Repacking Wheel Bearings on an RV

In this premium video lesson, Brian McIntire teaches you how to remove the wheel bearings on your RV and repack them with grease for the smoothest possible ride. Before repacking wheel bearings, you’ll want to get your trailer properly jacked so as not to do damage to the frame or axle. Brian demonstrates the old school way to do this, using the method his grandfather taught his dad and his dad taught him. Nothing fancy, which means it’s tried and true!

When jacking your vehicle to remove a wheel, you should always secure the vehicle by blocking the front and back of the opposite side wheels before lifting with the frame. You should also check your vehicle’s manual to find the best recommended jacking points.

Once the vehicle is jacked, Brian recommends giving the wheel a spin and a jiggle to make sure you have clearance and to test how tight the hub is before you begin the process. Here are the parts you’ll see as you access the bearings, which consist of an inner and outer bearing:

– Dust cap
– Spindle nut and cotter pin
– Outer seal
– Outer bearing
– Lugs
– Hub
– Inner bearing
– Inner seal

Remove the lug nuts to take off the tire and access the hub unit, which consists of an inner and outer bearing. (If you have a cap with a Bearing Buddy, use a tamer to get it off. Brian explains why he’s not a huge fan of these.) Then remove the nut. When repacking wheel bearings you’ll need to remove the outer and inner seals, which it doesn’t matter if you damage because you should replace them anyway.

If you don’t have a parts washer, you might use a can of brake cleaner to clean off your bearings and get them ready for packing. Once clean, Brian demonstrates the best method for repacking wheel bearings. Follow along with his advice and you should have no trouble!