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 |
