Thank goodness for Sat phone.

[Macca]

The GGs & us left the idealick Lake Ratzcastle this morning after 2 peaceful days. Got 10 ks then decided that needed to get inverted from van for mobile. As soon as we stopped could smell horrible burning as well as see smoke coming from back van wheel. Grabbed extinguisher but no apparent flames. Got wheel off- very carefully- as all extremely hot.
No Telstra signal in this town of Goroke so onto Sat phone to131111. Got NRMA who then back to RACV who then contacted RACQ to verify our details. Guy arrived in about 50 mins, replaced inner bearing, which Bruce had. Surpris surprise!!!! No charge at all . Now we have to find a Brake & Clutch as Electric brake to that wheel has been disconnected.
GG went to start vehicle to get on road again- bugger -flat battery. The 2 Bs reading instructions to jumper lead from Cruiser to Patrol. Started & soon on the road. Now at Parilla for night.

[Dot]

Sounds like one Chinaman has gone..

[BruceS]

Now you've gone and got me totally confused.
Where is the lake you stopped at?
I think I must have almost been in your foot tracks!
You say Goroke & now Parilla?
When you were in Goroke I was about 20k's away I'd say.
Wow you have a wierd way of criss crossing the country!!
Well I guess it's good you got all fixed up to continue travelling.

[Macca]

Lake Raztcastle & #430 in Camps 7 & 12ks directly sth of Goroke. We then head for the border at Francis, Bordertown, up to Pinnaroo but before getting there turned west to #90 at Parilla! All clear now BOSS

[Swisslulu]

Kay, did the repairers give any indication as to the cause of the problem? Knowing Bruce, I'm sure your van was serviced before you left home so we are curious about the failure.


Cheers
Lesley

[Macca]

Naturally all the bearings were checked. No ideas were given by repairer at Pt Wakefield but Bruce says maybe the seal collapsed & let dirt into bearing.

[BruceS]

Everytime you stop after a pretty long run (100km or more) it pays to just walk around and put your hand on the hubcaps or hubs to feel if there's any heat. Warm is ok. I do this even on my bus. Can give warnings before bad things happen.
Many people don't back off the nut enough when doing their wheel bearings.
All's good that ends well... thankfully!

[Macca]

Bruce, being a retired farmer, knows all about checking "everything" The first thing he does when we stop is check the hubs for heat- also has a laser tem gauge. The last problem we have only travelled 10ks. Ask anyone who knows him & what he is like.

[Kelvin12]

A lot of bearings sold by spare parts dealers these days are sub standard. Some are out of China, nothing against Chinese manufacturer in fact buy a hell of a lot of Chinese stuff and happy with it, but some of their bearing manufacturers leave a lot to be desired. Harding of the track is only partial and not the full track area as it should be resulting in the hardening chipping and breaking away leaving soft metal exposed or the chips jamb the ball or rollers locking the bearing up. ALWAYS pays to buy bearing from a bearing supplier and stick with Japanese or American manufactured.

Recently replaced a bottom ball joint in my Prado, lasted less than 12 months, hardening looked really suspect from what I could see.

Dirk

[John M]

ALWAYS pays to buy bearing from a bearing supplier and stick with Japanese or American manufactured.
I can remember when these were considered second rate manufacturers!
The problem with a lot of the Chinese manufacturers is that, like the early Japanese, they copy from a sample rather than work from a drawing, consequently, even though the tolerances are within allowances, they are working from an item that was also manufactured within tolerances. which can multiply the error.

I have seen (in the case of wheel bearings) when the inner race is too hard to get off the axle and the new outer race has been put on the old inner, not a good practice, but will often get you out of trouble until you get somewhere to remove it. Sometimes this can be done by the "apprentice", just because it is too hard, and he neglects to tell anyone.