Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

[tallcanadian]

Has anyone used or have seen these trailer hubs? They look really cool and use 90 weight oil instead of grease. The price of these is awesome too. I'm going to be replacing my 4 bolt hubs to 5 and came across these beauties. I am intrigued.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

Has anyone used or have seen these trailer hubs? They look really cool and use 90 weight oil instead of grease. The price of these is awesome too. I'm going to be replacing my 4 bolt hubs to 5 and came across these beauties. I am intrigued.



View attachment 171558

Turbo Lube Hubs::
Had those on my last trailer. They are nice. The only drawback is the plastic cover gets hazy due to the sun. You can buy replacement
covers. The over the road trucks use something similar (no see through cover) on the front axle's and some trailers use them. There should be a screw on the hub where you fill and drain it if you have the need to without taking the cover off. Once you take the cover off you have to replace the o-ring

 

[Water logged]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

I have oil filled hubs on my motorhome with see thru cover. Works very well.

Glenn

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

A lot of people use them with very good results, the only real draw back from what I hear is if you lose a seal while towing the bearings fry real quick.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

A lot of people use them with very good results, the only real draw back from what I hear is if you lose a eal while towing the bearings fry real quick.[/QUOTE

Good point. I would imagine older axles would pose this threat.

 

[rbh]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

We have those hubs on most of the front axles of our trucks and on the trailer axles.

Just watch for the center plugs leaking, what a mess!!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

If you run the wilderness/logging roads, be careful.
If you smack it on a log or rock, its a goner, oil leaks out, bearing fries.

Even in a crowded launch parking lot, it someone backs into it or clips it, you are in trouble.

Carry an extra cover, o-ring, and oil with you.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

If you run the wilderness/logging roads, be careful.
If you smack it on a log or rock, its a goner, oil leaks out, bearing fries.

Even in a crowded launch parking lot, it someone backs into it or clips it, you are in trouble.

Carry an extra cover, o-ring, and oil with you.

Boat trailer. Wilderness/Logging road???

 

[jsimms724]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

I wonder how tough the clear cap is ?

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

I wonder how tough the clear cap is ?

They are a real cool looking hub, but I can see more cons than pros. A leaking seal can be disastrous. I'm always looking for something 'different' but I would have to think real hard on these puppies.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

can't confirm, but I have heard some manufacturers recommend against using them for boat use. you have air space in there, which means it isn't sealed and needs to breathe. Submerge a hot bearing, and you end up filling it with cold water. The idea behind bearing buddies is that you don't have to have a breather of any sort, the spring takes care of thermal expansion.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

I'd stick with easy lube hubs or a reasonable derivative. You could drive from the east to west coast without a hub cover and be fine. Grease stays put - oil - not so much....

 

[Snowfish]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

Boat trailer. Wilderness/Logging road???

Some places, that we fish, requires two four wheel drive vehicles. One to get you there. The other to help When you have trouble. I prefer grease hubs for that kind of action.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

Another issue (Urban legend?) is that they do not like to be stored.
When they are not rolling all the oil is at the bottom.
After many months the top half of the bearings could have problems.

A good product for a continuous use highway vehicle.
Questionable if installed on a seasonal use vehicle

 

[roscoe]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

Boat trailer. Wilderness/Logging road???

Yes.
We visit Canada every year and run about 300 miles on the logging roads to access remote lakes.

Also, there are no launch ramps, only beaches or shorelines which often have rocks and boulders.

 

[leesumm]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

An ex truck driver here of about 40 years. Those bearings are a take off of what the OTR trucks use and the trailers. Like some posted , the clear plastic after time get cloudy and turn a milky white making it hard to see the oil. Most OTR trailers use that set up but those have the plastic flush with the metal rim and a rubber plug in the middle to add oil or inspect level. After a while they get brittle and crack when pulling the plug and putting it back. Some commented on the seals also, when they do go bad and leak, oil goes every where and the bearing doesn't take long to go out if it don't get proper a PM. Some replies suggested bearing buddies. Thats what I use and they work, not expensive but good for the money. I wouldn't use an oil filled bearing when its subject to submersion in water, just not good, and for most that aren't used to giving the walk around check before a trip it would be missed if the oil resevor was low or empty.

 

[Snowfish]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

RangerTrail has used oil bath hubs for quite some time. Seems to be working just fine. However Triton used oil bath hubs, for a while, too. Most either leaked through the rear seal and front cap. The all plastic cap would crack & leak, all by itself, during winter storage in colder climates.

Warranty claim solutions started with sending dealers new caps & "upgraded" seals. Ultimately, new grease hub & bearing sets, were sent to dealers/customers as the warranty fix. Heavier aluminum caps, with a smaller site glass, was also available for those that couldn't live without the oil bath. But if it leaked again, the ball was now in your court.

 

[saumon]

Re: Anyone use these or have seen these trailer hubs?

The best system I've seen so far is the EZ-Lube, in which the grease is pushed through the spindle via a zerk and exit in front of the rear seal. That way, the old grease is pushed out when you pump new one in.