Resistance When Pulling Trailer After New Hub Installation

Question:

I put a new hub on after bearings went down. If its the wrong size even though it fits, would it cause my trailer to have resistance pulling. Cause right now my truck is having a hard time pulling my trailer after I replaced it my mpg is down and when pulling it feels like it has a lot of resistance when being pulled.

asked by: Justin

Expert Reply:

If you just have idler hubs and not braking assembles on your trailer then I don't think the wrong size bearings are the problem. If you did install the wrong size bearings then they would have had to of been larger and in that case you would have a lot of play on the idler hubs, not resistance. I believe the problem you are experiencing has to do with the amount of torque that was applied to the castle nut that attaches the ider hub to the spindle. If you take a look at the 6:00 minute mark in the attached video you can see how to properly tighten the spindles castle nut onto the spindle/hub. The castle nut will only be tightened by hand until there is no lateral play on the idler hub.

Another cause of resistance after installing new hubs is improperly greased bearings. You can use the Bearing Packer part # PTW1218 and the Wheel Bearing Grease part # L11380 to ensure the bearings are properly greased. Please let me know if your trailer has brakes as there could be a couple other issues in regards to resistance but I do believe one of the above solutions will fix the problem you are having.

expert reply by: Conner L