Bearing Buddy Opinions please

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

This will go against the grain. I swear by BB's. I have the original bearings in my '94 tandem axle trailer. I always check the hubs for heat especially if I travel a ways. They have always stayed cool. I put a couple of squirts in twice a year just enogh to get the piston moving slightly(if I travel alot, otherwise once in the spring). Never had any problems. Never pulled and repacked them..... I use BB's in all my trailers, boat or not. I have yet to have an issue with any of them...
Just keep track of your hubs. If they start generating excessive heat, pull them apart and check them out.....

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Sorry Guy's..
I NEVER seen any grease on the inside of my rims , I NEVER have my bearing buddy with anything more than half full ,[/IMG]

The instructions on the web site say to have the hub full. At some point in time if you put two squirts of grease in them, they will be more than half full and will eventually be full. Then you will get the grease coming out.

 

[tommays]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Buddy wont stop a poor real sealing surface which is pretty much the ONLY place water can and DOES get in

Even many new spindles have a marginal seal surface at best and even in freshwater its just plain steel

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Not recommended.

If you do this you will eventually blow grease out the rear seal. If you are not loosing grease somewhere where is all the grease magically going between boating trips?

Past the inboard lip seal and into the drums, if he has them. My first boat/trailer had BB's and the PO always told me to make sure they were full. I did this a few times, then wondered where it was going, since nothing was greasy outside or leaking.

Pulled the wheel and drum, and there it was: the entire inside area under the drum was PACKED SOLID with grease. Looked like someone made a grease pie in a round cake pan and pressed it into place. What a mess, both sides. Guess the brakes weren't working either.

 

[nymack66]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

You guys had me second guessing myself for a second so I went out in the dark and snap some photos of the inside, clean as whistle.. Please note as I mentioned before I DO NOT fill the bearing buddies up when I clean them, As show I have 4 wheel disc brakes no drum to hide the grease as mentioned plus the last thing I want is grease or oil on it. Point is bearing buddies works great. I just utilize it my way an thought I will share it, but hey in the end its whatever float ones boat

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Any chance of re-sizing some photos guys ????

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

In my opinion....

I think there better than nothing.. but not much.

Unless you have a hub system that actually pumps the grease through the hub or submerses them in oil nothing will take the place of good maintenance.

I prefer the systems that push grease through the hub, then you get to see what condition the old grease is in as it's forced out. These are not a replacement for good maintenance either but they can increase the rebuild interval. I have zero experience with the oil bath systems but the look decent.

 

[rentprop1]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Any chance of re-sizing some photos guys ????

I can't tell maybe he could make them a little bigger

 

[Dick Sorensen]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

Thanks to all. I've learned alot from your comments. I just finished installing the new bearing assemblies...with a slightly 'tighter' grease seal (for my 1984 shorelander trailer)...I dropped it off at the local trailer shop and instructed them to install new spindles with built in grease 'zurg' (sp) fittings....I was remiss in 'assuming' that the bearing buddies took all the worry out of bearing maintenance.....now, after cleaning grease out from under my findernails at 11:30 pm, I know better. Thanks again for all your knowledge sharing and advice. Once again the lesson here is "Like life I'm the one responsible for my success" and having a successful boating experience.

 

[stylesabu]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

that zurg fitting is actually "zerk"

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

One take-away point--there is no such thing as "waterproof." In salt water, we keep the bearings (axle) out of the water, and use rollers and power winches (unless you have a teenage boy handy) and trailers last a long time. The dunkers don't.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Bearing Buddy Opinions please

I'm a dunker.... My aluminum trailer is a 1995 (that's 14 years old) and is all original. The tandem galvanized torsion axles have a little surface rust but the trailer overall is sound as the day it was purchased.