Bearing Buddies

[bakerlh]

Do I need to repack my trailer bearings with grease (every two years I am told) if I have Bearing Buddies installed?

L H Baker

 

[JB]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Repacking is sort of like changing the impeller in your outboard, LH. Preventive maintenance.

Left alone either would probably last several years, but just might fail at the worst possible time.

By cleaning and repacking you start the clock from zero and don't get worried a bazillion miles from nowhere in the middle of the night.

I do both annually and have fewer possible troubles to worry about.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Bearing Buddies are designed to keep a slight positive pressure in the hub so water can't get in -- not to eliminate periodic repacking. Improper use of bearing buddies blows grease out the rear seal which defeats the purpose of the device so water can now enter. The recommendation to repack every two years is so you can clean and examine the bearings. Since you have them apart, it is a simple matter to pack them. Whether or not you have Bearing Buddies (and there are cheap imitations) does not eliminate the need for periodic inspection, repacking and seal replacement.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Annual re-pack is my policy.

 

[tommays]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Annual is nessary i got caught last spring from a leaking seal that was only 13 months old :devil:

Tommays

 

[bucky7680]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Leaky seal + hot hub (from brakes) + cold H2O = H2O in hub.
There might be enough grease in the hub and bearings but the the inner seal will eventually leak. The important part of repacking is replacing the inner seal. IMHO

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Bearing Buddies

If you don't want to do the whole repack, pull the hub and at least examine what the grease near the inner bearing looks like to see if there was any water that got inside.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Bearing Buddies

pull them wheather you repack or not. they got grease in them, but inspect them. or get seatow trailer service. lost a hub on a bridge going to the Fl Keys. i wasn't the most like guy at that time. 90 miles of 2 lane road. it end up being a $1000.00 night .

 

[OLDSPUD]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I used to re-pack my own, but now I have disc brakes. Kinda pricey to have the shop do it now.

What would be the "improper use" as mentioned above by S-tip entail?

I just push them on in the middle, rather than pushing from the outside edge. I can see how pushing them on creates a vacume, is that the proper or improper use?

From reading herein, I will be repacking before I go any where this year.

I always pull the buddies off, clean out the area and pump grease in before I go anywhere, am always careful not to pump to much, but how much is too much?

Spud

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Not to argue, but Buddies have a weep hole built into the side. when they are full, grease squirts out the hole. You cannot overfill them unless the hole gets plugged.
The plastic cap covers the hole during use. Now , I'm not saying that they are foolproof, but I have had them on four trailers for years and had no problems yet.

 

[Coors]

Re: Bearing Buddies

On my new to me, 1984 ezloader with bearing buddies; when I changed out the brakes to disc, bb's pressure showed good. What a mess was inside. Previous owner and put too much grease in, blowing out the seals. Check them yearly, cost me $70 parts, my free labor, to replace them. (have a dual axle, afraid to look at them, more $):^

 

[Capt Bleigh]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I have used either bearing Buddies or a similiar knock off brand for 40 years on several trailers, and have never checked or changed a bearing.

Just use a good quality marine synthetic grease...

 

[Snowfish]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Over 90% of the bearing jobs, that I do, are from bearing buddies. Folks think that a couple pumps of grease is packing. Not so. The zerked axle systems (ez lube, sure lube, etc) are better, but should not be used as a crutch. Hand pack seasonally, or let me do it. It's cheap. Use a bearing buddy if you must, but with care. I say bearing buddies are My buddy, not yours. Depend on them and sooner or later, you and I will meet by crisis.