Bearing Buddy.

[lmannyr]

I had the caps on the hubs and the seal surface rusted out within 8 months. Now, I'm planning to install bearing buddies with the hope the positive pressure theory will help keep the water out.

So...Wal-mart bearing buddies just as good as the REAL "Bearing Buddies"?

Quality the same?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: Bearing Buddy.

Best I remember they will throw grease so you need a pair of bonnets for them.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Bearing Buddy.

I bought a set at Walmart last year, stainless steel, Bearing Buddy brand and they've been fine, but I see now that they dropped all the normal name brands in favor of everything branded Attwood. They're no longer cheaper so I haven't bought much there since.

I did buy a set of Red Eye bearing caps which seem to work good, but their made of some sort of pot metal, so I doubt they'll last very long if I get near saltwater.

Being in a saltwater area, I do tend to paint the bearing buddy and hub once installed, it helps prevent that pitted, corroded look that's so common.
I mask off the face and paint the whole hub assembly real well, and grease the hub flange and studs. Otherwise none of it lasts more than a year in saltwater.