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Old 04-05-2017, 11:49 PM   #1
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Wheel bearing

Had a wheel bearing failure on my 2016 Puma 5th wheel. I had it for 17 months and put 7000 miles on. Not covered under warranty as I found out should have serviced them at the 12 month mark. Discovered from other owners that Chinese made bearings are not quality made and expect more failures. It has been suggested that they be replaced every 12 month or 12,000 miles and not just serviced. I pulled mine and found all but 1 of the races had pits.
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:29 AM   #2
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Replaced every year? Somebody's attempting to blow smoke someplace that smoke doesn't belong. That may be true with EXTREMELY poor metallurgy, but certainly isn't considered "normal procedure". Of course, how would we know until taken apart for the first time.

There are quality, US or Japanese bearings available at almost every auto parts house that are exact replacements for the "offshore" junk. Same numbers marked on them. They aren't all that much more expensive, either.

A key factor, too, is your choice of lubricants. Though I don't use it personally, over the years I have found that readily-available red Mobil-1 synthetic grease is a great choice for wheel bearings. Again, at the parts house.

Though some tout molybdenum (or "moly") enhanced grease for wheel bearing applications, I won't use it for this application.

Another thing to consider is the use of "double-lip" seals. Same size and function as came with your Puma, but seal better. That's not only sealing IN the grease better, but sealing OUT water, and to a lesser-extent, dust. Moisture may be the root cause of your bearings pitting.

Remember when re-assembling everything, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness". Don't do the job on a windy day!

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Old 04-06-2017, 08:15 AM   #3
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I'll just X2... what Pop said. Especially the "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" part.

Oh yeah, and do not 'spin' dry bearings! Especially with an air jet. Rotating them by hand is ok.
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Old 04-06-2017, 08:22 AM   #4
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The pits in the races are what the factory put in. Not sure what they used for grease. I've found bearings from Timken, these were made in Canada. Thanks for the tips, especially the grease.
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Old 04-06-2017, 10:12 AM   #5
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One of the first things I do with a new rig is replace the tires and repack the bearings. The bearings on our current rig were practically dry when I picked it up brand new.
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Old 04-06-2017, 10:28 AM   #6
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I have Dexter EZ lube axles and I had to add nearly 1/2 tube of grease per wheel when I repacked them after a year and 5000 miles of use.
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Old 04-20-2017, 07:37 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma View Post
I have Dexter EZ lube axles and I had to add nearly 1/2 tube of grease per wheel when I repacked them after a year and 5000 miles of use.


What type of grease did you use, any special brand?
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Old 04-20-2017, 07:54 AM   #8
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If you look in your paper work for the TT or go to Dexter website you can download the manual. It specifies NGLI #2 and must list 15 different acceptable lubes. it does state as NMWILDCAT states about cleaning and repacking and compatability. Clean and repack and have the same product going in the next time.
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