What Signs Should You Look For To Know When To Replace The Hubs On Your Trailer

Published 03/18/2023

Products Featured in This Question

Dexter Electric Trailer Brakes - 10" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 3.5K

(1732)

$148.02

Easy Grease Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly for 3.5K Axles - 10" - 5 on 4-1/2 - Pre-Greased

(1990)

$99.78

Question:

I have a 2008 CC716A cargo trailer 5 lug by 4.5. How do I know if I need to replace the hubs when replacing the E brake kit? What do I look for?

asked by: Doyle D

Helpful Expert Reply:

Typically if your hub is bad then you'll experience quite a bit of noise whether it's just when making turns or even while just rolling down the road if it's severe enough. The trailer will start to pull to one side when the brakes are applied, and you bearings will start to become loose. You could start to see visible damage to hub as well.

A more noticeable sign is uneven tire wear or vibration and wobble, which can be caused by a loose bearing in the hub. It's so important to catch this early on as the bearings could start spinning on the spindle or in the race and generate heat and blow. This could damage the spindle and end up with you having to replace the entire axle if it damages the spindle. We typically recommend repacking your bearings every 12 months or 12,000 miles to get the best lifespan out of your trailer's suspension.

With Integrated hub and drum kits the drum will usually start to get deep gouges where the brake pads touch or where the brake magnet rides then it's time for a replacement.

For a 5 on 4.5 bolt pattern on a 3,500lb axle I recommend the etrailer # AKHD-545-35-EZ-K. These hubs come pre-greased so you won't have to pack the bearings and can get your trailer back up in running in just a few minutes. I've attached a short video below where I'll walk you through this process.

expert reply by: Kevin C