In the world of trailer parts, there are many things to talk about. Things like gross vehicle weight ratings, drawbar pull and trailer brakes are often the focus of discussion online or at a parts counter. Things like trailer hub caps and wheel lug nuts are often overlooked, but they can have a big impact on your truck’s appearance. Choosing the right trailer hub cap will help keep dust and debris away from the wheel nut, increasing its life.

 

The best way to keep the hub studs of your trailer in good shape is by greasing them regularly. However, this is a task that must be done with care. If you grease too much, the hub bearings can get hot and begin to wear prematurely. This can be very costly to the wheel bearings, so it is very important to check the grease levels regularly and only add as needed. Click here for more info on trailer hubcaps and other trailer hub cap accessories. 

 

Keeping the hub studs of your trailer in proper condition can be an easy and inexpensive process with a little know how. First of all, the hubs must be disassembled in order to check the grease. The dust cap, which covers the castle nut (which holds the hub on to the axle spindle) can be removed by tapping it with your non-marring mallet all around to break it loose. Then, the cotter pin can be removed with needle nose pliers or a flat head screw driver. Once the dust cap is removed, you can then apply grease until you see it coming out from under the castle nut. You can also use a block of wood to help seat the dust cap, if necessary.

 

Some trailer manufacturers use oil-lubricated hubs as pointed out in this company website. These are generally more expensive than grease-filled ones, but they have a few advantages. As the wheels rotate, they are coated with oil by centrifugal force; this helps prevent corrosion and keeps the bearings lubricated. Another advantage is that you can easily see the grease level and avoid overgreasing, which is very bad for the bearings.

 

Whether your trailer uses grease or oil hubs, you can improve their longevity by replacing them with new complete axle hub assemblies. These are available from just about any place that sells trailer parts, including West Marine, Northern Tools, Academy Sports and Outdoors and Tractor Supply. Once you have the axle hubs in hand, reinstalling them can be a simple task that requires only a few tools and minimal knowledge of how to do it.

The key is to make sure you have the right size hub. The most common sizes are Dana Spicer with eight 5/8-inch studs and Rockwell with eight 3/4-inch studs. If you have a different type of hub, measure the studs to determine which one is right for you. A new complete hub assembly will come with the axle’s bearings and seals pre-installed, saving you the time and expense of purchasing and installing these components.

Alternatively, you can purchase replacement bearings and seals and press them into the old hub, but this requires a special tool called a hub press. Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_hubs.