Bearing grease question

[mike64]

Getting my boat going again after it sat for two seasons. Got the motor running again, now I'm seeing to the trailer. I replaced the bearings and races about 5 seasons ago and added marine-style anti-corrosive grease. I looked at the grease and it's a little milky looking so some water got mixed in, but it still seems very "greasy", it doesn't seem to have broken down any. I looked at the outer bearing and race in one of the hubs and they appear brand-new. I bought some bearing buddy's to replace the cheap plastic hub caps that I think is the main reason water's getting in. So I'm looking for opinions on whether I should go ahead and repack the bearings or if I could get away with just installing the BBs and pumping in some fresh grease. I realize I'm looking for an excuse to cut corners, but I got a lot of things to do, my boat is relatively light (900-1000 lbs.) and I typically only go a few miles to one of several inland lakes in my area. I'm thinking I could get away with one more season and do a full repack next season. What do you guys think?

 

[Vegas Naturist]

I've been a mechanic for close to 40 years, so I get a little anal with preventive maintenance. IMHO take those bearing buddys and throw them away. I pull my bearings annually on the boat trailer and clean, inspect, and repack them. New seals as well. Thing is, pulling the cap and looking at the outer bearing does not always indicate the condition of the inner bearing. A little bit of moisture can cause the bearing cage to rust, and as that rust gets into the grease inside the bearing, it will destroy the rollers. An hour or so of work can save a lot of headache down the road.

 

[bassman284]

If it's looking milky it's time to repack. In any case, repack before installing the BBs. They will not cure the bad grease problem. And even if the bearings and races look OK, you will almost definitely need new grease seals. That's where the water is getting in.

 

[mike64]

Ok, will repack. Vegas Naturist, why do you say to throw the BBs away? Seems like I've seen posts on this forum debating pros and cons of them but I don't remember details.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Ok, will repack. Vegas Naturist, why do you say to throw the BBs away? Seems like I've seen posts on this forum debating pros and cons of them but I don't remember details.

You'll find 2 camps. those that like BBs and those that hate them(for the most part). I'm in the "like them" camp. Have them on all my trailers, boat or not. When properly used they work great. I think the main issue is, people over fill their hubs and blow out the seal.... Don't be that guy....

 

[Mel Taylor]

I do use bearing Buddys and have someone check and repack the bearings every couple of years but my Dad (of blessed memory) who simply checked and repacked the bearings every spring had about the same amount of trouble as I do (meaning virtually none). It's more a matter of personal choice IMO. The main thing is if you do use them, don't pump so much grease in that you blow the seals.

Here's something I posted on another thread concerning bearings. The OP in this case pulled his bearing Buddys and found a rainbow of different colored greases in the hub. If you want to read the whole thread you can find it at:
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gener...rings-question

"Last year when I bought my new-to-me trailer and boat the previous owner assured me that he had just had the wheel bearings "serviced". I was facing a one hundred twenty mile drive with tail lights that I wasn't sure would continue to function properly until I got it home and I wanted to be home before dark so off I went without pressing him on just exactly he meant by the term "serviced". I stopped several times to check the hubs for overheating (there was none) and made it home just fine. I rewired the trailer lights and based on that one trip, decided to delay repacking the bearings. I made at least three, one hundred and sixty mile, round trips to my favorite lake at interstate speeds before medical issues cancelled my fishing trips for the year.

This March I decided I better have the bearings checked so I hired my neighbor, an ex-mechanic, to take care of it. When he pulled the first bearing all looked well and I was just getting ready to head to the parts store for new seals when he got the second one out and stopped me. At some point the bearing on the left side had sat with enough water in it to rust (or should I say etch?) images of three of the rollers into the surface of the race. They were deep enough that you could feel them with your fingers! Yet when we first jacked up and spun the wheel prior to him repacking it there was absolutely no indication that anything was wrong. I shudder to think what would have eventually happened had I kept on using the trailer the way it was.

I know I did a dumb thing by not having the bearings packed properly when I first got it home and that's a trick I never intend to repeat.

The point in me recounting all this is that the grease that came out of my hubs looked amazingly like the pictures above (it came with Bearing Buddies) so I can only assume that servicing the bearings meant pumping more of whatever grease happened to be available into the hubs from time to time.

Makes me wonder how many other trailers are running down the road with similar situations."

 

[mike64]

Ok, repacked the bearings ( in between picking up a desk for my wife from a garage sale, taking delivery on 42 sheets of drywall and moving it up into an attic space we're finishing- wasn't' kidding when I said I had a lot to do today!) Thanks for convincing me of the right path! Now, time to do some bbqing and have a beer or three.

 

[Texasmark]

The purpose of the BB is to adjust to the difference in pressure of the hub between the hot, expanded greasy environment while running down the highway, to the instant cooling action when the hub hits the water. Rather than sucking in water when the innerds shrink, the spring loaded BB disc does the shrinking for you preserving the interior.

Having run without and when they became available, I used them and applauded them if setup properly. Course over pressuring can and will blow out the grease seal on the inside of the hub and all bets are off. New axles are available now that I know Ranger uses and others whereby the grease is routed through the axle and comes out from the inside to force water out. I have some of these on my current trailer and have had it since 2004 with no extra grease and no problems.

Before I go on a trip, over the years, I always jacked up the trailer and rotated the wheel, listening for any grinding noise. Additionally, at a rest stop, I would go back and put my finger on the hub feeling for any heat buildup. Never had a trailer tire or bearing problem in 50 years of boating.

Mark

 

[Starcraft5834]

Toss the bb's...repack. .. .bb's are not your friend.. my experience with bb's is as follows...they can cause rear seal blowouts if overfilled. . They can do more harm than good

 

[Mel Taylor]

.........they can cause rear seal blowouts if overfilled. ..........

That's the reason that those of us who like and use them warn people who ask about them to be careful to not overfill them. I've used them for thirty years and have yet to blow a seal.

 

[mike64]

About the BBs...instructions said to fill until the blue ring comes out about 1/8". I played it safe and kept it to 1/16"-3/32", round there. Checked the seals, no blowouts. Thanks for all the advice and great info!

 

[Mel Taylor]

Deleted - Duplicate post

 

[bigdee]

The purpose of the BB is to adjust to the difference in pressure of the hub between the hot, expanded greasy environment while running down the highway, to the instant cooling action when the hub hits the water. Rather than sucking in water when the innerds shrink, the spring loaded BB disc does the shrinking for you preserving the interior.

Having run without and when they became available, I used them and applauded them if setup properly. Course over pressuring can and will blow out the grease seal on the inside of the hub and all bets are off. New axles are available now that I know Ranger uses and others whereby the grease is routed through the axle and comes out from the inside to force water out. I have some of these on my current trailer and have had it since 2004 with no extra grease and no problems.

Before I go on a trip, over the years, I always jacked up the trailer and rotated the wheel, listening for any grinding noise. Additionally, at a rest stop, I would go back and put my finger on the hub feeling for any heat buildup. Never had a trailer tire or bearing problem in 50 years of boating.

Mark

^^^x2 Well said. The problem some people are having with BBs is they do not understand how they work....you just explained how they do. It is the zerk fittings on the BBs that falsely lead people to think that they have to KEEP pumping grease into them. If the seals are not leaking you do not need to keep adding grease. Visually check them (when hubs are warm) to see if plunger is out. BBs are only for boat trailers....they serve no purpose on hubs that never get submersed in water.

 

[Vegas Naturist]

Ok, will repack. Vegas Naturist, why do you say to throw the BBs away? Seems like I've seen posts on this forum debating pros and cons of them but I don't remember details.

This question has been answered in the other replys, but I'll chime in also. My reason for not recommending BB's is (again IMHO) it gives people a false sense of security concerning their bearings. This false sense leads to a lack of periodic maintenance and inspection, leading to bearing failure.

Short story: I used BB's when I first got my boat. Being mechanically inclined, I understand the concept, and the proper way to use them (ie not overfilling them and checking the seal area for signs of leakage). It had been quite a few years since I pulled the bearings, and I was preparing the boat for a trip to Lake Havasu. From Vegas to Havasu is about 150 miles, and I thought I'd better check, didn't want any surprises. BOTH inner bearings were rusted even though the hub seals looked clean, and the plunger was where it should have been. In short, I would not have made it to Havasu! I tossed the BB and went back to the "old school" way and haven't had an issue since.

Others swear by them. Okay... If you want to use them, at least periodically pull everything apart and clean, inspect, and repack. BB's are not a replacement for preventive maintenance.

John

 

[bruceb58]

duplicate post

 

[bruceb58]

Toss the bb's...repack. .. .bb's are not your friend.. my experience with bb's is as follows...they can cause rear seal blowouts if overfilled. . They can do more harm than good

yep, they cause rear seal blow outs if you don't know how to use them. Read the manual and you won't have that problem.

The person that has problems is the person who pumps grease into them every outing. Once the hub is full of grease, there should be no more need to put grease in there.

 

[Mel Taylor]

......................periodically pull everything apart and clean, inspect, and repack. BB's are not a replacement for preventive maintenance.

That's something we both agree on. There is no substitute for visual inspection of any bearings that are periodically submerged in water.

 

[JimS123]

I used to repack annually and every year I had a "trace" of water inside. Then I switched to BB's and installed and maintained them following the directions. (I know, what a concept, you have to read a pesky manual.)

Nine years later, after reading all the naysayers on the forum I repacked all 10 bearings on my 4 boat trailers and found everything to be in perfect order. Boy, was I mad I repacked - took many hours and naturally had 10 rear seals to replace as well.

I guess in 10 years I'll do it again just for the fun of it...

Bottom line - love those buddies...