warning that I should not use Turbo Lube for a boat trailer. Fortunately, the investment was less than a hundred bucks.

[Greg]

Frank,
I have read articles such as the following from Boat US, and thought your upgrade sounded promising. :

Q What is your opinion of "cool hubs?" I understand they use oil rather than grease and I think George has talked about these in the past. What are the pros and cons of these because I'm going to have to change what I'm using now on my ranger trailer.
David Caffer Framingham, MA

GEORGE: "Cool hubs" are also called 'oil bath hubs" and the name is appropriate because they run at cooler temperatures than grease and that means you will extend bearing life. I like them because the poly dust cap is clear and you can see the oil level. I'm a big fan of cool hubs and I believe they we be part of every new boat trailer in the coming years.

MIKE: I am familiar with the "Turbo Lube" hubs from Tie Down Manufacturing. They use a 75-90 weight gear oil in place of traditional bearing grease. The advantages to this system are: Both front and rear bearings are equally and completely lubricated. The oil bath approach keeps your hub and bearings cooler. See-through oil cap gives you the ability to see that you have an adequate amount of lubrication as well as the ability to detect water intrusion. (There is a drain plug that would enable you to drain off water if it did make its way into the reservoir) With all of these factors considered, you will not only improve tow vehicle mileage you will also increase service intervals on your hubs/bearing.

The only disadvantage that I can think of is the higher initial cost of the hub assembly. Even then it is marginal (approximately $15-20 per hub) when you consider all of the advantages. These hubs were originally designed by the professional bass fisherman. They log a lot of miles with their trailers going to tournaments around the nation, and needed a system that would require less maintenance. They have already put it to the test and have proven its worth.

Sorry to hear you are having problems.

I wonder if boat manufacturers that are using lube hubs are using a different type than what Tie Down offers or the trailers are for roll off only and specify no hub immersion?

Thanks for the update.

Greg