Trailer Bearings

[Organized Slime]

Time to do the ole trailer bearings & seals. I run bearing buddies, and have always used standard wheel bearing grease, should I be using the white litium stuff?

Thanks

Tim

[Shakemsam]

I was a Loadrite distributer for 10 years. Regular is fine if you do your bearings every year,

which means a complete disassemble, degrease, and regrease or replace.

Always advised against bearing buddies and recommended dust caps.

[Organized Slime]

I'm curious why you don't like buddies? I make 8-10 trips a season and my shortest drive is 4 hours, usually more like 6.5-7 from Columbus Ohio to Oak Orchard. I figured the buddies were good because I believe they give me a much larger grease capaicity? I haven't touched them since 2005 when I did all new everything. Sounds like I've been lucky?

Tim

[W.W.IV.]

My self I like the buddy's, I have not changer bearing in about 14 years. I like to use what is called a waterproof grease or one made for boat trailers and I also like to grease them before any trip over 10 miles like to Oneida or the finger Lakes. If theres water in them it will push it out. The trailer is over kill for a 16ft. boat . Now that I ran my mouth I better pull the wheels come spring.

[BullGator]

I have had dozens of trailers over the years and I have to say bearing buddies have worked out great. I have no interest in re-packing bearings on 6 or so trailers every year. My oldest is a 1989 Big Tex car trailer, and has traveled at least 100,000 miles. Original bearings, and bearing buddies installed around 1991. The main advantage in my opinion is that they apply a constant pressure of grease via an internal spring. This forces grease against bearing surfaces at all times. It also allows a quick visual inspection of the amount of grease in the reservoir by popping off the small rubber cap. Added bonus is larger capacity, which helps keep temperatures lower. I usually try to throw a shot in anytime a long trip is planned. I have always used the (kinda expensive) dark moly EP grease by Quaker State. Do not use white lithium grease on wheel bearings. Standard brown wheel bearing grease is fine as well.

[lineman49]

I have buddies on 3 trailers & never had a problem in 20 yrs. If any thing I probably over grease them every 4-5 times I pull the trailers. I also use the marine grade grease on all to do so. I beleive if you go to the bearing buddie web site it stases "it is better than pulling the bearings & repacking them every yr." or something to that effect. They work for me, jmo.

[goin deep]

The problem with bearing buddies is a lot of times people overgrease their bearings and blow out the seal on the back side of the hub. Did you ever see grease on the inside of your trailer fenders? If so, you probably over greased the bearing buddies. I do run bearing buddies but I only add grease to them during my initial installation.

Brian

[Gill-T]

I had a bearing go last fall on my boat trailer after one year post-new pack job. I had a bearing buddy on the hub. Not sure if I got a bad (chinese) bearing set? I usually repack every 2-3 years due low usage. I went to the bearing buddy system because they are more durable to tap back in place. They are also a lot harder to remove as I found out. After seeing the state of the grease after one year......I may have moved into the "repack every year" camp. I started using synthetic grease. I will post my findings. Half the trailer tires have dust caps, half bearing buddies so I should be able to see what is working better.

[spoonfed-1]

I run bearing buddys on two boat trailers.

Never had a problem and I have never removed and repacked the bearings.

Like mentioned, DON"T OVERFILL.

Once the washer looking thing stops moving out, don't pump anymore grease in

Probaly should do an inspection one of these years.

Glen

[Shakemsam]

The problem with bearing buddies is a lot of times people over grease their bearings and blow out the seal on the back side of the hub. Did you ever see grease on the inside of your trailer fenders? If so, you probably over greased the bearing buddies. I do run bearing buddies but I only add grease to them during my initial installation.

Brian

100% correct and even worse when that seal blows and grease fills into the brake hub covering the shoes.

You won't have to worry about the brakes slipping because they will heat and lock up, burning the bearings to the point they will weld them selves right to the spindle.

Additionally, after spending just a bit of time on the road, those bearings and hubs get hot and create a vacuum.

I doubt any of you guys allow those hubs to cool off before you back into the launch, sucking water into the hub through the seal and around the grease fitting. I know I don't!! So, if I drive more than 30 min to the launch, I dump a couple buckets of water over the hubs before I launch.

[BullGator]

Shakemsam, If your wheel hubs are even warm to the touch, either your bearings are bad or you have the nut too tight. There is virtually no heat build up on properly lubricated and tightened wheel bearings.

[jimski2]

My experience has been with brown grease, change it every year. With the blue, waterproof, high temperature disc brake grease, you are good to go for a long time.

[MCF]

When you looked at the inside rim and see it brown you learned way back when not to over do it with the grease gun. I have used both brown and blue grease, there is no need for lithium grease. I inspect bearings by spinning the tires a couple times a year-for the past couple years I have been launching forty or fifty times a year or more and have not had a problem. Being around boat trailers for nearly four decades I have only known of two failures in my immediate family and friends trailers, one with the bearing nut tightened too tight and one just a bearing failure. I have had more bearings fail on my current Trailblazer than on any trailer I have owned.

[Shakemsam]

Shakemsam, If your wheel hubs are even warm to the touch, either your bearings are bad or you have the nut too tight. There is virtually no heat build up on properly lubricated and tightened wheel bearings.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Perhaps not hot to the touch as you say, but enough of a rise in temperature, creating expansion of the grease and then a vacuum when it is rapidly cooled. Next season, take a look at the water near the hub area after you launch, and watch the bubbles.

[jimski2]

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/gwr.aspx

You could look at this stuff for a good idea on choosing the best long life grease.

[fish or swim]

Always use wheel bearing grease on wheel bearings. The name 'wheel bearing grease' will be written on the package and an explaination of why that is important.

The brakes create the heat, then it warms the entire hub. If the bearings are getting hot by themselves that means the bearings are bad. Do not ever run a trailer with bad bearings.

To answer the original question do not subsitute any other types of grease.