Bearing buddies....hard to install???

[crazy charlie]

Had a new axle and hubs put on my trailer last year by local reputable trailer shop.I didnt realize until recently that there were no bearing buddies on the new axle , only dust caps.Trailer shop handed me new pack of bearing buddies when I went back and mentioned it.Problem is I cant seem to get either one to stay on.Dust cap comes off and goes back on pretty easily with a little finesse.As the bearing buddies attempt to go on they tend to angle a bit instead of going straight on like to dust caps did.Are the buddies a lot tougher to go on???? Should I continue to finesse the buddies??Was considering running the buddies around grinding wheel a little and try again..Any experienced thoughts??

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Finesse is the key Charlie,.....

 

[dingbat]

Bearing buddies come off easy enough on their own without modification......lol

Need a piece of 2x4, some finesse and a BFH

 

[ahicks]

They do require some finesse. It can be difficult to get them started straight. Do NOT hit the directly with a hammer. You'll ruin them in very short order. You want to keep a 2x4 between the buddy and your hammer, and have some patience. NOT something you want to schedule to be done in 5 minutes.

 

[harringtondav]

^^^^ Same. They fit tight in the hub. ...that water tight thing. They will seat, eventually. Worth the effort. Couple pumps of grease now and then.

 

[bruceb58]

And don't just pump in grease unless they actually need them. Once full, they rarely need anymore unless there is an air bubble that worked its way out. Watch the piston. If you can rock it with your fingers, it doesn't need more grease. If it doesn't rock, pump in grease until you just see the piston move outwards.

 

[Sprig]

You should have had the place that did the work install them. They are easy to install (as long as they are the correct size). Put the BB up to the hub and hold it there with a piece of 2x4, , 18” or so long. Use a hammer and Pounding on the 2x4 pound the BB all the way in. It will take several hammer blows. It doesn’t go straight in, one side will go in about an 1/8” then the other side about 1/8” and so on until it’s all the way in.

 

[Starcraft5834]

The "new hubs" didnt have grease zerks? thought buddies were only installed on old school set ups

 

[GA_Boater]

Not all new hubs have a zerk, only some EZ-Lube or cloned hubs have a zerk on the back and rubber insert in the dust cover. And EZ-Lube axles and clones have a zerk under the dust cover with the rubber insert.

 

[ahicks]

I haven't seen a zerk located in the hub itself. Only on the end of the axle, and of course a bearing buddy.

 

[GA_Boater]

Super Lube hub, not EZ Lube. Super Lube spindle is is what I called EZ Lube clone;

 

[ahicks]

Well, that's a new one on me! I've never seen one.

 

[achris]

Well, that's a new one on me! I've never seen one.

That makes 2 of us. Personally, I think a nipple in the back would be a pain to get at. I like the BB's because the greasing is SO easy....

 

[harringtondav]

BB's have an edge on other grease setups. Their piston is spring loaded and compresses the grease as it is pumped in. Warm bearing hubs dunked into cool water at the ramp cool quickly and tend to draw water past the hub seal. BBs keep a constant pressure on the innard's grease and prevent water entry.

My first towing vehicle was FWD with simple trailer like bearings on the rear axle. The bearings took in water at the ramp. I changed the bearings and installed BB's. No more worries.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Was considering running the buddies around grinding wheel a little and try again.

No, dont do this

if they are the proper size, throw the bearing buddies in the freezer

drink two bears while they get cold

then using a BFH and a block of wood tap them in

 

[Starcraft5834]

Got new (2019) Shorelandr galvanized tandem bunk trailer last year for Toon.....I'm spoiled now...... has rubber boot dust cap cover that's darn near waterproof.. pulled them off, snapped on the nipples, gave it a few pumps... there's a pretty sweet spring tension device in the hub...

 

[gm280]

First thing you really need to do is check for the correct size. I say that because I was helping my neighbor install BBs on his trailer and we worked on one for a pretty long time and not even getting anywhere. And then we took a micrometer and measured the BBs to see the size. Seems the package was once opened and stapled back together. And when we measured them, they were oval shaped. Seems someone bought them before he bought them and must of beat the living daylights out of them and still couldn't get them to fit. He took them and used his lathe and turned them round again. They fit very tight and perfect. And BBs come in a lot of sizes too. There are five or six sizes that are supposed to be for a typical 2" hub. So measure your hub and the BB to see what you have. They sell 1.980", 1.928", 1.968", 2.047", 2.080" just for the 2" size range. So if you have a hub that needs 1.980 which is usual the one, and you have BBs that are 2.047" they are never going to fit... Just some info.

 

[82rude]

I must be lucky .Ive never got the wrong ones ,always just a couple of wacks to install with a bfh and 2x4 and ive never lost one!Now my buddy has had the exact opposite experience poor soul.(passed away).I learned a good trick at least for me and thats to purchase a spare hub assembly.Once bought it has never been needed in 25 years!

 

[achris]

I learned a good trick at least for me and thats to purchase a spare hub assembly.Once bought it has never been needed in 25 years!

Haha.. Me too. Still in my 'away box', with bearings inside, greased ready to throw on... I also have spare bearings, grease, nuts, washers and pins. All in a simple 'grab' box. When I leave the city, that box comes with me.

Chris.......

 

[bruceb58]

I welded an axle stub on my trailer. The hub is on that and also does double duty as a spare tire carrier

The only time I ever had a problem with a BB falling off was when I bought some cheap chinese disc brakes from TieDown. After replacing with Kodiak, never had a problem.