HF Trailer Wheel Bearing temps

[rreegg]

Put together a new harbor freight trailer and am getting wheel bearing temps around 200-210f after going about 15 mins on the freeway - both empty and with like 400#. Outside temps were cool like 45f

does this sound a little hot? Retorked to ~85 ft/lbs as stated in specs and added more grease earlier and it hasn’t made much difference on temps.
Am considering loosening the axle nut more but not sure the low end of torques

 

[XOLATEM]

What kind of grease are you using...?

On torquing...I imagine that everyone has 'their own way' to do things...but on wheel bearings like that...I snug 'em up real good and spin the hub and then back off the nut a bit until things turn a bit more freely...to allow a grease film to get between the bearings and races...

I don't preload the bearings on a wheel hub...not with grease lubrication...if it was HP gear oil or had a pressure-lube system that would be a different story...

But that is just me...

I'd be curious as to what others would say about what they do...

 

[rreegg]

Typically just try to follow whatever spec for the axle. Think Dana 50 states to rotate during tightening and the mk4 vw has a 180* rotation - this trailer just listed a torque spec. I used the red n tacky grease and rotated a bit during tightening.
The castle nut doesn’t allow for much refinement in torque

 

[Rdnck84_03]

With wheel bearings, they will last much longer when they are way too loose than they will when just a little bit too tight.

If they are too tight it causes them to get hot, the hotter they get the tighter they get until they seize up.

I usually run them just at the point of feeling a slight bit of movement of the hub. The 1 time I have had a bearing failure was from the seal allowing water and sand into the bearings during a stupid idea of crossing the river.

James

 

[rreegg]

Thanks guys I'll just torque by feel rather than spec

 

[KansasIDI]

I did torque by spec on my Dana 60 front axle, doesn’t get hot, new wheel bearings, seals, grease. But I still made sure that it ‘felt’ right…