bearing buddy keeps popping off

[ricohman]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

I've used bearing buddies, but with my new oil filled hubs I won't be anymore.
As a mechanic the design makes no sense to me.
If the hub is contaminated, pumping grease in isn't going to fix the problem.
If the grease needs to be renewed, pumping in grease isn't going to remove the old grease.
If the hub needs new grease or the grease has flung out through a missing seal, its time to service the hubs and inspect the bearings.
I think all these are good for is pushing the inner seal out when the hub is finally to full.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

oil filled hubs

There is a kit where they offer seals, and a tube of oil. It is supposed to be the "way to go" no worry hub re-do kit.

I still think the old lube and cap will work for my short-distance jaunts.

 

[PKomrowski]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Please bear in mind that with normal trailers (non boat) the lube and dust seal will go 20,000 miles easy with no problems, so long as water dose not migrate into the oil. What happens to them is water gets in the back seal, as they are getting very cheep and thin (old ones were much thicker and stronger IMO). Then the water doesn't hurt anything in itself but it causes the steel to rust, or it pits the bearings, or race surface. Then the rust starts to grind and the pits start to wear, but this dose take some time.

My point is this, if you don't get water in your hub it can last years and years, the game is keeping the water out.

The best question would be who sells a real high quality inner seal! Thats what I would like to find!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Once I got rid of my offending hubs, my bearing buddies stay on great.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

The best question would be who sells a real high quality inner seal! Thats what I would like to find!

I'm not sure who sells them, but find some double lip seals, one to keep the grease in and one to keep the water out. Both of the seal lips will have garter spring on them.

 

[PKomrowski]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Yes some one some where makes a squarish looking "ring seal" that has one lip in and one lip out, but I have no idia who has them now.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

I'm not sure who sells them, but find some double lip seals, one to keep the grease in and one to keep the water out. Both of the seal lips will have garter spring on them.

The only seals I ever use are double lip seals!

 

[fishrdan]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

The only seals I ever use are double lip seals!

Yes, same here.

But, single lip seals are a lot more common and I've seen (bought) "marine" trailer axle bearing kits that come with single lip seals. It was a head-scratcher as to why they would put a single lip seal in a marine trailer axle bearing kit....

 

[scooper77515]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Any suggestions on where I can find the better seals.

As I tore into the hubs, both had leaked water in from the inner seal. The one with the bearing buddy still on was actually WAY worse than the one I had launched the boat 4 times without a cover at all. The open hub had just a little gray grease on the inside near the seal. The one with the buddy still on was completely watered down.

Seals are new, but only single lip. I was wondering about those when I looked at them. Much cheaper looking than most I have used in the past.

These are just rubber, no spring. Very cheap, and doing a crappy job at keeping the hub dry.

 

[ricohman]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

I've never used a inner seal that did not have a garter spring. Are you sure it hasn't fallen off?
Put a dab of grease on the spring to prevent that when you hammer a new one in.

 

[lncoop]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

The best question would be who sells a real high quality inner seal! Thats what I would like to find!

Pretty much any trailer parts store. I'm fortunate enough to have a really good local shop, but etrailer et al should have them in abundance.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Even Champion Trailer carries double lip seals. Not sure of their quality but you should be able to find these easily.
http://www.championtrailers.com/bearings_races_seals.html

 

[lncoop]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Also, it's painting with a pretty broad brush to say Bearing Buddies are a terrible invention. Frankly I've never had them on a boat trailer, but I have used them on lots of utility trailers, including the one I have now, and have never had an issue that wasn't the result of user (current or previous) error. That said, I have the EZ Lube set up on the party barge trailer and it's the cats.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

I have had bearing buddies on every boat trailer I have ever owned and only had the problem of the bearing buddies falling off once and that was solved by new hubs. I have never had an issue with water in the grease either but then again I use good double lip seals and the surface on the axle that they ride on is in perfect condition.

 

[lncoop]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Yeah, I think spindle condition is often the cause of weeping inner seals.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Any suggestions on where I can find the better seals.

As ln said any, "good" trailer parts store should have them. I was SOL when I went looking last time though. The 3rd trailer shop actually had them in stock, but I paid like $10/seal...

I bought a whole bag of them from trailerpart.com for my old boat trailer for something like $2 each, but no longer have the trailer and stuck with an almost full bag of useless seals.

BTW, I stand corrected, there is not a garter spring on the outer lip seal, only a garter spring on the inner lip seal

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Yeah, I think spindle condition is often the cause of weeping inner seals.

That and someone being overzealous with a grease gun and blowing out the inner seal. When you hear of people giving their buddy bearings a pump of grease every time they go out, these are the same people that are blowing out their seals which will not only blow out the grease but will also then allow water to get in.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Well, after redoing the bearings, and putting on the caps, one of the caps popped off less than a mile from my house.

Today, I bought all new hubs, bearings, the whole shebang.

 

[ricohman]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

That and someone being overzealous with a grease gun and blowing out the inner seal. When you hear of people giving their buddy bearings a pump of grease every time they go out, these are the same people that are blowing out their seals which will not only blow out the grease but will also then allow water to get in.

Why pump new grease in?
And if you need new grease you probably need a repack anyway. Bearing buddies do nothing but give a false sense of maintaining bearings when all you are doing is mixing grease. And if you've done a proper job there isn't a lot of space for all the grease regardless.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy keeps popping off

Why pump new grease in?

I never said you should. Read what I wrote again.

Once the hub is full of grease there should never be a need to add more grease as the bearing buddy's purpose in life is just to have some postive pressure inside the hub.