Today, we're going to review part number 8-231-9UC1-EZ. This is the Dexter Trailer and Hub Assembly with the 8 on 6-1/2-inch bolt pattern for the EZ loop spindle. This trailer and hub assembly will include eight of the 1/2-inch cone seat lug nuts. It will include the inner bearing, part number 25580, the outer bearing, part number 14125A. It will include the grease seal and it will include the EZ lube grease cap, and the reason this is an EZ lube grease cap is the center is a rubber plug that can be removed to get easy access to the zerk fitting to grease your EZ lube spindle. Now, the application on this hub assembly will fit most 5200-pound to 7000-pound axles including Dexter.
Bolt pattern again is eight lugs, 6-1/2-inch bolt pattern. The stud diameter is a half-inch. The capacity on this hub assembly is 3500 pounds, which means when paired with the same assembly on the other side of the axle would give you your max of 7000 pounds. Now, the bearing races are included. They're already preinstalled into the hub assembly.
Here's the outer race right here and on the back, you can see the inner race. All of our hub assemblies will usually come with the bearing races already preinstalled in the hub. Now on the bolt pattern for this, it's an eight-lug, 6-1/2-inch bolt pattern and, normally, on a wheel that has an even number of lugs like in this case, eight, the easiest way to measure the bolt pattern is just measure from one center of one wheel stud directly across to the wheel stud right across from it. Because the center hub is so much taller, it will be hard to get a correct reading. So basically, if you'll just measure from the center of one stud to the center of a stud right next to it, that would give you 2-1/2 inches, and that will basically tell you that this will have a 6-1/2-inch bolt pattern, so eight-lug, 6-1/2onch bolt pattern.
And that should do it for review on part number 8-231-9UC1-EZ.
Cleaning and Replacing Hubs and Bearings
First off we will go ahead and take off the dust cap. In this case it is a bearing buddy. Next is taking out the locking pin, the cotter pin that goes through the center here. Once you have that lock washer off, just go ahead and take off the nut and pull your whole hub off. Now we are going to go ahead and inspect the hub and bearings here.
Remove and Reinstall a Trailer Hub Review
First off, we will take off the hub, then take off the nut on the inside, and we will pop the whole hub off and take it to the workbench and clean it up from there. You can see there is a lot of rust in there, there is a lot of condensation. Basically water got in there through either condensation or a seal leak. We definitely need to take it apart and clean it up. This has whats called a tang washer. Instead of a regular cotter pin that goes up and down, it has a little piece of metal that goes between the notches here and you have to push this back, flat, so you can take off the nut. And the whole thing just slides off. Sometimes if it gets caught on the hub here you can beat it to get it to come loose. We will go ahead and clean this spindle off here, and then we will put our hub back on. Give it a test fit first to make sure it all slides on pretty good and then go ahead and take it back off. What is good is to take a thin layer, it doesnt have to be much just a little bit, to kind of help the parts slide on a little bit more than they used to.
Trailer Hub Inspection Demonstration
We get many many questions on how to make sure trailer hubs and brakes are safe for travel. Here Joe addresses some of those questions demonstrating how to thoroughly inspect the hubs, breaks and bearings. I know many of us take the performance of these assemblies for granted but if you are planning a long trip or just make short trips around town you should be aware of their condition. I like to say it is time well spent when it avoids break downs on the side of the highway.
