Here I’ll explain the importance of a wheel bearing pack service and will show you what we found on a unit recently on our lot. When was the last time you inspected your brakes and bearings?
During a recent wheel bearing pack service we found the following items on an RV unit:
- The brake shoes were worn down on three out of four brakes. This also caused damage to the drums.
- The roadside rear brake magnet wiring was cut in half and the backing plate/shoe and the drum were rusted.
- All bearings were burnt and loose in bearing cages due to lack of lubrication.
Causes of brake failure
Making sure that the brakes and suspension are in good working condition is key for any RV. With that being said, a lot of braking and suspension systems go unchecked and can cause accidents and trailer fires. We want to make sure this is prevented so trips can be enjoyed with family and friends. Trailer brakes should be inspected yearly or more often, depending on performance.
There are many causes for brakes to not work properly:
- Poor connections
- Open circuit
- Insufficient wire size
- Broken wires hanging below the axle
- Improperly set up controller
- Internally shorted magnets
- Defective controller
- Brake wire shorted to ground somewhere in the system
- Corrosion between the ground wire and the brake wire in the electrical connector plug
A thorough service will include:
- Inspection of brakes and bearings for wear or damage
- Cleaning and repacking of wheel bearings and replacing the seals
- Cleaning and adjusting the brake shoes as well as testing the operation
- Adjusting tire pressure and torquing wheels to specifications
- Inspecting shackle links, springs, hangers, all welds and wiring at axles
If you would like to see a wheel bearing service completed from start to finish, watch the video below.
Make sure you check out Dustin’s website, California RV Specialists, and their YouTube channel for more helpful information, and see our published articles on RVtravel.com and other social media pages.
