What is this?

pthomas745

On the wheel hub, passenger side.  Is this the wheel bearing loose? I can reach in and push it into position.

 

Cyclonic

The rubber thing?  It is a grease gasket, holds the grease in and keeps moister out.

pthomas745

Should it be rolling around loose inside the plastic hub?  Without the plastic cover like the driver's side has?  Can I tap it back in place?  Or does this wheel have to be removed?

Cyclonic

There should not be anything rolling around loose there.  Also, there is usually a cover that goes into the center of the wheel hub and covers the hub and gasket.  It will not come off without removing the wheel.

pthomas745

Yes, the other side has the plastic center cover.  I have no idea how long it has been loose.  I have 20 miles to drive home.  Are the wheel bearings drying out?  There isn't a lot of "grease" scattered around...

pthomas745

Thanks to Cyclonic, and thanks to whichever moderator resized that photo for me.  I can handle resizing on my desktop, but the phone threw me for a loop.

How does the grease gasket attach to the hub?  Just pressed on?  And I have no idea how long this has been loose....should I have the bearing repacked?

Or, remove the tire, check to see how much grease is still attached, and if there is enough, put the gasket back on and drive on?

It is a 2017 Outback, only done about 1000 miles on it......

KBaggins1

If that is a grease fitting in the centre, that is your bearing buddy. Give it a few good pumps with a grease gun and it should tighten up. It is designed to keep water out as mentioned but I still don't get why they put them on anything other than a boat trailer. On a land yacht a normal bearing cap does just fine. Boat trailers that get dunked all the time, bearing buddies are awesome. And most of the time the cheap vinyl covers fall off and you can do without them.  

pthomas745

I've found the Dexter Axle videos about bearing maintenance, and saw the "grease cap" that was just press fitted onto the outer parts of the spindle.  The bearings are further back along the spindle...(forgive me if I don't have the nomenclature correct.)  So, when I get the wheel off I should insure there is grease is on the outside of the "spindle nut"?  I haven't been out in any rain since I bought the trailer in October, and I didn't notice any grease on the inside of the plastic housing, so I'm assuming it just hasn't spun out.  I need to tap the grease cap back on to the spindle....replace the wheel.....

Am I missing anything?  I'm trying to head to Death Valley by Thursday next week....

Also, I would have never noticed this if the plastic cover had still been in place....who would have the replacement part?  NuCamp or Dexter?

Edit:  Thanks, KBaggins....I just learned what a Bearing Buddy is.  And that little cover I'm looking for?  A Bearing Buddy Bra!

Verna

Bearing Buddies are used on fishing boat trailers and should not be used on our T@Bs.

Please consider making an appointment with a utility trailer company or an RV dealer for them to take care of your annual maintenance on your bearings. If there isn't enough grease in the bearings, there is a strong likelihood of the axle seizing and then you are looking at a lot more money to repair. 

There are how-to videos of wheel bearing maintenance on this forum, also, that can be found using the search, located in the upper right corner of this page. But, if you are not comfortable with the needed maintenance, I have always had great service from a utility trailer business. 

pthomas745

Verna, I found the Dexter videos.  I know it isn't a "bearing buddy" branded part, but it sure looks like it serves the exact same purpose.

Verna

@pthomas745, excuse me for worrying. I know people want to do their own maintenance, but if you are unfamiliar with the process, it may be time to try the professionals.  

pthomas745

Verna, thank you, I appreciate your concern.    I know my vast limitations as a mechanic.  The description of removing the tire to take a look is right at my competency level, and gives me the opportunity of jacking up and removing the T@b tire. That will be a worthwhile learning process.    Anything after that puts me at my Peter Principle level of failure, and I will happily find a pro.

irvingj

Ditto Verna!  As mentioned, Bearing Buddies work well to keep moisture out... but are really designed for bearings that may get dunked in water. The issue with a "dry" bearing trailer -- like the T@B-- is that the spring pressure exerted by the bearing buddy may pop the inner axle seal and allow grease to enter the brake shoe area.

OK, terrible description, but that's the issue: pushing grease in with a grease gun through a grease fitting on a bearing buddy type of thing can easily overpower the inner axle grease seal and allow the brakes to become grease-soaked and ineffective. Not good.

pthomas745

I went through the process of jacking up the T@b and removing the tires to check both sides of the axles for the grease caps.  The one that was loose just popped back on with a bit of light mallet work.  I have no idea how it managed to work free, since I was unable to pull it off by hand after putting it back in place.

I had plenty of neighborly help, since the T@b's lug nuts were impossible to remove with any of my lug wrenches.   I borrowed a 3 foot breaker bar and they loosened fairly easily.  One of the neighbors owns a boat trailer, and he actually had some real Bearing Buddies still in the package.  I was able to see the differences. And, as stated here, they simply don't apply to the T@b.

Two things:  every new owner should take the time and familiarize themselves with the procedure of jacking up the T@b using the jockey wheel and rear stabilizers, or at least carry the instructions on how to to it in your trailer/TV.    It wasn't hard, but it was certainly different.

And...those lug nuts will not come off (the first time, at least) without a heavier duty lug wrench or breaker bar.

Verna

The lug nuts are torqued to 90 lbs. be sure you torque them to 90 lbs and then check them again in a 100 miles or so.  (Just quoting some experts who know what they are doing!)