Northstar Trailers LOADSTAR I XL - Manual (Page 8)

STEP 3: ATTACH WHEELS TO AXLE
Note: the hub assembly comes attached to the wheels with pre-lubricated bearings and
washers. Upon removing the dust-caps take special care to not drop the bearings or
get them dirty.
a. Carefully remove the dust-cap from the wheel (7) by gently prying around
the edges of the cap with a small, flathead screwdriver, or by using a long bolt
to gently drive through the backside of the hub and into the cap.
b. Remove the outer bearing, flat-washer and tabbed-washer from the interior
of the hub, and then set aside.
c. Carefully slide the wheel onto the end of the axle.
d. Slide the bearings into the hub; press into place carefully as to not remove
any grease.
e. Place the flat-washer on the bearing, followed by the tabbed-washer. Ensure
that the washers are snug with and pressed flat against the bearings.
f. Fully tighten the castle-nut against the bearings to the point that the nut
applies enough pressure against the bearings to lock them into place. Then,
loosen the castle nut approximately ¼”, or to the point where the wheel can
spin; the nut should be loose enough that the wheel freely spins, yet tight
enough that the wheel does not have horizontal play or wiggle. The final
castle-nut tension will be approximately 35 ft-lbs. (Proper tension is critical
to the longevity of the bearings).
g. Align a slot of the castle-nut with the tabbed-washer so the washer tabs
appear in the slots of the nut, then use a screwdriver to bend one of the
washer tabs into a notch of the nut. This is very important to ensure the
integrity of the hub assembly.
h. Attach a grease gun to the hub’s Zirk fitting—located on each end of the
axle—, and apply pressure until you can see grease extruding from the
bearing casing.
i. Replace the dust-cap by tapping it into place with a rubber mallet. RTV
sealant or silicon may be applied to the circumference of the dust-cap before
installation to ensure that the cap will not fall off while in tow. Let the sealant
completely dry before towing.
Note: the dust-cap has an exterior Zirk fitting access, and does not need to be removed to
grease the bearing. Grease the wheel bearings a minimum of 1x per year for normal use,
and up to 3x per year for frequent use in order to ensure the longevity of the bearings.
Adjust and re-grease the bearings after the first 100
miles.