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This is wrong, sorry. The seal does not hold the bearing. You might need to go look at yours again.[/quote]
Handiman, you must be speaking of another setup. You're dead wrong. Look at the diagram. The bearing is angled, as is the raceway it snugs up against. If its not snug, then it will have too much play - if it has too much play, two things will happen; 1) the tire will be canted from the weight of the boat and the tires will prematurely wear on the inside and; 2) the bearing will be forced to spin on its outer edge due to the weight instead of against the raceway and the roller bearings. Spinning on its outer edge vs the roller bearings will cause the the bearing to overheat and prematurely spin.


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Handy man is absolutely correct and you do not understand what your parts schematic shows, nor clearly do you understand how a trailer bearing hub seal and bearing set works. The rear seal spins with the hub and rubs on the largest diameter surface on the rear of the spindle. Look at your picture. It has nothing to do with holding the rear bearing in place. The rear bearing goes on the spindle and rides on the second largest diameter of the spindle and seats against a shoulder where the spindle id is stepped down from the seal id to the bearing Id. The rear bearing is held in place as stated by handiman between this shoulder on the spindle and the rear bearing race ( its the shoulder on the spindle and its relationship with the rear bearing that you are not understanding) and if the castle nut is tightened properly, there should be no play in the rear bearing or the front smaller bearing which is held in place between its race and the washer behind the castlenut. You do not have a seal issue, countersunk makes not difference, but you may not have the bearing races seated all the way, or the castlenut is not being tightened correctly. All trailer hubs have this set up. Again, the seal is not the issue. All the seal does or can do is to hold grease in place. Trailer Bearing school 101.

My tires did the same thing last year. I went to the tire store "Discount Tire" and they told me the uneven wear was do to not keeping proper inflation in the tires.


Giga, just curious how you launch your boat without getting your tires wet?

Handyman is 100% correct. The seal can be left completely out and the bearing will tighten and function as designed(until filled with dirt and water or runs out of grease). The only function of the seal is to keep grease in and dirt and water out.

[quote="BAG Hunter"]My tires did the same thing last year. I went to the tire store "Discount Tire" and they told me the uneven wear was do to not keeping proper inflation in the tires.


I was told the same thing. The trailer place said if you don't keep 50psi in them that they will wear bad. I have kept 50 in mine for the last 2 years and they still look new.

Dp

TP

DP

Seal piece aside, It still doesn't explain why the McClain Hubs ruin with so few miles on them - mine from GT, and my buddies from PD, and a few others I know from both. It doesn't explain that.

Handi, you're right though, the raised edge on the spindle keeps the conical bearing snug.

Point was, from the beginning is that McClain isn't seating the hubs properly and the excess play is ruining the bearings. Why it's ruining them is up to debate, but they're absolutely ruining prematurely - that is an undisputed fact.

Bottom line - check your tires/ hubs for play often and early or you will be either stuck on the road or replacing them soon like my buddy. He barely had any miles on his at all and went on a trip to Kansas and halfway through spun a bearing. Prior to that had launched his boat maybe three times.

not knocking mcclain but check out magic tilt trailers i have one and love it. i got the torsion axle trailer. fuk all that leaf spring and greasing bs...

Don't we have a sponsor that builds trailers? Seems like he could weigh in on some of this...


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What size bearings do these trailers use?

Kenda makes an 8 ply tire, good tire


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Make sure it's a radial. Do not get bias ply, that's what is on them now. Maxxis makes a good tire.

I put radials on my atv trailer and never looked back. That's what u will be putting on my boat when the time comes.

Thanks guys. Radials it is

I choose radials and they are wearing great!

Goodyear Marathons

Sure hope the trailer coming with the GT boat I ordered isn't this junky.....

I have a McClain galvanized trailer and after reading this thread I checked mine. I had it for about 2 years now. I don't have any of the issues that have been posted here. There's no play in hubs when jacked up and no issues with back seal blowing grease. Both tires are original and show no uneven wear and I drive a hour each way to get to my hunting area. I guess I got lucky.

Agree, radial tires balanced!! Mine have lasted twice as long as my craplisle tires (uneven wear-bouncing down the road). Tire shop was surprised because not many people request radial tires and balanced for smaller boat trailers etc. Most people try to get by on the cheap!!

Almost like having a $1500 Berretta, spending thousands on duck hunting equipment and then skimping on the shells.

I have big radial balanced car tires on my trailer and they have had many a mile put on em. They ride/wear very well