bearing buddy covers pop off

[fischer]

My bearing buddy covers on my brake axle pop off everytime I drive more than a 1/2 hour at higher speeds( 55-65mph) . I also noticed that my bearing buddies on my axle with brakes( surge on a dual axle shorelander) get very hot and the grease I put in oozes out when I slow down or come to a complete stop so I have to put more grease in for the next trip. Is this normal or is there something wrong with my bearings, or brakes, or actuator?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

Those covers come in about 3 different sizes. But more important you need to find out why the hubs are getting very hot. You need to inspect the bearings for damage, replace as needed, then be sure to adjust them properly.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

What I like to do is after you put the caps on, push in the center of the cap to push out air from behind the cap that is created. The center of the cap will usually stay pushed in. Haven't lost a cap yet.
Like was said, you need to fix your overheating problem ASAP. I wouldn't use it until it's fixed. You don't want to be stranded on the road somewhere. Pull the hubs apart and see what's causing the problem...

 

[shorts&chanclas]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

before taking the whole thing apart check to be sure your brakes are adjusted properly. Maybe they are dragging. There are some good posts on how to adjust trailer brakes in here.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

You may have too much grease in there. You only put enough in so that the pistin barely moves. Sounds like yours are overfilled. Once the piston reached the outside of the bearing buddy the excess grease is released.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

You may have too much grease in there. You only put enough in so that the pistin barely moves. Sounds like yours are overfilled. Once the piston reached the outside of the bearing buddy the excess grease is released.

What I was going to say^^^^...

Yep, you might be dragging brakes, but in my expereince, brake drag also causes the brakes to lock up the wheel when applied. Look for flat spots on the tires to see if they have been locking up. You might have to adjust the brakes. Are they drum or rotor???

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

Mine used to pop off. Were also hard to get back on right. They were old and stiff. The new ones do not pop off. Cost was less than $5 (US) for a set.

TerryMSU

 

[arks]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

I kept losing the BB on one side of my jonboat trailer. I ended up peining around the inside of the hub. Problem solved

 

[fischer]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

Thanks for all the advise/tips. I have disc brakes and according to the shorelander manual it says they are self adjusting and I had a buddy check them( brake pads) out and he says they're fine. Now I have it down to the bearings, the actuator, or the amount of grease I put in. Are the bearing buddies and wheels with the brakes suppose to get to the point where they are almost too hot to touch after a drive? If so , maybe there is too much grease. If not then I'll have to take it apart and look at the bearings. Aren't bearings suppose to last the life time of the trailer?

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

spray the bras with hair spray before putting on and they wont come off, acts as adhesive.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: bearing buddy covers pop off

Thanks for all the advise/tips. I have disc brakes and according to the shorelander manual it says they are self adjusting and I had a buddy check them( brake pads) out and he says they're fine. Now I have it down to the bearings, the actuator, or the amount of grease I put in. Are the bearing buddies and wheels with the brakes suppose to get to the point where they are almost too hot to touch after a drive? If so , maybe there is too much grease. If not then I'll have to take it apart and look at the bearings. Aren't bearings suppose to last the life time of the trailer?

The hubs should never be hot to the touch. That's the first indication somethings wrong. A little warm, yes. If you have grease coming out of the seal/buddy you have too much in the hub. When you were adding more, you were only compounding the problem. If it were me, I would pull the hub clean and inspect the bearings. If you haven't replaced them in awhile, do so now since the hub is apart. Bearings/races and seals are cheap compared to being stranded on the highway. They can get pitted and corroded. They are not necessarily meant to last a lifetime. I've have, however, seen them go 20+ years with proper care. Pack the bearings properly either by hand or I know they make a tool to pack them too(or at least they used to). Put a little xtra in the hub and adjust the nut so you have a "little" rim/tire movement(side to side, not rotation). Rotation, should spin freely.