This $17 bearing replacement kit includes bearings, rear seal, and cotter pin.
SBM photographs, captions, and video
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I worry a bit about using an old bearing to drive a new race in–the main reason not to spin an un-grease-packed bearing is that the dry rollers can scratch up the race. One would think that hammering a bearing against a race would do the same thing.
I used a few different ways to drive the races for the photo shoot and I also worried about using a bearing to drive the race. The steel used for bearings and races is quite tough and I didn’t see any signs of damage from the tools I used to remove and to install them, though there may have been microscopic scratches caused by using a bearing to drive. Even if there weren’t any damage all of the loose parts in the—inner race, rollers, retainer—seemed to dissipate the impact of the hammer blow andI was uneasy pounding harder. The race drivers used by car mechanics are made out of aluminum and won’t damage the races, but I didn’t want to buy a whole set or wait for a special order for a single size. I made my own drivers of hardwood, plugs of hardwood (ipe and locust) roughed out on the bandsaw and trimmed on the disk sander to a slip fit in the hub. The plugs cracked partway through while installing races, but, being constrained by the hubs, they didn’t fall apart. They only have to survive six races for a trailer with two wheels and a spare. The first strike of the hammer compresses the perimeter of the plug so it then stays put on the race. Subsequent hammer blows push the race straight down. You can see the plug in use in the second video in the article.
Christopher Cunningham, editor, SBM
Maybe a brass punch? We use them at work for driving various steel items we don’t want to mushroom or scratch. I’ve used hardware store brass rods when we didn’t have the right size or length punch, though they mushroom more than a proper punch.
I’m using this Rigid Hitch 280453-2 trailer bearing and I can say that the oil seals are worth a special mention because they’re sturdier and overall better at keeping the bearing lubed up and moisture-free.