Wheel Bearings

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Hugh Foulis

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Am I correct when I think that the torque on the nut when replacing wheel bearings on an ALKO trailer is of the order of ton miles? Is a calibrated scaffold pole required for this job?
Am I just looking at the pessimistic end of this because I have to bite the bullet and get on with it first dry evening we get?

Best Regards

HF
 
does the nut have a split pin through the stud ? normally wheel bearing dont need to be torqued up. the split pin does the job. but check in your owners manual first.

if you remove a split pin always replace with a new one. normally the nut is done up with just a socket set and slackened of or tightened up to take up any play in the bearing.
 
If they are taper roller bearings I think what Aidy says is correct. I have a general trailer manual here and it says "Tighten the castellated nut until all slack is taken out of the bearing. DON'T overtighten. Then back the nut off one flat (30 degrees) and make certain that the hub can spin without feeling tight or impaired."
 
All the bearings I have done suggest the same. It's the pin that holds them. I usually do them up hand tight and then, if the pin won't find the hole, slacken slightly until it does so.
 
[ QUOTE ]
All the bearings I have done

[/ QUOTE ] It sounds like you have only done tapered roller bearings. They are done up to leave a specified amount of end-float and the nut then locked , usually with a split pin.

However ball races normally have a spacer between them and the nut is then done up to some specified and sometimes quite high torque before the nut is locked although not with split pin. It may be a self locking nut (they are on my dinghy trailer) or one that is locked in another way. It is quite likely that these nuts cannot be reused!

The bearings may be one piece, the rear bearings on one of my cars is and the nut is done up to 103 lb ft. It is a special nut that is staked into position and cannot be reused.

Sorry I do not know what the bearings on the ALKO trailer are but I have seen them on the web and IIRC they are not taper rollers.

I'll keep my thinking cap on. No need LakeSailored again!
 
This type have been standard fitting on caravans with the Alko chassis, since the early/mid 1990's. The important issue is that the nuts are single use only. Once taken off you must replace with new, at a cost of about £4 each from most caravan dealers. The old ones should be taken for comparison, as there are at least two different sizes.
 
[ QUOTE ]
the nuts are single use only

[/ QUOTE ] I am not familiar with Mr Alko's nuts but I have found that I can sometimes reuse nuts that are staked into a slot in the axle by swapping left and right side nuts. But only the once. (I do that when I inspect the rear brakes on one of my cars) (Mr Peugeots nuts are more expensive than Mr Alko's)
 
If you have Alko trailer bearings, the dust caps of which state that the bearings are waterproof then you certainly have ball bearings. You will need new one time nuts and the correct torque setting is ludicrous.

From memory the torque for mine is something like 240 ft lbs and only a commercial vehicle workshop is likely to have a suitable torque wrench (and scaffold pole extension?).

If you have brakes remember that even if the bearings are waterproof, the brakes are not salt water proof.

The good news is that these bearings last really well. The bad news is the really stupid design which means that you have to take these **!! hub nuts off to service the brakes.
 
If you read my post higher up you'll see that the torque setting is 214 lbs/ft (+ or- 7.5 lbs ft). My Britool wrench goes up to 190 lb/ft so that would be fine. Click plus a bit.
 
[ QUOTE ]
torque setting is 214 lbs/ft

[/ QUOTE ] I make that a 13 stone man on a 14" lever. [ QUOTE ]
If you read my post higher up

[/ QUOTE ] <span style="color:white"> ...................................................... </span> /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
The design is actually pretty good, and for Alko it has the benefit of selling lots of wheel nuts, and the service agents get lots of work because the average amateur cannot fit them.

When I bought a caravan in 1995, I also bought a £50 torque wrench from Halfords, plus a 32mm socket. These have saved their cost several times over in servicing bills. The same wrench (which works up to about 240 ft/lb) now costs about £60. This one from Sealey might be better and goes up to 300 ft/lb.
 
Thanks all and my question is answered. I have done loads of trailer bearings where its a castellated nut and split pin, I just knew there was something different about ALKO; we can make progress now though.

Intend to torque the new nuts up using stone inches (however will have to saw off one leg if Ican only find a 13" tommy).

Didnt realise they were single use nuts though. All this to change the brake shoes.

My very best regards

HF
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you have Alko trailer bearings, the dust caps of which state that the bearings are waterproof

[/ QUOTE ] Sadly they are anything but water proof. There is a seal on the sides of the bearing but it is no more than a dust cover for the bearing just like a car bearing. The last set of Alko bearings needed the press at Trailer tek near Winchester to remove them and even then the 12 tonne press was bending.
I think the biggest downfall is they are not something that can easily be changed at the side of the road whilst a set of taper bearings can be changed with a hammer screwdriver and a jack. When the trailer finally needs new axles I would opt for taper bearings every time. Taper bearings are in the £20 range from BRT London Road in Portsmouth. Alko in the £50 range which soon mounts up on a 4 wheel trailer.

Pete
 
Don't worry about doing them up using the 13 st. at 14" technique (or whatever it was)! I've done dozens of car wheelbearings like that and never had a problem. Obviously, it pays to have the lever you're standing on end up horizontal and you need to be careful about making sure that your centre of gravity is directly above the distance required from the centre. I also find that it pays to support the outboard end of the ratchet head (or breaker bar or whatever you use) on something like an axle stand so that your weight is applying a pure torque rather than a combination of torque and bending to the axle.
 
The fun bit will be undoing then when he discovers it take 13st on a 14ft lever! I gave up with the hub nut on the front wheels of my car. They are done up to 184lb ft but I was bending the tommy bar of my socket set without the nut moving.
 
[ QUOTE ]
The fun bit will be undoing then when he discovers it take 13st on a 14ft lever! I gave up with the hub nut on the front wheels of my car. They are done up to 184lb ft but I was bending the tommy bar of my socket set without the nut moving.

[/ QUOTE ]
VW camper rear hub nut: 253 ft lb. I bent a 3/4" breaker bar getting that one un-done.

Archimedes said "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

I think he did his own camper van brakes, too. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Andy
 
Just as a point of interest with a lot of trailer boating done here. Many boaties fit a stub axle onto the draw bar of the trailer. Onto this they fit a spare wheel complete with spare bearings etc. It is often easier to remove the hub than remove the wheel nuts when removing a wheel so it makes sense to carry the hub attached to the wheel as a spare. Obviously only for tapered bearings.

The Alko web site link was it seems related to the torque requirements for the wheel nuts. This is very important as wheel nuts can come loose on a heavily loaded trailer. The resultant movement destroys the wheel stud holes and hence the wheel. I confess after having this happen I have allowed the wheel nuts to become a permanent fixture (rusted on) so they won't come loose. All wheel removal is done via the hub and bearing.

olewill
 
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