Trailer wheel bearing in Exeter
Professional trailer wheel bearing services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£110-£210
Typical Duration
2-4 hrs
Location
Exeter, Devon
Trailer wheel bearings inspected, serviced, or replaced. Hubs stripped, cleaned, bearings checked for wear, repacked with proper grease. Seals replaced, everything adjusted correctly.
Don't Ignore That Rumbling Sound
Trailer wheel bearings fail spectacularly when they go. First sign is usually a rumble or grinding noise. Ignore that and the hub gets hotter and hotter. Eventually the bearing seizes, the wheel locks up, or in the worst case the whole wheel comes off on the motorway.
I've seen trailers abandoned on hard shoulders because the owner thought "that noise can wait." It can't.
Servicing bearings properly means stripping the hub, cleaning everything, checking for wear or damage, and repacking with the right grease. Not just squirting grease in and hoping.
💡 Pro tip: Check your hub temperature after a long journey. Warm is fine. Too hot to hold your hand on? Bearings need urgent attention.
Why Trailer Bearings Fail
They have a hard life:
| ✅ Healthy Bearings | ❌ Failing Bearings |
|---|---|
| Properly greased, smooth running | Dry, making grinding noise |
| Correct preload, no play | Loose, wheel has play |
| Clean grease, good seals | Water contaminated grease |
| Hub runs warm, not hot | Hub dangerously hot after running |
Trailers sit unused for months - grease dries out. Boat trailers get dunked in water - seals fail and water gets in. Heavily loaded trailers - bearings wear faster.
What You Get
🔧 Full Hub Service
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Strip down | Remove wheel, drum, bearings, old seals |
| Clean | All parts degreased, races inspected |
| Inspect | Check bearings and races for wear/pitting |
| Replace or repack | New bearings if needed, or clean and regrease |
| Reassemble | New seals fitted, correct preload set |
📦 You're Left With
- Smooth running bearings
- Correct hub adjustment
- New seals preventing water ingress
- Peace of mind for your journey
Pricing Guide
| Work Required | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Service one wheel (strip, clean, regrease) | 2 hrs | £110 |
| Service both wheels on axle | 3 hrs | £160 |
| Replace bearings + seals one side | 2.5 hrs | £135 + parts |
| Replace bearings + seals both sides | 4 hrs | £210 + parts |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Parts (bearings, seals, grease) charged at cost.
Perfect For Your Situation If...
✅ Grinding or rumbling noise - bearing damage, needs checking now
✅ Pre-trip service - long journey coming up, check bearings first
✅ Boat trailer - regular servicing essential with water immersion
✅ Just bought a trailer - service bearings before trusting them
Why Choose Us for Trailer wheel bearing in Exeter?
Trailer runs smoothly and safely
Prevent expensive hub damage
Proper greasing for long bearing life
Check both sides while wheels are off
What to Expect
Step 1: Strip & Inspect
Wheel off, drum removed, bearings extracted. I clean everything and examine bearings and races for pitting, scoring, or other damage.
Step 2: Service or Replace
If bearings are good, I repack them with proper trailer bearing grease. If worn or damaged, I fit new bearings and races. New seals go in regardless.
Step 3: Reassemble & Adjust
Everything goes back together with the correct bearing preload - not too tight, not too loose. Wheel spins freely without play. Job done properly.
🔧 DIY Tips
Servicing trailer bearings yourself? Here's the proper method:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Jack and axle stands
- Socket set and ring spanners
- Hub puller (for some trailers)
- Degreaser and cleaning rags
- Quality trailer bearing grease
- New seals (always replace)
- Torque wrench
🔍 The process
- Jack trailer safely and remove wheel
- Remove dust cap, split pin, castle nut
- Pull hub/drum assembly off (may need puller)
- Extract inner and outer bearings
- Clean all grease off - inspect races and bearings
- Replace if pitted or rough, or repack if good
- Fit new seal (critical - don't reuse old ones)
- Reassemble with correct preload
💡 Setting bearing preload
- Tighten castle nut while rotating drum
- Back off nut, then tighten finger tight
- Back off to next split pin hole
- Should have slight rotational drag, no play
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Reusing old seals (always replace them)
- Wrong type of grease (use proper wheel bearing grease)
- Over-tightening bearings (causes heat and wear)
- Not cleaning races properly before repacking
- Mixing different grease types
💡 Pro trick: Before reassembling, check the bearing race in the hub itself. If there's any pitting or scoring in the race, the whole hub needs replacing or the new bearings will fail quickly. Don't waste money fitting new bearings to damaged races.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🚗 Boat trailer owner? Your bearings need servicing more often than others. Water immersion, especially saltwater, destroys bearing grease fast. Annual service minimum, or after any trip involving beach launching.
Doing a long European trip? Service bearings before you go. Breaking down abroad is expensive and stressful - sort it before you leave.
Trailer's been sitting unused for two years? Bearings are likely dry or corroded. Service them before loading up and expecting them to work properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my trailer wheel bearings are failing?
Listen for grinding or rumbling from the wheels when towing. Feel for excessive play if you rock the wheel top-to-bottom with it jacked up. Check if the hub gets very hot after a journey. Any of those and your bearings need attention urgently before they seize or fall apart.
Can you just grease them or do they need replacing?
Depends what I find when I strip the hub. If bearings are smooth with no pitting or roughness, a clean and re-grease often sorts them. If they're worn, pitted, or the races are damaged, they need replacing. I'll show you what I find and explain what needs doing.
How often should trailer wheel bearings be serviced?
Every year or two years depending on use, or before any long trip if it's been sitting unused. Boat trailer? Every year minimum - water immersion kills bearings fast. Caravan used twice a year? Check every other year. Heavy use or covering big miles? Annually.
Do I need to provide the bearings and grease?
I can get bearings and seals for most common trailers - just need your trailer's make and hub type. Bring your V5 or manual if you have it. For unusual or specialist trailers you might need to source parts yourself, but I'll advise what's needed.
Can you do both sides in one visit?
Yes, and I recommend it. If one side needs attention, the other probably isn't far behind. More efficient to do both while I'm set up, and you know the whole axle is sorted.
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