Do Bearing Buddies work?

[oceansbreeze]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Bearing Buddies are Only for helping to keep the water out, when dunked for launch, or retrieve...
You guys using them as a grease maintance item are just plain ole Wrong...

but Bondo, isn't any grease, betetr than NO grease at all? (Sorry, I had to say that after I saw your tagline under the post... lol)

I have one bearing buddy on my trailer (and no idea where my other one is) heck, I didn't even know I had the one bearing buddy.... when I asked my trailer guy to "repack the hubs.. and cap them" he said "well you've got a bearign buddy here..." he did remove it, clean it all out, and repack it with FRESH grease....

He did not recommend BB's.... "you put new grease on top of old grease.... you're always better to just maintain your hubs regularly"

I think BB's have a purpose... and I kind of wish I had another BB on the other side of my hub... for the purpose as stated way above... the sudden cool down when dunked in the lake, expansion/contraction, and all that jazz... is what they are meant for I think

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Well, Bondo---- aftermarket non-branded bearing protectors have a bleed hole in them and it is not possible to overfill them. Additionally, there is still spring and piston travel when the protector is filled to the bleed point with grease. Thus the expanding grease pushes the piston out a bit rather than "blowing" the seal as it heats. I don't remember if my branded buddies have the bleed hole but I THINK they do. Most of mine are Wal Mart at less than 1/2 the price.

Normal rotation of the seal during trailering will bleed out any entrained air eventually and the only thing inside the hub will be bearings and grease.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

This one is kind of like the transom saver disagreement. In the end, it will all boil down to those that like them and those that don't.

I like them and I'm keepin' mine!



???

 

[j_martin]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

If your seals are good, the BBs will work.

If the seals are bad, they won't work, and they'll make a mess.

If you don't inspect them and add lube if needed, they won't work.

If you overgrease them, they'll make a mess, but they'll work.

If you don't follow instructions (inspection and top off) they won't work.

If some ace (usually spelled with a double s) steals one, it won't work, but if you've been faithful, there'll probably be plenty of grease in the hub to get you home, even if it's a coupla hundred miles. (been there, done that)

just my 02
John

 

[Bondo]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

but Bondo, isn't any grease, betetr than NO grease at all?

Ayuh,... Absolutely,... But,... Too Much is nearly as bad as None at All...

You guys can do as you please,...
I'm Not going to use BBs as a way to grease the bearings, as that's Not what they're made for...
Nothing short of an oil hub will replace Packing a bearing, either by hand, or with a tool...
If you guys want to FILL the hub with grease, Go ahead,+ Waste it all ya want...
Simple physics says there Has to be an Air pocket, or the BBs are Defeated before you start....

I've had my say,+ won't argue about it,.... To each his own....

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Taken directly from the Bearing Buddy site ...


"With Bearing Buddy? installed, how often do I need to repack my bearings? Some customers have reported that their Bearing Buddy? units were removed for the first time after 10 to 15 years of use, and the bearings still looked like new."
???

I'm one of those customers. I swear by them. I've "never" had bearing problems(just jinxed myself). I use BB's on my boat trailers and heavy/light equipment trailers.

 

[dan t.]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I think Bondo explained it about as clearly as it can be explained,I like them and use them

 

[Triton II]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I fried my brakes several times on my previous trailer (long, boring story) to the extent that one of the wheel's studs snapped after about five years of continuous use. However when I cleaned the hub up to restud it, the bearing was in perfect condition thanks to the BB. I'm a fan!

 

[Genonbamagirl]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

They work great. I'm a big fan. If you drill and tap a small hole in the rear of the hub and put a brake drum release valve in there - you can pretty much do away with ever touching bearing grease. Open the burp valve, shoot the grease to it until the old grease is gone out the back (you should do this on a property owned by someone you don't particularly like) and the new grease shows up.

Repack about once a lifetime or so and all is good. If you dunk the rig in salt water, repack about every five years.

 

[mike343]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

30 years of towing with BB's. No bearing failures, but all fresh water.

 

[pecheux]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I installed BB after it was recommended to me by Iboaters. There is a spring action pressure holder that rises as grease fills in. Up to last summer my trips were only as far as several blocks away with several 30 klicks (approx 20 miles) trips so the BB only needed occasional refill. Last summer I went further ... approx 100 klicks (60 miles) many times so I loaded grease to max indicator capacity each time. Result some grease had came out from the overloading of the BB and ended up with grease streaks on the outside of the wheels. I could tell from the inside that those inner bearing were getting greased.

Question is should I wait until the blue plastic indicator shows empty prior to adding grease ?

TX

PS: I like em ... LOL

 

[SS Flasher]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I am a newbie when it comes to boat ownership - while at a reputable marine dealer, the parts man (who has worked there for 20yrs) explained to me that Bearing Buddies were a gimmick and do not help.

His reasoning is that if water were to ever get into the hub, the Bearing Buddies would just compress and keep the water in there by "sealing" it in with more grease....thus creating an environment for the bearings that consists of water and grease....and actually ruining the bearings faster.

His recommendation was to use the traditional covers.

Thoughts?

They don't do that much, they do pressurize the hub to help keep water out. But many people try to use them to grease the bearings and this doesn't work. The rear lip seal does wear out and that releases the pressure. If you check your bearings once a year you will have to remove the rear seal and replace it. New grease with a new seal once a year is all that is needed. Grease can accommodate some water and still be effective. Save you money, you don't need BB's

 

[Big Fish Billy]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I like them !!!

Me too...I've always used them and never have had to replace bearings on either my boat or snowmobile trailer. Everytime I use the trailors, I give a couple squirts of grease. At the end of the season, I check the load on the bearings, adjust if necessary, and pump it up! I love them. Never found any water in my hubs!

Billy

 

[SS Flasher]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Ayuh,... Absolutely,... But,... Too Much is nearly as bad as None at All...

You guys can do as you please,...
I'm Not going to use BBs as a way to grease the bearings, as that's Not what they're made for...
Nothing short of an oil hub will replace Packing a bearing, either by hand, or with a tool...
If you guys want to FILL the hub with grease, Go ahead,+ Waste it all ya want...
Simple physics says there Has to be an Air pocket, or the BBs are Defeated before you start....

I've had my say,+ won't argue about it,.... To each his own....

Absolutely right, I have been an industrial mechanic for a too long and I can tell you, ?too much grease is as almost as bad as no grease? that is taught in mechanics 101. Just try filling a bearing housing 100% with grease with no vent and only a lip seal. Your bearing will get very hot until the pressure finds some way to get out. Over heating the grease will damage the properties of the grease and also destroy the bearing and seals. People that rely on bearing buddies to grease the bearing are filling the hub to 100% and allowing the pressure to release through the rear seal, this works fairly well as long as the seals are shot. Even if you install a release plug to remove any water or old grease, the housing will be 100% full when you close the plug and the grease will have to go somewhere as it get hotter. If there is no grease coming out the rear seal then the grease will be filling inner cavity between the two bearings and no grease will be getting to the rear one. As you start to rotate the bearing the fluid friction in the grease will start to warm up and pressurize the hub. You will burn out your bearing if the seal doesn?t leak or blow out or the bearing buddy doesn?t pop off because of the pressure.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

A couple of added notes on the subject.

Bearings MUST have proper 'play' to allow for the expansion running at temperature. Too tight, they die. Too 'loose, they die.

Bearings also die from abuse due to vibration/imbalance, not just because of water intrusion, water just speeds up their death.

Balancing tires makes a substantial difference in tire and bearing life.

The couple of guys with only 'one' BB may NOT have had balanced tires.

 

[whofan]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Absolutely right, I have been an industrial mechanic for a too long and I can tell you, ?too much grease is as almost as bad as no grease? that is taught in mechanics 101. Just try filling a bearing housing 100% with grease with no vent and only a lip seal. Your bearing will get very hot until the pressure finds some way to get out. Over heating the grease will damage the properties of the grease and also destroy the bearing and seals. People that rely on bearing buddies to grease the bearing are filling the hub to 100% and allowing the pressure to release through the rear seal, this works fairly well as long as the seals are shot. Even if you install a release plug to remove any water or old grease, the housing will be 100% full when you close the plug and the grease will have to go somewhere as it get hotter. If there is no grease coming out the rear seal then the grease will be filling inner cavity between the two bearings and no grease will be getting to the rear one. As you start to rotate the bearing the fluid friction in the grease will start to warm up and pressurize the hub. You will burn out your bearing if the seal doesn?t leak or blow out or the bearing buddy doesn?t pop off because of the pressure.

Bearing buddies have a spring allowing expansion.

I have bearing buddies. My trailer is 10 years old.

I took my hubs off to repack my bearings and did them anyway although they really didn`t need it.

I now trust bearing buddies and wont have to back my bearings again.

Yes water does get into the hubs with bearing buddies. Not deep into the hub, just enough to turn the first bit of inner grease milky. You have to grease them frequently to push the water out. I grease mine untill they expand almost all the way out. they work themselves back in after awhile under the spring tension. Grease will push out the front of them if over greased.

Yes they do work! You have to keep them greased frequently for them to work.

Yes they are vented through the front outer edges of the sliding inner piece. The grease its self under the spring tension makes the seal. Pressure will allow this seal to be broken. Thats why bearing buddies are not water tight. Its the grease that keeps the water out. So there for the frequent greasing.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

not pointing fingers but some folks are missing the point here..... with the bb's in place you absolutely do not need air in the bearing..... the bb has a piston in it with 3 psi spring pressure on it.... as the bearing heats up and the grease expands it pushes the piston out (the reason you should not overfill) when the hot bearing hits cold water things contract.... without the bb's you COULD have water pulled in past the seals. with the bb's as the grease conttracts the spring pressure pushes the piston in (the reason you must add enough grease to push the piston out) and maintains the positive perssure.... the bb's whol purpose is to allow a pressurized accumulator and prevent negative or excessive positive pressure..... air is not needed but room for expansion is.... a modern grease when protected from contaminants should last many years.... I've seen well over 100,000 miles on sealed automotive wheel bearings.... That's ALOT of trips to the lake

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

EITHER, an air cavity within the hub OR a spring loaded diaphragm on a solid packed hub are necessary to allow for the thermal expansion of the grease and/or air once operating for any real length of time.

A fully packed hub without a BB will cause pressure to rise and either blow or push out the seal,

IF

the bearing is run long/fast enough, i.e., more than just a few miles to the local ramp.

Semi-trucks and trailers once used packed bearings and it was proven LONG ago that fully packed hubs DID NOT last, the seals failed, the bearings died from either contamination or lack of lube. Eventually the oiled hubs came about replacing grease with an easy to see and fill oil reservoir.

The auto manufacturers are too cheap to spend the money to improve their product as it would NOT be cost effective, and beside, it AIN'T BROKE, most front wheel bearing outlast the rest of the vehicle.

Marine trailers are unique as the are one of the few amphibious vehicles, all which require regular maintenence to prevent bearing failure.

BB are a method of extending maintenence intervals,

BUT.............

NOTHING will completely eliminate maintenence.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

yep you are right on the money..... it was those that said otherwise that caught my eye

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

huh. I guess I learned stuff all wrong.

When I was a "mechanic" at Mount Mansfield, the Bombardier rep told us the bearing hub greasers were designed to bleed out grease.

These Bombardiers groomers are expensive, hydrostatic, 600HP diesel-engined trail groomers that run on tracks which travel on solid rubber tires, and the bearings take a huge load beating every night.

We were instructed to install the lip of the grease seal to point towards the inner side of the hub so that the daily grease-gun routine would always be squirting out old grease- the lip would not pressurize the hub. Described to us as "the same way that bearing buddies work".

Anyway, I like bearing buddies. And I like fresh grease.