Trailer Axle Hub Problems

[hewesbob]

I have a 2011 Easy Loader single axle trailer for my Hewes 180 Sportsman boat. I believe in servicing my equipment regularly but the problem I seem to be having is my trailer has "wet hub bearing" and everybody I talk to about serving them says that they don't require any servicing unless the oil in the hubs become milky colored. I just read a post from a fellow that lost a hub on a trailer just like mine. Has anybody had any problems with this type bearing hubs or does anybody have tips on servicing them? Thanks

[Larry3215]

My experience is that unless/until the seals go bad, they are bullet proof.

The problem is that once the seals do go bad in a big way, its possible for the oil to drain out very fast and kill the bearings in no time. Usually you will get a slow leak develop over time and the oil drains out slowly and you have a chance to catch it before its all gone, but not always.

Ive made it part of my launch AND load safety check to take a close look at the hubs to see what condition the oil is in. Is all gear stowed, drain plug in/out, stern saver in place, safety straps on/off, winch plugged in/out, safety chains on, trailer lights plugged in/unplugged, check the hubs, etc.

Also, every time we get out of the truck for gas or stop for a pee break and when we arrive at the launch we check the hub temps by placing a hand on them.

I think oil hubs are by far better because you CAN see what condition they are in. They take a lot less maintenance than grease hubs which you pretty much have to re-grease and replace seals every year just to be safe.

[G-Man]

I have an EZ Loader with oil bath hubs as well. The only issue I had was one of the hubs would get fairly warm on a long haul. After disassembling the hub and finding no issues it turned out to be the surge brakes were rubbing just a tad when not engaged. After backing them off, both hubs run cool to the touch regardless of distance. I also drain the oil and replace it every other year with one that can tolerate up to 10% water intrusion. This type of gear oil won't foam if/when water gets into hub and the rust inhibitors will keep the bearings and races in good shape until you can correct the problem. I trust you have the aluminum hub caps with a plastic window that allows you to view the oil level? Just make sure the oil level is at least at the half way mark and you should be fine.

[BARCHASER10]

I have a 2005 18' Seahawk with an EZ Loader trlr with the oil bath hubs. I never had any problem with them until this summer. Coming back from Sekiu, one of the hubs leaked out all the oil. I didn't find the leak until we made a short stop for the Hood Canal bridge. I got it serviced by Three Rivers. Turns out the hub was plastic and had apparently lost its seal and leaked. The bearings were OK. Three Rivers replaced the plastic hubs with metal ones and serviced both sides. The tech said the plastic hubs tend to lose their seal. Over the prior 11 years I replaced the oil twice before. I had Three Rivers do the work cause I don't know anything about this style of hub and I didn't want to mess around and screw something up.

[G-Man]

Were your caps all plastic or the ones that look like this?

[Larry3215]

Were your caps all plastic or the ones that look like this?

My three year old EZloader trailer has the ones in your picture. They seem to be aluminum.

[BARCHASER10]

The new ones I have look just like that.

[G-Man]

Thought so, the ones that are all plastic on the end have issues and will crack fairly easily if you bump them.

[hewesfisher]

The EZ Loader trailer under our '06 Sportsman had the original plastic hubs, and even though they were known to fail if hit, I never had a problem with them in the 3yrs we owned it. When we traded up to the ProV, I was pleased to see the upgraded hub as pictured above on the trailer. Haven't had an issue with them in 7yrs, lube still looks great.

As to routine maintenance, other than checking sight glass pre/post use, there ARE maintenance items to be performed, ***items below are from my EZ Loader manual:

1. Check hub bearings every year or 2000 miles, whichever comes first***

2. Adjust hydraulic trailer brakes after the first 1000 miles, and every year or 2000 miles thereafter, whichever comes first***

3. Lube tongue jack at least annually (I use the same marine grease as for my engines)

4. Check all trailer bolts for tightness (bunks, cross arms, etc)

5. Check tire pressure regularly*** (I generally do this before every trip)

6. Check lug torque regularly*** (EZ Loader manual says before every trip)

My owner's manual describes how to test hub bearings for oil lubed hubs this way,

"To check your bearings, raise your wheel clear of the road surface (by the procedure indicated in "tire changing"). With your hands on the outside edges of the tire, try to rock the wheel by pushing on one side and pulling on the other. No noticeable rocking should occur. Spin the wheel and listen for noise or roughness. A smooth silent operation means that your bearings are in good order."

Same basic process one would use to check wheel bearings on car. I like to do the test with my hands at 9/3 and 12/6 positions and will sometimes do diagonal as well.

The hydraulic surge drum brakes are manual, and just like cars of the past, must be manually adjusted to compensate for wear.

[Bodofish]

I've had mine for 10 years with no issues. I also maintained a fleet of gravel trucks with both plastic and metal. Either one will break if you hit it hard enough. The trick is not to run into things with the hub. Since the hub is set in on the wheel tire combo, one would really have to try. Just check the bearings for play and it's a good idea to change the seals every few years and add new oil. They're a lot more trouble free than any greasy axels........

[hewesbob]

Thanks folks there is a lot of good information has been shared and I have learned a lot. I never knew there were plastic or metal covers. I have the plastic and will now be watching for a leak or a crack in the plastic. My trailer was new in 2011 and as close as I can keep track we have put about 35,000 mile on the trailer, it has been to Arizona and back three trips and countless trips from Spokane to Westport or Sekiu. Proper maintenance has always been important to me but in a case like these hubs I just never understood what to look for so thanks again folks. Good luck and stay safe. Bob

[Bodofish]

For what it's worth, oil bath hubs are made to go a long time between services. On the big trucks we would change the oil with the engine oil on the rigs, so about every 20,000 and top them up on their weekly checks if needed. Seals last a long time and I would suspect only really need to be changed for piece of mind if you have them apart for anything else.
Any bad mouthing I've heard about them (And I've heard a bunch) has only come from people who have no idea what they're talking about and are afraid of what they don't know. And change. Oil Bath over grease any day.

[BARCHASER10]

Maybe that's why my plastic hub leaked on the way home. It had sat in the trlr storage area at Sekiu for 6 days and somebody prob banged it with another trlr..

[hewesfisher]

Oil Bath over grease any day.

100% spot on.