Wheel bearing failure poll - Page 4

jonmitch · 02 June 2007, 18:36

Mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!

Bought a second hand rib last year from a "reputable broker" very well known in the RIB world. Told everything was fine, 50 point check etc.

Wheel fell off at 45miles an hour on mainroad back to Plymouth. Cost £300 + to recover which I managed to get back off broker + £100+ repairs. More importantly I almost ended up in a ditch with a wrecked boat and car and a broken neck.

The broker in question will remain nameless because I'm not a bitter person.

J

jonmitch · 02 June 2007, 23:51

oh yeah and it was good Friday.............

bedajim · 05 June 2007, 08:54

The only way is to keep the bearings dry

We did over a 1000 miles last week and no problems

Wheel will probably fall off next time out

Rogue Wave · 05 June 2007, 09:30

I want one! Thats a very elegant Solution

jwalker · 05 June 2007, 13:05

Yes, neat.

Bern Hanreck · 05 June 2007, 14:34

Bedajim , Who supplied the trailer ? Dare we ask how much ?

Given the cost of two bearing changes per year , might make economic sense even if pricey ! Thanks.. Bern

bedajim · 05 June 2007, 15:18

I made it and went a bit over board on the spec(twin 1300 kg axles 2700 kg hitch 3500 lb winch)

not looked at making them but we could

I'll work out how much

James

martx007 · 05 June 2007, 15:19

Can we have the plans please?!

bedajim · 05 June 2007, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by martx007

Can we have the plans please?!

Never made any just made it up as we went looking at other trailers + I've done them for my other boats so a constant learning curve each one better than the next but I think it's sorted now

James

Edit 4 m trailer from last rib http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14644

Rogue Wave · 05 June 2007, 23:52

Don't forget I asked first!

bedajim · 28 June 2007, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedajim

Never made any just made it up as we went looking at other trailers + I've done them for my other boats so a constant learning curve each one better than the next but I think it's sorted now

James

Edit 4 m trailer from last rib http://rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14644

Right done a costing and a sale price for a 6.5 - 7.5 m rib would be are you sitting down approx £5000.00 ready to go light board the lot

James

kingfisher69 · 28 June 2007, 15:40

Hi guys
just a simple little tip to help against bearing failure
as we are all aware when we get to the venue we just want to get in and get going if you wait round about 20 mins have a coffee or such like and allow the bearings to cool down the risk of bearing failure is dramatically reduced. From a technical point when hot bearings are immersed in cold water salt or otherwise the reaction of the rapid cooling process attempts to repel the grease through the seals due to expansion. So if you allow the bearing temperature to normalise by waiting before launching it is fair to suggest problem solved regards Gary

Biggles · 28 June 2007, 15:46

Gary,

Thanks for the info. I do hang around for a bit waiting for the bearings to cool. Trouble is I have got so proficient at launching I just seem to be waiting for nothing.

Is 20 Min's a realistic time to wait. If so I'll use this as a guide in future.

Regards Nick R.

Richard Selman · 28 June 2007, 16:25

Been contemplating such a design myself - keeping the bearings good is one thing but keeping those crappy caravan brakes working is another. Fed up of contantly having to clart grease over everything. Its good to see that someone has done such an excellent job. How does the trolley ride up on to the trailer? Are there rollers for the trolley to move along? Do you have a ramp for the trolley that you have to put in place or can the trolley just ride up the trailer on the trolley handle? How sensitive is it to correct alignment?

I would have problems on our beach rolling back the trolley under its own weight - the trolley wheels would dig in. I was trying to work out a way for the winch to push the trolley back or else be able to lock the trolley in the extended position up the beach so the vehicle can push the trailer and trolley.

The other major benefit of this type of design is that you end up with an general purpose trailer you can use anytime- just dump the rib off when you need to. Also would make it a bit harder to nick.

Richard

bedajim · 28 June 2007, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Selman

Been contemplating such a design myself - keeping the bearings good is one thing but keeping those crappy caravan brakes working is another. Fed up of contantly having to clart grease over everything. Its good to see that someone has done such an excellent job. How does the trolley ride up on to the trailer? Are there rollers for the trolley to move along? Do you have a ramp for the trolley that you have to put in place or can the trolley just ride up the trailer on the trolley handle? How sensitive is it to correct alignment?

I would have problems on our beach rolling back the trolley under its own weight - the trolley wheels would dig in. I was trying to work out a way for the winch to push the trolley back or else be able to lock the trolley in the extended position up the beach so the vehicle can push the trailer and trolley.

The other major benefit of this type of design is that you end up with an general purpose trailer you can use anytime- just dump the rib off when you need to. Also would make it a bit harder to nick.

Richard

Hi

Rolls on and off on sets of rollers (1 finger can push the boat on the level the winch has a brake), vertical guides control the sideways movment, twin wheels spread the load and it can be winched off also wheels at the front. rides up on the trolley handles

James

Richard Selman · 29 June 2007, 19:23

Any chance of a picture of the trailer with the trolley off?

Richard

Daibheid · 02 July 2007, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbw156

Have you experienced a wheel bearing failure? If so, when? What do you think caused it? Was it covered by warranty? How much did it cost to recover? How much did it cost to repair? How often do you service your wheel bearings?

I read this post Friday last and thought thankfully no, or rather not yet given the environment we subject wheel bearings to. Heat 'em up, dunk in corrosive medium, leave to season, etc.

Yesterday, Sunday, I carefully ready the boat for the first outing in over a month due to work, including checking the wheels for play and greasing the bearings via the fitted nipples. 10 miles down the road I'm snaking through a roundabout and, force of habit always looking at the trailer wheels on any corner that affords a good view, think I see the right side wobble. I pull over immediately and find the innner bearing is destroyed and things are hot, very hot. I get out the jack and socket set and of course it begins to rain - hard! At least it cools the mess down but I find myself having to remember that I need to be even more careful of getting knocked down in the reduced viz so wait it out.

I put out my triangle as I'm only a 100m past the roundabout with a blind exit and station my 16 year old nephew at roundabout exit to ensure people see it and the boat. Meanwhile I remove the wheel/hub and replace what's left of the outer bearings. I managed to limp to safe parking (in a factory car park with 24 hour security -so not all bad) making the worst noises you can imagine. I've sourced what I hope are the correct hubs (Hu004 for a Snipe) and will hopefully replace and recover this evening. As ever thankful no-one was hurt and everything is fixable however I'd better not get a puncture in the car as the jack is under the boat!

My contribution to the original post is I recovered as above and the trailer is well out of warranty. I do think I might have actually been better off limping to secure parking before the damage assessment as the hub went back on in worse condtion than it came off as the outer race came apart with the hub removal but that's hind-sight for you! I check and grease the bearings start of every season and replace if required. I learned the hard way before never to tow without a proper socket set and a scissors jack. The bearing hub was still full of grease with no signs of rusting anywhere although the whole thing was a pretty well destroyed. I regularly grease and check my wheels but this gap in use was unusally long so my conclusion is leaving the trailer stationary for a long time was my undoing with the inner race getting some corrosion at the contact points. What was astonishing was the rate of and scale of the bearing failure - possibly hastened by hitting a builders poorly refilled trench across the road near my house.

I have used bearing buddies but as much of my use involves trips of less than a mile to the slip I don't think they work in that situation and prefer a grease nipple and gun. However I do find that the bearing cap tends to 'hydraulic' out before the hub is properly packed with grease. My experience is buddies work only when the hubs heat up and thin the grease. I have used them on a braked trailer and had no problem with them contaminating the shoes. In fact I wished they would leak a little into the drums given the rust in brake systems!

Nos4r2 · 02 July 2007, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daibheid

My experience is buddies work only when the hubs heat up and thin the grease.

Might be worth mixing some moly grease in witrh the normal stuff you use in bearing buddies if you're not towing far. It's a lot thinner. I'm not sure what it'd do to the lubricating properties of the grease but if you're only towing a mile or so I doubt it'd matter as much as keeping the water out.