Bearing Buddies leaking grease

[Tafflad]

I fitted Bearing Buddies to my Karavan Trailer hubs ? Now I accept they do a nice job of putting grease in under moderate pressure, and thus keep water out.
However I have a problem with grease leaking form rear grease seal ? this does not happen when stationary, and I have completely stripped & cleaned everything, so no issue old grease or dirt etc.
Replaced the rear seals ? twice ! ?

Still leaks out when being towed ?. Have a nice grease stain on back of light clusters as a result.
Anybody else had this problem..

 

[JimMH]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Every set I have had did that. I think we overfill the bearing and this causes the grease to come out under centrifical force. Just my opinion. I don't believe that the bearings need as much grease. I have the red eyes on the trailer I have now and I only put grease in once a year and have not had any come out.

 

[seaboo]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

My jet ski trailer does this too...On mine it looks like a fair amount of greese, but I've never noticed the level go down enough to worry about (so it just looks like a larger leak)... I do maintance on this trailer at the begining, middle, and end of the season (I tow this ski ALOT) so it really hasn't been a large issue for me to worry about (again this is in MY case, I don't know how bad yours is leaking...Mine realy isn't a bad leak, it is just noticable).

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Never noticed that on a couple of trailers with bearing buddies. Most likely, just a little too much grease. But that may be better than not enough.

They will leak a lot of grease out the outside face if one does not put the rubber/plastic covers on.

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

I would suspect the bearing may be set just a little loose.

Sometimes it's tough to get between too tight and too loose on the castellated nut.

I've found that by removing the nut, degreasing, and drawing the flat side across a file, I can adjust the fit to just right.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Has nothing to do with the tightness of the bearing.

It is either you overfilling, the grease seal is bad or the surface that the seal rides on is not smooth.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

I'm sure that I'm not telling most of you anything you don't already know. But just in case anyone does not understand this . . .

In a sense, the way bearing buddies work is to "overfill" the hub with grease. When following the normal procedure for repacking wheel bearings on trailers that don't go in the water, much of the hub has no grease in it. It's important to make sure that the bearings themselves have plenty of grease, but empty spaces remain in the hub.

For marine applications, all that space in the hub without grease is great for holding water, and thereby rusting the bearings and races, not to mention washing out grease. Bearing buddies allow for complete filling of all the nooks and crannies of the hub, thereby eliminating space for water. Everytime one injects grease (after filling the hub initially) the grease has to go somewhere. So it squeezes out the back or the front, whichever has the least resistance.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Inner seal failure. BB overfull....or some other problem, like a bad seal / worn lip or axle .

 

[Tafflad]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Guys appreciate the comment .. but this 'should' not be the case.
I have the new blue ring 'visual indicator' type ... you pump gresae in until blue ring just lifts off it's seat ... so I am setting pressure exactly as designed.

As to faulty seal ... having replaced them twice, i discount that.
Even paid extra for the stainless steel spring versions.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

I install new seals and pump the grease in the way its supposed to be and I rarely get grease leakage. Every time I do leak, when I take them apart I find that a fine flat blade of seaweeed has gotten in under the seal.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Well, here I go making waves! Oprening a can of worms. As Yepblaze said, but paraphrased and expanded: If the bearings are not properly pre-loaded, the wheel/hub will wiggle just a little--just enough to work grease out of the rear seal.

Now we will get a whole bunch of posts as to why bearings should/should not, be pre-loaded on boat trailers.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

I agree that the bearings need to be preloaded but slight amount of movement should not work grease out the seal. I guess if it is majorly loose it could happen.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

it is possible that the seals have worn a groove in the spindle and are not seating properly..... I would also be suspicious of the seals themselves.... are they quality items with an internal spring to maintain seat pressure or have you found a source for some chinese junk seals.... If you can't buy a better seal specifically for a trailer try taking them to napa or a bearing supply house and asking for a better seal in the same dimensions

 

[Tafflad]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

If you can't buy a better seal specifically for a trailer try taking them to napa or a bearing supply house and asking for a better seal in the same dimensions

I originally used seals from the Trailer Manufacturer (Karavan) so the correct type for sure.
I have also now bought a pack in from the hub manufacturer - top spec double lipped seal with stainless steel spring.

I looked at Bearings Buddies on-line this must be a common issue as they specifically mention it ... they talk about fitting a stainless steel rim onto the hub, so that seal lip runs on the polished steel rather than machined surface on stub axle.
http://www.bearingbuddy.com/spindle_seal.html
Anybody used these ?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

Put a mirror shine on the seal area of the spindle, a reddy sleeve mignt work to renew the seal surface too, there should be absolutely no grease slinging outside the hub, ruins brake pads.
Both hubs on my old (no brakes) trailer sling grease but I don't care it keeps the rims from rusting

 

[JimS123]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

it is possible that the seals have worn a groove in the spindle and are not seating properly..... I would also be suspicious of the seals themselves.... are they quality items with an internal spring to maintain seat pressure or have you found a source for some chinese junk seals.... If you can't buy a better seal specifically for a trailer try taking them to napa or a bearing supply house and asking for a better seal in the same dimensions

Hahahahahah.....

Just went thru this issue last summer. My 20 year supply of seals finally got used up. My 3 local boat dealers don't bother carrying them any more. They suggested going to the local bearing distributor.

I live in a majpr city and have 2 very large wholesale bearing supply houses. Neither had ANY seals to fit a boat trailer that were not made in China. I'll let you know how they work next year.

 

[mike343]

Re: Bearing Buddies leaking grease

I have 30+ yrs of towing trailers with BB's. Never had the problem you are describing. Usually, as others have suggested, the problem is too much grease. But your procedure is correct, just enough to lift the plastic rings a little.

But your rear seal still leaks. Either you have a damaged component or have installed a wrong part in the rear seals. The trailer mfgrs don't build the axle/hub assemblies, they buy them. Maybe your replacement seals aren't correct.

good luck