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Posts: 255
| OK, I may have been flirting with disaster for the past 4 years or so. Am I wrong by only greasing my bearing buddies on the outer fitting is not enough? I am being told by a friend that I also need to repack them as well once a year? I always swore I would never be that guy on the side of the road but I could have been if this is correct. Looking for clarification. Thanks in advance. Tom |
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Posts: 517
Location: Ludington, MI | I've always been told by my brother-in-law who runs an auto shop that if the grease coming out the edge of your bearing buddies is gray or milky or rust-colored, you've got a problem. Otherwise, just keep hitting the buddies. |
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Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
No matter how much you grease your bearings, water will get in due to the difference in pressure from when your trailer is above water as compared to below. And...due to the cooling affect that water has on warm hubs, water can potentially get pulled into the hub as well. Bearing buddies give you a convenient way to add grease, but adding grease alone to fill the hub is a great way to save time and ensure your bearings have grease, but they do not prevent water intrusion...they curtail it.
The main issue with water intrusion is corrosion and potential freezing of the hub if enough gets in. Both are bad and both can lead to those stops on the road and wish you repacked your bearings. Or...if the bearing goes bad, you could end up creating a wear spot on an axle, thus when you finally find the problem, the axle needs to be replaced along with the bearing, potentially the hub, etc.
I do mine every fall and usually find a bead or two of water in each hub so for me, I will never risk it. I never want to be caught on the side of the road with bearing or hub troubles. I'd rather be fishing.
The $10 for new seals each fall and an hour or so of your time, your bearings are inspected, cleaned, repacked and ready for next season with very little chance of ending up on the side of the road with much bigger problems. Lock up a hub, and you'll be down a while with the potential of needing to replace an axle.
Steve |
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Posts: 1
| Tom,
Everything the last post says about water intrusion is true. It is difficult to keep water out unless the system is a closed system, like the oil bath systems, there are several on the market, Look into the Liqua-Lube system.
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Posts: 1023
| It's a really easy but newsy job.
If I can do it anyone can. I am not handy at all |
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Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
The lubricant-bath design like Liqualube is also not 100% sealed, but the lubricant used in the system is designed to absorb a certain amount of water and still protect the bearings. These are nice in that you can easily check the level of lubricant through the cap, and changing the lubricant is a matter of draining and refilling, which will also pull out any water that was absorbed into the system.
These systems still need attention at times as well, as when the hub is on you should have no free-play between hub and spindle. So...if you have a touch of freeplay, you must readjust at times which gives you a chance to inspect your bearings as well.
Steve |
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Posts: 208
Location: Sun Prairie, WI | This is what ive heard and what I do. I was told to not fill the bearing buddies all the way up. This leaves room for the grease to expand when hot and also it allows the grease to contract when backed into the water. Since the bearing buddies are spring loaded when it cools the spring simply moves with the cooling grease not allowing water to get sucked in. Ive done this for the past 6 years on my boat and never a problem. Ive just knocked the bearing buddies off every year just to adjust the bearing preload. Never repacked them. My $.02
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Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
How does that back bearing look? Is there water back around the inside bearing? How do you know? A bad seal does not always mean you will be throwing grease all over the hub...
Steve |
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Posts: 255
| Thanks guys. I appreciate all the feedback. I will error on the side of caution and repack them as it can't hurt. Thanks again |
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Posts: 56
| I work at a camper dealership, our recomondation on trailers is every two years or 4000 miles. Not sure if its the same for boat trailers??
Edited by TTails 8/26/2013 2:26 PM
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Posts: 1168
| TTails - 8/26/2013 2:08 PM
I work at a camoer dealership, our recomondation on trailers is every two years or 4000 miles.
How many of those campers get backed into the lake? The water is the problem. Different from rain water on the road...
Especially if a hub is already hot from lack of lube, then it is quenched as you back the trailer in, thus drawing water in and trapping it inside the bearing. And then the condition of your seals.
Like said, once a year is good PM. Don't be that guy (on side of road)!
Edited by MartinTD 8/26/2013 2:35 PM
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | Be sure to replace the seals with the proper double or triple lipped seals. I see allot of people that go to an auto part store and get a single lipped seal that is the correct size and use that. A double lip seal not only helps keep the grease in, but helps keep water out. |
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Posts: 5874
| ditto on the seals.
When I had bearing buddies, I checked my bearings mid-season, and repacked with new seals every at season end before I put the boat up for the winter.
Last bearing failure I had was in 1983 with a shared boat. Yup, it had bearing buddies, and the other party swore he just "greased" them up before I let on a trip to Eastern Ontario. We made it to Marinette from Milwaukee before the chirping was determined not to be birds. Both sides almost welded the races to the axles. 4 hours later, we were on our way. I learned my lesson about Bearing "Buddies" then. |
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Posts: 994
Location: Minnesota: where it's tough to be a sportsfan! | Getting bearings repacked or doing it yourself is all part of owning a boat. If you want to do it every year...every two...or in my case every 3-5 years. I know guys that buy new tires every 5-6 years regardless of condition. I am one that "used " to do my bearings every year. I would inspect them and the whole thing. What I saw was no wear, very little water, for years. I do keep the buddies at 3/4 with W.P. grease. |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | Does anyone know of a good youtube video showing how to repack your bearings? I'm a fairly new boat owner and I've never done it before. |
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Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Where you at in MN? If you are in the twin cities area, I'd take you through it hands on.
Steve |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | VMS - 8/28/2013 8:59 PM
Where you at in MN? If you are in the twin cities area, I'd take you through it hands on.
Steve
PM sent. |
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Repacking Trailer Bearings