bearing buddies

[mercerfisherman]

I have a shorelandr trailer with bearing buddies... Do you have to repack those every so often -- or take them off and clean them up and then repack 'em with grease? Thanks.

 

[bhammer]

Re: bearing buddies

I pull mine off every couple of years for inspection. I operate in fresh water.

 

[capt sam]

Re: bearing buddies

usually you just pump more grease in them.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: bearing buddies

usually you just pump more grease in them.

True, but be careful not to overdo it. The seals might split.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: bearing buddies

i pull mine off and inspect the bearings and hubs every so often just so i know that they are good. maybe once a year or so. the rest of the time i pump grease into the buddies and then there should be a small hole for the grease to "escape" if you overfill them. once u do it its pretty easy to maintain from there. i thought mine were "good" but last week i pulled the hubs and bam! inner bearings and races were shot...so u never know.

 

[fire831]

Re: bearing buddies

i pull mine off and inspect the bearings and hubs every so often just so i know that they are good. maybe once a year or so. the rest of the time i pump grease into the buddies and then there should be a small hole for the grease to "escape" if you overfill them. once u do it its pretty easy to maintain from there. i thought mine were "good" but last week i pulled the hubs and bam! inner bearings and races were shot...so u never know.

Very good advise. I just pulled mine and cleaned everything up and put new seals on. Good thing I pulled them because the seals were shot and had grease coming out of them badly.

 

[boat1010]

Re: bearing buddies

Every couple of years they need to be taken apart and cleaned up...Grease doesn't evaporate.

 

[bhammer]

Re: bearing buddies

Just pumping in more grease doesn't give you the chance to look at them and can actually break the seal and casue grease to spin out. Not all systems have small weep holes that allow any extra to come out.

 

[cr2k]

Re: bearing buddies

NEVER pump them full. always leave a little expansion room or you will blow the seals out. The spring is there to maintain a SLIGHT positive pressure when you back your warm hubs in to the lake and they would normally contract and suck water in (with out brg. buddies).

 

[redone4x4]

Re: bearing buddies

Not all systems have small weep holes that allow any extra to come out.

this is true, i had cheap knockoff brand that didnt, so i bought Reese ones from walmart that do. much much better feeling i have now after installing those.

 

[captharv]

Re: bearing buddies

I have the real Bearing Buddy product (2.38 size) and it has no bleed hole.
If you overfill them, they will simple blow the BB off the hub.
Correct filling is where the piston in the BB just barely moves, and you can rock it a bit. The thing needs expansion room for the grease. Note: on my trailer, I measured the hub temp after a 50 mile run at highway speeds. It was 85 degrees outside. The hubs measured 110 degrees. Shouldn't run hotter than that.
Yes, it remove, clean and regrease every two years.

 

[capt sam]

Re: bearing buddies

If you guys really want to do it right get Posi-lube hubs, they're more of a marine application anyways.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Re: bearing buddies

I never pull mine to check them. I just assure they are greased up good, and feel the rims for heat a few times a season. FWIW, i use the RedEye protectors. The Oring gives a nice visual indicator to make sure you don't over/under fill them.

 

[capt sam]

Re: bearing buddies

A quick note about the two systems...
With a posi-lube axle, the bearing grease fitting leads to a tube that carries the grease to an inboard bearing and pushes the older grease back to the outboard bearing, where it comes out around the sides of the bearing. In other words, you are positively lubing those bearings. There is no chance of encountering an air pocket as happens from time to time with Bearing Buddies.

The bearing buddy system depends upon spring pressure keeping a positive pressure of grease on the bearings limiting the potential intrusion of water and debris into the bearing assembly. But with that positive pressure there is a chance that the heat of trailering at highway speeds can cause a blow out of the seals.