www.iFourWinns.com

How tight do I torque the hub nut ? If I really torque it down the hub is hard to rotate. What I did is tighten it down hard then back off about a quarter turn. This seemed to keep the hub tight with no wobble and allow it to turn fairly easy. Kind of like my old Porsche 944 Turbo .....Porsche said tighten the hub nut until you can barely move the washer under the nut, no actual torque spec. After a test drive this weekend I plan on rechecking the hubs to adjust the nut torque if necessary.

I travel from Florida to Maine every summer towing my Horizon 180. It is nearly 1600 miles each way so I am very cautious about maintaining my trailer. I have the FW single axle galvanized trailer. Last year I had to completely replace the brake lines and the surge brake actuator as they were rusted out. I also replaced pads, blasted and painted the calipers, and turned the rotors.
This year it was another high maintenence year. I replaced both tires 225/75/15 D rated at 2540 lbs each, replaced all of the bearings in the hubs, and ran a wire wheel over the rotors to clean them up. I just finished installing the hubs and tonight will install the new tires so that I can give it a test drive this weekend.

I also added a safety chain and hook to the bow as a back up to the winch cable.
Rob

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Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

Just like on your car tighten them just until you feel the nut and washer put a little drag on it. Is what I always use.

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1990 Four Winns Horizon 200
2005 GMC Sierra

The way I was shown: If you just repacked them, tighten it down just a little more than hand tight. Than back it off 1/8th to a 1/4 of a turn. If they were not repacked, hand tight.

http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html#packhubs

read the part on pre-loading the hubs, that's how I do it....I tighten the spindle nut fairly snug while spinning the wheel forward by hand and then back off, then tighten it just hand tight.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Maybe have a look at:

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-repack_trailer_hub_bearings.aspx

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Thanks Guys,
Looks like I may have installed it a bit too tight. I will loosen it as suggested and take it for a test run tonight. Then recheck for tightness.
Theses are new bearings in the old hubs and they were pre-packed with grease by hand prior to installation. I then used a grease gun to fill it up while turning the hub until it filled the cap. Hopefully after a slight adjustment I will be good to go.
Thanks Rob

_________________
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing
2001 Horizon 180

The fastest way to burn a bearing and spindle on the hightway is to have any preload on the bearing. It should be zero preload, to very slightly loose. I have learned this the hard way over the years. Once the bearing and races have been seated back the nut off untill you can feel a very light losseness in the bearing then back tight just until you cant feel it. I do it with the tire on so you have something to grab onto and move back and forth.

then put the nut retainer on. If you have to move it to get the cotter key in, I lossen the nut to error on the side of caution. In this case a little to loose is better than a little to tight.

My .02

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)