Bearing Buddies

[marcoalza]

I'm booked in to have my bearings replaced this week and my man has recommended Bearing Buddies to be fitted as well.

I've never heard of them but he said....

The bearing buddy is an add on to the bearing. It gets pressed onto the bearing in place of the cover cap and packed with grease. It has a spacer type of thing that is spring loaded and this keeps the grease pressed into the bearing, therefore keeping the grease on the bearing and the water out.​

Do any of you have any experience of these?
Are they worthwhile?
I would really appreciate your feedback.

 

[bitterboater]

Re: Bearing Buddies

There are quite a few threads dealing with "bearing buddies". They usually degenerated into opinion pieces, though some did have good info in them. A quick search should help.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Marco I have them on my boat trailer, I have never had a bearing failure, I tow to Powell once sometimes twice a year about 800 miles one way, through the desert 100+ temps and I swear by them, not sure you have the same issues where you are with heat and all but I would recommend them, they make a mess as I haven't found a grease that can take the heat but you just have to wipe down the rim every now and then and your set, if you find a tire that can take the heat let me know will you? I blew 3 tires last trip to Powell 2 were brand new!

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Thanks LippCJ7, thats helpful.
The temp here today was 114 so maybe not as hot as yours but getting there.....

I'm not sure but we must have grease here that can cope......surely

I only have to drive 30 minutes to get to the harbor so maybe not so much of an issue.
How often do you have to top them up and is it through a grease nipple?

As for the tyres, now you're worrying me.
I have van tyres on my trailer and they've been fi................ne.........

 

[bigdee]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I would not use them on any trailer UNLESS it was a trailer that was submerged and I highly recommend them for boat trailers. Their function is to prevent water intrusion by keeping positive pressure inside the hub. On a hub without them,the hub is cooled when submerged which cause a negative pressure within the hub. It is this negative pressure (vacuum) that may suck in water.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I top mine off as needed mine have the blue indicator ring that sticks out 1/4" when the bearings are full and the spring pressure that pushes the grease through the bearings also pushes the indicator ring so its really easy to see when grease is needed, the blue indicator ring simply slides into the bearing so if you don't see blue you need to grease the bearings, our normal lake is an hour away and were there every weekend, I typically top my bearings off once a month(yes through the grease nipple) on our Powell trips I take the grease gun with me but I only used it once in our only trip during the day ironically the same trip I blew 3 tires also so we do not travel during the day anymore which is better for me as I have a wife and 3 daughters, me and my step son were on suicide watch after that trip, driving at night while the women sleep was much more enjoyable, the duct tape worked well also.....

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Damn. Iv'e never greased my nipples.
I've had my boat and trailer for a year now. No wonder I get the dink, dink, dink,dink, dink when I leave to go home.
Never could work out why the noise we heard was only on the way home.

Am I really showing my inexperience now?:facepalm:

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Bearing Buddies

just to make sure were talking about the same thing here its a grease zerk, not sure what you do with your nipples and to be honest thats your business.....

but BB's help to prevent water intrusion but I still go through regular bearing maintenance just to make sure the bearings are in good shape, I don't like the thought of being stuck on the road...

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: Bearing Buddies

They are really easy to install yourself if your mechanic is charging any labor for putting them on. That being said I had them on my first trailer and was happy with them. Add them in and topping them off is easy.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I have bearing buddies on two boat trailers. Every time I pull the hubs to inspect the bearings, the grease is full of water (whipped into that creamy stuff). Now I only use marine wheel bearing grease in the hubs to fight off the affects of water, but the bearing buddies don't seem to keep the water out. And I dissassemble the bb to clean and ensure they are working correctly. But they still don't keep out the water. One trailer is new, the other is older and has wear on the seal area. So new or old, they still let the water in.

 

[Evinbuck]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I'm a fan of bearing buddies. I have the same set I bought in 1978 and they still work fine. I never go crazy with "over greasing".....just a routine check as there is supposed to be a little give with finger pressure to assure they are functioning properly. Over greasing can also contribute to blowing the rear seal and grease covering the backside of the tire and wheel. Fresh grease is a reassuring thought after dunking your wheels.....if you don't dunk, you don't need em.

 

[fisherguy123]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I submerge my trailer regularly in the cold Atlantic ocean on a regular basis and the salt is deadly on bearings.......myself and all my friends use bearing buddies and I grease them about every second dip......haven`t had any bearing trouble for 5 years now but I do check them at beginning of the season. You dont need a machanic to install these just a piece of hardwood and a hefty hammer...couple taps and in they go... they have a line engraved on them to show how far to tap them in .... just make sure the bearings are good before installing as they are a bit harder to remove .

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I believe in them, last fall I replaced my 10 year old boat trailer bearings just as general maintenance. I was useing BBs the whole time and had not disassembled and repacked them in that 10 yrs. None of the races or bearings had any noticable wear, rust or pitting .

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Thanks for all the advice guys.
I'm having them fitted to new wheel bearings today.

Cheers.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Just remember, BB's are good, but they aren't a replacement for good axle seals. I've seen people complain about them not working, only to find their axle seals are shot.