Vote in my poll....just finished bearings...

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Vote in my poll....just finished bearings...

I'm a firm believer in buddies. I have them on both of my boat trailers. One, is a tandem axle trailer with a 4000#+ boat on it. I haven't looked at the bearings or replaced the seals since they were new in 1994. I just keep grabbing the hubs to make sure I don't generate excessive heat. The reason seals blow with buddies is because people pump too much grease in them. They think a little grease is good and a lot is better. Wrong! I put just enough in as to move the outer plate that the grease fitting is on. Usually only takes a couple of pumps with the grease gun. My dad has buddies too and has never replaced seals or bearings either. His trailer is a 1988. How often you grease them depends on often or how far down the road you go...

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Vote in my poll....just finished bearings...

I happen to really like the spindle lube axles they build for you to your specs...no issues with bearing buddies or blown seals...it uses the Tie Down super lube system where you have a dust cap with a rubber cap in the middle of it...pull that out...there's a grease fitting in the spindle of axle...jack up the wheel on that side...rotate the wheel.....pump grease in and it goes through the spindle...into the inner bearing...hub...then out the outer bearing because it's not under pressure..just flows out the hole in dust cap...you will see the old grease come out and get replaced by the new...can check for water intrusion...then replace the rubber cap and it's done...Any trailer I get in the future I want this on my trailer...

When I built my 4'X8' flat bed trailer I drilled the hub for a grease fitting ported behind the seal to accomplish the same effect, its easy to do and works like a charm.

 

[TojosMojo]

Re: Vote in my poll....just finished bearings...

Both me and my fishing partner have owned 10 boats between us both and all but his first boat had bearing buddies. That was the last one he owned without them because of blown seals and bearing failure, all our boat trailers have gone for years without a hitch with them and my last trailer's seals and bearings lasted 6 years before I decided to go ahead and change the seals and bearings anyway even though they had no sign of wear and tear.