# Removing cap on trailer bearings



## The10Man (Oct 5, 2017)

Any ideas on how to remove a cap that is stuck on my bearings? 

I jacked up the trailer, took the tire off and then proceeded to lightly tap on the cap with a wooden mallet, giving it a quarter turn after every tap. I then tried to pull the cap off or loosen it up, but nothing happened. Next I hit it harder, still nothing. Then I got out the larger rubber mallet but it didn't budge. After that, I tried using the heat gun for about three to five minutes turning the hub every 15 seconds. Finally I got out a screw driver and tried to wedge it I behind the cap in an attempt to pry it off or loosen it. 

After all this it is still stuck. Any suggestions? 

Thanks!


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## Johnny (Oct 5, 2017)

the Bearing Buddy is pressure fit.
keep doing what you are doing and eventually it will come out.
wiggle waggle - wiggle waggle - tap tap tap - top to bottom, side to side.
if you can find a bearing or seal puller that fits, that may help.
*lots* of heat on the hub flange would be my choice with Vice Grips.
torch - not a hair dryer or electric heat gun. FIRE !!!
also - forgo the soft touch with the rubber mallet and switch to a 3lb hammer.
(and a light squirt of homemade penetrating fluid of 50/50 ATF and Acetone
will help - try to keep it out of the bearing grease and roller bearings).






once you have the Bearing Buddys removed, put a rotary file in your drill
and dress up the inside of the flange of the hub so you can install new caps.
a pack of these little gadgets come in very handy from time to time.




.


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## lovedr79 (Oct 6, 2017)

tappa tappa tappa. they are a pain to get out.


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## The10Man (Oct 6, 2017)

Johnny said:


> the Bearing Buddy is pressure fit.
> keep doing what you are doing and eventually it will come out.
> wiggle waggle - wiggle waggle - tap tap tap - top to bottom, side to side.
> if you can find a bearing or seal puller that fits, that may help.
> ...



Thanks Johnny! I'll try this. Time ratchet up the force.


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## KMixson (Oct 6, 2017)

The10Man said:


> Johnny said:
> 
> 
> > the Bearing Buddy is pressure fit.
> ...



As they say "If all else fails, get a bigger hammer".


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## Johnny (Oct 6, 2017)

*and as my dear friend Red Green says . . . . 
if it ain't broke ~ you're not trying hard enough !!*



.


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## -CN- (Oct 6, 2017)

You could just let a thief steal it - like they did mine!


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## CedarRiverScooter (Oct 6, 2017)

If you aren't going to reuse the bearing buddies, you could drill a coulpe ross holes in them. Then you could put in screws & have something to pry against.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Oct 6, 2017)

If you aren't going to reuse the bearing buddies, you could drill a couple cross holes in them. Then you could put in screws & have something to pry against.


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## The10Man (Oct 7, 2017)

I put the rubber mallet down and began using the hammer. No budging. I don't have a torch so I didn't get to try that yet. I may go pick one up tomorrow. 

When I looked closer and shined a light into the cap I noticed there was a thin plastic seal, and was able to pry that out. Then I noticed a spring or coil around the inside of the cap and ripped that out. Next, I found some sort of metal disc or seal with a small knob. I had to push on it from on side to get it somewhat sideways and the pull pretty hard on it to bend it in order to get it out. Finally I saw the cotter pin. 

This evening I sprayed some liquid wrench all around the area, hopefully tomorrow morning it will be looser. 

At this point I've beaten the cap up pretty good with the hammer and don't intend to keep them. I haven't tried drilling holes into the cap yet, but if the torch and the oil don't loosen it up, I may forgo the drill and just take the angle grinder to it. My thinking is I can just cut a piece of the cap off, get better access to the cotter pin and then once I pull that out the hub will come off. 

At this point I'm thinking of just replacing the whole hub assembly as I that will be the easiest route. This is my first attempt at working on a trailer so I'm learning from you all and YouTube. Anyone have any additional thoughts or feedback on my plan of attack?


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## Johnny (Oct 8, 2017)

*Anyone have any additional thoughts or feedback on my plan of attack?*

yes sir, I do - - - just keep doing what you are doing.
the trick is to break the friction of the press fit tube. side to side, top to bottom smacking
with a hammer. Put down your girly gloves and pick up a MANLY HAMMER and it will
eventually work its way out. home made penetrant: 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone is recommended.
if you do keep the hubs, the inside of the lip must be free of burrs and nicks. (thus the rotary file).
installing new Bearing Buddys is a cinch.
but - they MUST be installed correctly. straight in and tapped with the rubber mallet or wood block.
if pressed in at an angle, they will be in the same circumstance as you have now.
if you do cut off the excess with the grinder, maybe you can get a screwdriver between the hub
and the bearing sleeve. it will only be about a 1/2" sleeve ring left.
it won't twist out. there are no threads. WIGGLE - WIGGLE - WIGGLE it out with FORCE.
(don't worry about waking your neighbors - just pound away).

and if something's not broke - you're not trying hard enough.


.


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## KMixson (Oct 8, 2017)

The caps need to come out as square as possible to the hub. If they tilt too much they will bind until you tap the other side out a little bit. My thoughts, as long as you have the use of the cap extending out from hub use it. Take 2 pair of vise grips and clamp to the end of the cap to give yourself something to hit to knock it out. Some caps are a bear to remove and some seem to slip off by just pulling them with your hand. If you cut the cap off even with the hub you will loose the option to use the extended part. If you do decide to cut the cap off you may want to take a chisel and try to punch from the side close to the hub to bend, crack or break the cap so it may create a smaller diameter of the cap inside the hub to make it easier to remove once you cut it off. It may even fall out if it breaks into pieces after hitting it with a chisel depending on what metal it is made of. I feel they are harder to work with when they are recessed into the hub with no way to grasp it. There is a greater chance of damaging the hub if you are beating around inside the hub. You need to try and keep the surface just inside the hub pretty smooth since it is a sealing surface for the cap.


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## Johnny (Oct 8, 2017)

please forgive my mental state, I have some "issues" going on at the moment LOL

I keep looking at your pictures and knew something wasn't right but couldn't 
put my finger on it . . . . now, I see what it is.

in this photo, the inside of the Bearing Buddy is BONE DRY !! the rusty spindle nut tells a story.


there is ZERO grease in the hub !!!
the "round knob thing" on the front plate is called a Zerk Grease Fitting. For the grease gun to squirt in grease.
the flange keeps the grease inside the tube. the spring provides a constant pressure
for pushing the grease into the bearings.
it "appears" that you did not take any grease out of the tube after you removed everything.
now, seeing a rusty spindle nut with no grease on it, I think you will have dry, burned and
possibly rusty bearings once you do get it apart.
you might want to prepare yourself for the possible purchase new hubs and bearings. and if you do,
make sure you get new grease seals for the back of the hubs..... some hub kits do not include them.
such as the NAPA people. so they must be purchased separately. 
read up on how to PACK and INSTALL NEW BEARINGS prior to putting the bearings back into the hub.
from what I remember, a newly greased hub with properly packed bearings with a Bearing Buddy would
hold about two cups of grease. you should have gotten at _LEAST_ a cup to a cup and a half of grease out of each hub.

jus my Dos Centavos




.


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## The10Man (Oct 8, 2017)

Success! ...or at least half way there. This afternoon I went out and bought a propane torch from Lowes ($16). Once I fired that up I kept the flame of the area where the bearing buddy meets the hub flange for about 4 minutes and kept rotating it. I could tell it was getting pretty hot. Then it only took about 5 to 10 solid swings of the hammer to knock and loose and it fell off. Thank you Johnny for the torch recommendation! I didn't realize how much hotter the torch is compared to the heat gun. 

KMixson, if the torch didn't work out I was going to go with your suggestion. I appreciate your insight!

The cotter pin was jammed up pretty good but I was finally able to pull it out. Next I pulled off the bearings (outer I believe), the nut, the whole hub, and then the inner bearings (or what was left of them). 

Now I need to determine if I should just buy replacement bearings or get a whole new hub assembly. I'm fine getting a whole hub kit and honestly, I'd feel a whole lot better getting a new hub with the bearings attached if that is the best way to go. If I do get a whole new hub assembly, is there a difference between a hub kit for a regular trailer vs. a kit for a boat trailer? I saw some hub kits at Northern Tool today but didn't know if they were marine grade or not. I called my local West Marine store and they put me on hold for 10 minutes and I finally hung up.


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## Johnny (Oct 8, 2017)

good job !!
next time you are in Harbor Freight, pick up a *3 pound* "engineer's hammer". you'll be glad you did.
the Engineer's Hammer has a much shorter handle compared to other common hammers of the same weight. a nice tool to have around.


read my last post above - you may need new bearings and races and definitely a rear seal.

in my opinion, hubs are hubs..... I have the same hubs on my utility trailer as my boat trailer.
be careful of buying cheap bearings - most are from China now and made with poor metals and not-so-close tolerances.
"you get what you pay for" in this instance.
if you install new Bearing Buddys, don't over fill them. let the flange come about half out way and drive
around a few miles. monitor them constantly. if you are seeing grease slung up the inside of the wheels and the bottom
of your boat, the rear seal is leaking and the Bearing Buddy may be overly packed.
I can't drive right now, but if you want to bring them over to me, I will help you get them back together again.

do you have a grease gun ? a grease gun with dedicated High Temp Marine bearing grease is a good idea.

good job !!!

.


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## KMixson (Oct 8, 2017)

If you do use the old hubs you have to remove the bearing outer races. That can be a job sometimes especially since it looks like you may have rust inside the hub. You have to remove them squarely from the hub just like the cap using a hammer and punch. Just punch around the race until it comes out. Be careful, one of the most painful job injuries I received was removing a bearing race from a hub. It was a hub from a tractor trailer truck which was a large hub. I was slinging a 12 pound sledge at the punch and missed the punch or it slipped off the punch and caught my thumb between the hammer and hub. It brought tears to my eyes. My thumb was split open on both sides. I went to the doctor and they wrapped it up with gauze and a popsicle stick. It cost me $60.00 for that popsicle stick.


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## The10Man (Oct 8, 2017)

Thank you Kmixson. Since my hub is pretty rusty and reading through the difficulties of knocking out the race and the gruesome injury you sustained I think I'm just going to get a new hub assembly. I can't even imagine how bad that hurt. It must have been excruciating!

Johnny, you're right, behind the seal there wasn't much grease packed in and it was pretty dry. I appreciate you offering to help put the existing hub and new bearings back together. I'd really like to head your way and meet you, as you've provided a ton of great advice on this and other projects in the past, however I'm busy this upcoming weekend and hope to get back on the water the following weekend. With a full time job and two young kids I don't have much time during the work week. Maybe some day I can get down to the Kissimmee area and we can spend some time on the water and I can try and absorb all that great boating knowledge and wisdom you've got. 

At this point I think the quickest and easiest thing for me to do is get a whole hub assembly and pack it with the high temp marine grease mentioned. I don't have a grease gun but I don't mind getting one if I need it.

I've found two different kinds of hub assemblies at Northern Tool and it appears that one maybe a little more heavy duty or technical than the other. I know you said hubs are hubs, I want to make sure I get good bearings. The $32 one seems like a standard hub kit, where the $44 one uses that zerk fitting you mentioned. I read through how the zerk fitting works and the benefits of it, but is that necessary? Now that I know how to pull the hub apart I think it would probably just be better to disassemble it and repack the grease every year to ensue the right amount of lubrication. 

Do you guys have any opinions on the set ups below? 

https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200442390_200442390?adv=false

https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200466890_200466890?adv=false


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## Johnny (Oct 9, 2017)

are we correct to assume that you are changing both hubs and not just one ?
again, get the proper seal for the back side of the hubs and ensure they fit well.

for your style of trailering, you will be very happy and safe with the less expensive
"non-zerk" hub and it will serve you well. just inspect every season and add grease
as necessary. the hub caps are pressure fit - gently ease them into position with a
block of wood and hammer. remove them the same way. tap-tap-tap.
I saw somewhere that the rule of thumb for cleaning out the hub and
doing a total grease change is every 5 years. more often if you are a tournament fisherman
or pull a utility trailer up and down the interstates at break neck speed. 
good luck !!


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## The10Man (Oct 9, 2017)

Yes, I'll be changing both hubs. I'll be sure to make sure that the seals are the correct ones. 

I appreciate the advice on which ones to buy. I'm going to run out on my lunch break and buy them and hopefully get everything back together this evening. 

I'll be sure to not overload then with grease as mentioned and keep a close eye on them. 

Thank you!!'


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Johnny (Oct 9, 2017)

good deal !!
once you get the old hubs off and the axle spindles cleaned up,
examine the spindle shaft very carefully for nicks, scrapes and gouges
caused by P/O attempts at maintenance/repairs.
the spindles should be as slick as glass with no rust or serious defects.
360 grit abrasive paper and a block of wood would dress them up nicely.

then after that is all said and done, give it a road test down to _*The Keys*_ for a weekend. :fishing: 



.


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## KMixson (Oct 9, 2017)

When you go back together with it, don't forget to pre-load the bearings. Here's how if this is your first time installing axle bearings.

1. Tighten castle nut finger tight.
2. Tighten nut about another 1/4 turn.
3. Rotate hub/wheel about a dozen times.
4. If the hub loosens you will have to repeat from step 1. If not go to step 5.
5. Loosen nut.
6. Tighten nut finger tight.
7. Loosen nut just until you can install cotter pin into the hole in the spindle.
8. Install cotter pin into nut/spindle.
9. Check that the wheel turns freely and there is no binding or that it is not sloppy loose.


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## The10Man (Oct 9, 2017)

So this evening I thought I was going to finish up this project, or at least this side of the trailer. 

I reviewed the spindle and made sure it was clean and didn't have any abrasions. Then I unpackaged the the hub kit read the instructions and placed the hub on the spindle. When I went to slide the hub onto the spindle it only went about an inch deep. I took it off and noticed the grease was pretty thick so I pressed my finger through it just to make sure it's wasn't too thick to penetrate and there weren't any obstructions, no issue there. 

Next I out the hub back on the spindle and it was the same thing , it would go very deep. I looked at the back of the hub and it appears that there is a race or something that constricts the inner diameter enough so that the spindle can't go there the hub. 

Before I bought the hub assembly I measured the outside diameter of the hub and it was about 1 inch. When I went to the store I bought he kit that was 1 inch and even marched up my old inner bearing on the chart to ensure I was getting the right size. 







I'm beginning to think that I didn't measure this correctly or think it through all the way and got the wrong size. The kit I got says the inner bearing is 1 inch, the outer bearing is 1 inch, and the seal size is 1.25 inches. 

Maybe I should have gotten the kit where the inner and kit bearings are 1 1/16 inch. Hopefully I can take back the hub kit I got and exchange it for the larger size.


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## Johnny (Oct 9, 2017)

take the old hub with you - ask the salesman to ensure it matches
so you won't have to make a 3rd trip.
they have micrometers at the sales desk just for issues such as this.

I'm just hoping you do not have a metric axle and hubs (and yes, they do make them).


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## KMixson (Oct 10, 2017)

It looks from the picture that you have a 1" axle with a 1 1/4" seal. As you slip on the hub you have to make sure the inner race on the inner bearing is square with the axle. You may have to wobble the hub in order for the inner race to line up square with the axle. You can use the outer bearings inner race to make sure there are no burrs or abrasions on the axle shaft preventing you from sliding in on.


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## New River Rat (Oct 10, 2017)

My favorite hammer ever!









True Value
https://www.truevalue.com/product/H...lling-Hammer-3-Lb-/pc/5/c/77/sc/731/79261.uts




When doing one hub, might as well get both......


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## The10Man (Oct 20, 2017)

I was out of town last weekend and didn't get a chance to work on the trailer. This week I got the 1 1/16 size and it fit perfectly. 

KMixson I kept rereading your steps you provided as I was working on it. 

As I was knocking the dust cap on I pinched my finger which was not fun, but all in all it was relatively simple once I had the right size. 

Now I'm going to take it off the jack and drive it around the block a few times to make sure everything is good before I haul it to the boat ramp.


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## driz (Oct 20, 2018)

The10Man said:


> So this evening I thought I was going to finish up this project, or at least this side of the trailer.
> 
> I reviewed the spindle and made sure it was clean and didn't have any abrasions. Then I unpackaged the the hub kit read the instructions and placed the hub on the spindle. When I went to slide the hub onto the spindle it only went about an inch deep. I took it off and noticed the grease was pretty thick so I pressed my finger through it just to make sure it's wasn't too thick to penetrate and there weren't any obstructions, no issue there.
> 
> ...






It might not help you now but you want to get one of these for your mechanical involvements down the road. They’re cheap and they work very very well. Hustling down to Harbor freight and get one of those electronic micrometers. They go on sale all the time for around $10 and once you start using that thing you’ll wonder why you never had one before. No they’re not made to be treated brutally but if you talk them away somewhere and leave them in their box they will last for years. 
One other great feature is that you can switch back-and-forth between inch, fraction, metric sizing. That ability to set it on something and then wiggle the jaws back-and-forth Or switch between metric and US makes figuring these things out very easy. I swear I use mine almost every single day for some silly thing and I don’t have to go hunting for a tape measure figuring out which hash mark is closest ect. It’s a godsend for trying to figure out sizes and seals like you’re doing and you’ll find yourself using it constantly every time you pick up bolts nuts sizing add holes drillbits etc. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## eshaw (Oct 26, 2018)

I agree, a hub is a hub. I'd replace the whole thing with a good quality unit, especially after subjecting it to a lot of heat. It would probably be ok but why chance it? The only thing that distinguishes a marine hub from a regular hub is the bearing buddy that I'm aware of.


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## vfourmax (Oct 29, 2018)

Johnny said:


> get the proper seal for the back side of the hubs and ensure they fit well.
> 
> the hub caps are pressure fit - gently ease them into position with a
> block of wood and hammer. remove them the same way. tap-tap-tap.



One thing I have seen some seals that were purchased at "auto parts" types of store that although the seals fit and were the right diameter inside and outside were only single lip seals.
A double lip seal is what you want as the inner lip works to keep the grease in and the outer lip works to keep the dirt and more importantly when used on a boat trailer the water out of the hub and bearings.

Also since most modern vehicles now use sealed hubs which are replaced rather than serviced you do not see these as often any more but there is a tool made for removing the dust caps off the hubs and bearings. I have one that I have had for 40 years so I do not know whether local outlets still stock them but they are great for the job they are made to do which is remove the dust cap from the hubs.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Nov 4, 2018)

I can't tell for sure but it looks like your lug nuts are on backwards.


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## 86tuning (Nov 4, 2018)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> I can't tell for sure but it looks like your lug nuts are on backwards.



Looks to be the case! Good eye.


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## WALI4VR (Nov 12, 2018)

have one that I have had for 40 years so I do not know whether local outlets still stock them but they are great for the job they are made to do which is remove the dust cap from the hubs.

Also used to install and remove wheel balancing weights. 

'98 Lund Explorer w/ 50hp Merc 4c (Yamaha) carburetored NO torque motor


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## WALI4VR (Nov 12, 2018)

-CN- said:


> You could just let a thief steal it - like they did mine!


Or they fell off like mine! 

'98 Lund Explorer w/ 50hp Merc 4c (Yamaha) carburetored NO torque motor


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