Journey The Journey is Home.

[Crusty181]

@DRW, one important lesson Ive learnt, twice now, is that with independent suspension you feel nothing. We shredded a tyre north of Canarvon and then lost a wheel on the GRR and both times kept driving completely oblivious. Good opportunity to raise this, I'll start a thread because it surprised me that could happen without little or no way of knowing

@chartrock, I always do my own bearings and they more often than not have a bit of color on them. Ive never had bearing issues, just wheel nut issues. Im much better at tensioning crown nuts I think

 

[DRW]

you'd hear it if you were in a Jeep

 

[Drover]

"@Crusty181 quoted your post," now that always attracts my attention.................a bit of blue on the bearing is pretty normal I reckon, I always pack heaps of grease, try to leave no room for water, seems to have worked, will leave the story of my rear left hand drive duals that decided to go shopping in Gatton as drove thru town to later on......................... says everyone.

 

[Dobbie]

On the subject of bearings....our local guy who does the regular checks on our vans...we lack enthusiasm, knowledge, tools and inclination to do much of it....he commented that the newer jayco outback models are fitted with bearings that don't need repacking and replacement as often as the older models.

After we'd done over 20,000kms in our van I asked him to replace the bearings. He checked them and said they were fine. I was really surprised.

That seems to contradict others' experiences so just passing it on for interest sake.

I'm sadly no expert but ...un....bearingly....optimistic.

(That was for @dagree )

 

[Drover]

I don't know why folks expect them to last such a short time, the trailer bearings I've come across are usually the same brands and sometimes same type as found on cars which last for donkeys, maybe it's the people who service them that stuff them up ???

 

[DRW]

I think a lot of DYI people may not understand how to tighten them either, no before the abuse starts not thinking of anyone here

 

[Crusty181]

I think a lot of DYI people may not understand how to tighten them either, no before the abuse starts not thinking of anyone here

Yeah you are .... who is it ??? huh huh, who?

 

[dagree]

Ive never had bearing issues, just wheel nut issues.

Sounds like we have all had a wheel issue of some sort...... Not nut related but if you have steel rims on a boat trailer which has never had the spare used for years check it for rust!!!! De-laminated a tyre on an old boat trailer and changed to the spare..... Five minutes up the road this wheel goes passed as stopping at a set of lights withs nuts still attached to the hub!!!!! New hub, bearings and a spare wheel from a mates trailer fitted in 42 degrees on the side of the road :target:

By luck the wheel rolled between two lanes of traffic and through an intersection without hitting anything!.

Instead of repairing the old trailer I ended up buying a near new dual axle one for the boat so if it ever happened again at least there would be no hub or brake damage

 

[dagree]

Another thing to check is the condition AND AGE!!!!!! of the tyres! Tyres on a 6 year old trailer looked and felt in perfect condition...... Halfway on a trip to drop the boat off before taking the van down and felt like I ran over something......

Get to the destination and find this......

 

[Drover]

You blokes are going to get into trouble shortly.......

 

[chartrock]

You blokes are going to get into trouble shortly.......

Nah @Drover, it is my thread and I'll let them wander (for a while ).

 

[Dobbie]

I like!

Oh learned ones......may I ask another question to improve my knowledge base ....and to seriously make sure I was correct? (Many times I doubt myself....)

I have a torque wrench and bought it when we bought the expanda as it was emphasised the wheel nuts should be checked regularly with a torque wrench. I'd never heard of them but have used it a few times, particularly after some long trips. Is that the correct thing to do?

Or is there a better way to make sure those pesky wheel nuts are safe?

I know!! It's probably common sense but, as said, I'd never even heard of them, let alone used one.

 

[Crusty181]

I like!

Oh learned ones......may I ask another question to improve my knowledge base ....and to seriously make sure I was correct? (Many times I doubt myself....)

I have a torque wrench and bought it when we bought the expanda as it was emphasised the wheel nuts should be checked regularly with a torque wrench. I'd never heard of them but have used it a few times, particularly after some long trips. Is that the correct thing to do?

Or is there a better way to make sure those pesky wheel nuts are safe?

I know!! It's probably common sense but, as said, I'd never even heard of them, let alone used one.

A torque wrench is the technically perfect way to do it. No reason to doubt that decision

 

[Crusty181]

Nah @Drover, it is my thread and I'll let them wander (for a while ).

Who wants to hear about my trip to Thailand

(just testing the length of that rope)

 

[chartrock]

Who wants to hear about my trip to Thailand

(just testing the length of that rope)

Probably long enough to hang yourself.

 

[Crusty181]

you'd hear it if you were in a Jeep

You'd cause it if you were in a Jeep ....

 

[Drover]

I like!

Oh learned ones......may I ask another question to improve my knowledge base ....and to seriously make sure I was correct? (Many times I doubt myself....)

I have a torque wrench and bought it when we bought the expanda as it was emphasised the wheel nuts should be checked regularly with a torque wrench. I'd never heard of them but have used it a few times, particularly after some long trips. Is that the correct thing to do?

Or is there a better way to make sure those pesky wheel nuts are safe?

I know!! It's probably common sense but, as said, I'd never even heard of them, let alone used one.

@Dobbie when you do your pre checks use your toque wrench to check the wheel nuts, when you stop to do a tyre kick later on just use your wheel spanner held about half way to check the nuts have tension, you don't need to swing off it like a Gorilla or use the torque wrench, the wheel will be hot and swinging off the nuts only over tightens and stresses the studs which can snap off easily. A walk around every time you stop and a check of the nuts each morning when travelling should be enough after the initial pre check and 1 hr test, if you find a nut or 2 continually needs tightning then you have a dud nut or a stud about to snap, some brake drum/hubs you can change the studs easily others not so.......if a stud snaps off don't panic the wheel won't fall off.
This should also apply to your tug...........................my tyres, tyre pressures are checked weekly when at home, wheel nuts every few weeks......most problems ocur when folks do the gorilla swing every time they check the nuts and usually on hot wheels, I learnt these lessons with a truck which can be a big pain when nuts will not come off or studs snap, get a tyre mob out to "gas axe" the nuts off because the previous driver was a gorilla.

:focus:...........................So when the Journey's next Journey, oh misguided Blue's Supporter ????.............................( hang on I think I know.):der:

 

[chartrock]

:focus:...........................So when the Journey's next Journey, oh misguided Blue's Supporter ????.............................( hang on I think I know.):der:

You sure do, still in the planning stage, waiting for rugrats to go (yours not mine)

 

[Drover]

Well one lot have gone home, all nice and peaceful......have now found out the next lot left Canberra on Friday, have no idea when they will arrive as they stop and visit along the way...........................I think they believe we just hang around here and go mouldy in retirement..............

 

[chartrock]

Well my wheel and bearing saga progressed. I took the front wheel off from the opposite side to the "mechanic" (who reckoned my bearings needed replacing) and checked the bearings on that side. All good so I replace the bearings after repacking and checked both the wheels nuts on that side of the van. Having found the loose nuts on the wheel the guy had removed and tightened them all appeared good.
A week or so later I headed off to "Drovers Rest" and "Dave's Residence-in-Waiting" for a few days with each. Twenty minutes from home, while doing 100 kph on the M1 a small van pulls alongside with the driver waving me over. Stopp.ing on the M1 is no joke but I pulled over and he stopped in front and came running back to tell me a wheel had come off a few hundred metres back down the road. Sure enough, the rear wheel on the side the "mechanic" had worked on was missing, the miserable sod had loosened the second wheel as well as the one he removed and I OBVIOUSLY FAILED THE CHECK THAT WHEEL. I walked back down the motorway for a Km but failed to find the wheel although around about the spot it should have been, a ute took off in a hurry as I approached so maybe he has an alloy rim with a good tyre on it.
Two studs broken, others with their threads full of alloy, no nuts anywhere. Called RACQ who told they would send a tow truck as they do not work on the motorway (I can understand that) but I said I can tow it. They sent a truck anyway and he escorted me to a tyre place about 5 km away who were very good, replaced 3 studs, fitted the spare and found some nuts and sold me a steel wheel and tyre as spare. Two and a half hours later and $335 lighter we were on our way again.

A lesson well learned and I can agree with @Crusty181 that you do not notice a missing wheel on a dual axle unit. I got stuck into the "mechanic" when I got home but that is another story.

Write out 100 times

I WILL CHECK WHEEL NUTS
I WILL CHECK WHEEL NUTS
I WILL CHECK WHEEL NUTS
I WILL CHECK WHEEL NUTS
I WILL CHECK WHEEL NUTS ............................................................... :frusty::frusty::frusty: