6 Best Trailer Hub Kits For Small Farm Trailers Old Farmers Swear By
Explore the 6 best trailer hub kits for small farm trailers, chosen for their durability and time-tested reliability by experienced farmers.
There’s nothing worse than hearing that tell-tale grinding sound from a trailer wheel halfway down a dirt road with a load of hay. A failed wheel hub can turn a simple chore into a full-day ordeal, leaving you stranded and frustrated. On a small farm, reliable equipment isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation of a productive day.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Why Good Hubs Are Your Farm’s Unsung Heroes
A trailer hub does more than just hold the wheel on. It’s the critical connection point, containing the bearings that allow your wheels to spin freely under thousands of pounds of pressure. When it works, you never think about it. When it fails, everything stops.
Think of a hub assembly as the heart of your trailer’s mobility. A cheap hub with poor-quality bearings or a weak seal is a ticking time bomb. One good pothole or a trip through a muddy pasture can be all it takes for grit and water to work their way inside, destroying the bearings from within.
That’s why choosing the right hub kit isn’t just about fixing a broken part; it’s an investment in reliability. A good set of hubs means you can load up your trailer with confidence, knowing it will get you to the feed store, the processor, or the back forty and home again without a fight. It’s about buying peace of mind, one axle at a time.
Dexter Axle Kit: The Gold Standard for Durability
When you talk to old-timers about trailer parts, one name comes up more than any other: Dexter. They are the benchmark for a reason. Dexter kits are known for being overbuilt, using high-quality steel and precision-machined components that stand up to the abuse of farm life.
You’re not just paying for a name. You’re paying for better bearings, double-lip seals that actually keep grease in and water out, and a level of quality control that cheaper brands just can’t match. This is the kit you buy when you’re tired of replacing hubs every few years on your heavy-use flatbed or stock trailer.
Is it the cheapest option? No. But if your trailer is essential for moving equipment, livestock, or materials daily, the Dexter kit is the "buy it once, cry once" solution. It’s built for the long haul over rough terrain, and that durability is worth the extra cost when you can’t afford downtime.
LCI E-Z Lube Hub Kit: For Quick Field Greasing
Lippert Components (LCI) brought a game-changing feature to the mainstream with their E-Z Lube system. The design incorporates a grease zerk on the end of the spindle, allowing you to pump fresh grease into the hub without taking it apart. This is a massive time-saver for routine maintenance.
The convenience is undeniable. Instead of a messy, hour-long job of pulling hubs and hand-packing bearings, you can give each hub a few pumps from a grease gun in minutes. This makes it far more likely that you’ll actually do the maintenance, which is half the battle.
However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to use it. The key is to jack the wheel up and spin it slowly as you pump grease in, stopping as soon as you see the new grease start to move the old grease at the front. If you just pump grease in with a power-greaser, you risk blowing out the rear seal, contaminating your brakes and defeating the whole purpose. Used correctly, it’s a fantastic tool for the busy farmer.
Southwest Wheel 3.5k Kit: A Versatile Workhorse
Not every trailer needs the most expensive, over-engineered parts. For the common 3,500-pound axle found on countless utility trailers across the country, the kits from Southwest Wheel are a fantastic, practical choice. They represent the sweet spot of quality and value.
These kits are the dependable workhorses of the trailer world. They typically bundle quality components from trusted manufacturers, so you’re getting reliable parts without the premium brand markup. It’s the smart, no-nonsense option for the trailer you use for hauling firewood, moving fencing supplies, or taking brush to the burn pile.
This is the perfect replacement for most standard-duty farm trailers. It provides everything you need—bearings, races, seal, and dust cap—in one box. For the farmer who needs a solid, reliable repair without overspending, the Southwest Wheel kit is almost always the right answer.
Tie Down Vortex Hubs: Built for Wet, Muddy Use
If your farm includes creek crossings, perpetually muddy gates, or you simply work in a wet climate, standard hubs can be a constant headache. Tie Down Engineering’s Vortex hubs were originally designed for boat trailers, and that marine-grade sealing is exactly what a wet farm needs. They are built from the ground up to keep water out.
The secret is in their lubrication system and high-performance seals. They are designed to be completely sealed and require virtually no maintenance for years. This isn’t just a better seal; it’s a different approach to hub design that aggressively protects the bearings from contamination.
The tradeoff is cost and proprietary parts. They are more expensive than standard hubs, and you need to use their specific hub grease. But if you’re tired of replacing rusty bearings every spring after a wet winter, the Vortex system can pay for itself in saved time, parts, and frustration.
Reliable Pre-Greased Hub: The Easiest Installation
Sometimes, you just need to get the trailer moving again right now. That’s where pre-greased, pre-assembled hub kits shine. These units come out of the box with bearings, races, and seals already installed and packed with grease. You just slide it onto the spindle, tighten the nut, and you’re done.
This is, by far, the fastest and cleanest way to replace a hub. It completely eliminates the messy, tedious job of packing bearings by hand, a task that many people dislike or do incorrectly. For a quick roadside or field repair, having one of these on hand can be a lifesaver.
The downside is a lack of control. You don’t get to choose the type or quality of the grease, and you’re paying a premium for the convenience. But when you’re facing a broken-down trailer loaded with feed and a storm is rolling in, the extra cost is easily justified by the time you save.
CE Smith Hub Kit: Top Choice for Older Trailers
Every farm has that one old trailer—the one your grandfather built, or the oddball you picked up at an auction. It’s built like a tank, but finding parts for it can be a nightmare. This is where CE Smith comes in. They specialize in a massive range of hub sizes and configurations, including many that are hard to find elsewhere.
CE Smith has a strong reputation in the marine industry, so their parts are designed to resist corrosion. Many of their kits come galvanized, which is a huge advantage for any equipment that lives outside. Their quality is consistently high, making them a trusted source for repairing older, non-standard equipment.
Before you give up and decide to weld a new axle under that old hay wagon, check the CE Smith catalog. More often than not, they’ll have the exact five-lug, seven-lug, or other unusual pattern you need to get that piece of family history rolling again.
Matching Hubs to Your Trailer’s Axle and Spindle
You can’t just buy a "hub for a small trailer." Ordering the wrong kit is a frustrating and common mistake. To get it right the first time, you need to match the hub to your specific axle spindle and wheel.
The best way to ensure a perfect fit is to take the old hub off and gather some key information. Don’t guess.
- Bearing Numbers: This is the most reliable method. The numbers are stamped right onto the side of the inner and outer bearings (e.g., L68149 for the outer, L44649 for the inner).
- Bolt Pattern: Count the number of studs (lugs) and measure the distance between them. For a 5-lug hub, measure from the center of one stud to the center of the stud across from it.
- Spindle and Seal Diameters: If you can’t read the bearing numbers, use a set of calipers to measure the diameter of the spindle where the inner bearing, outer bearing, and grease seal ride.
Taking 15 minutes to pull a wheel and get these numbers will save you hours of headache and a second trip to the auto parts store. Measure twice, order once, and get the job done right.
Your farm trailer works just as hard as you do, and its hubs are the foundation of that work. Choosing the right kit isn’t just about the initial cost; it’s about investing in reliability for the seasons to come. A solid, well-maintained hub means one less thing to worry about when you’ve got a field to plant or animals to feed.
