Bearing Buddies

[sublauxation]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I loved my bearing buddies until one flew off (hope it didn't hit anything or anybody :facepalm It was checked at a gas station and somewhere in the next 100 miles it disappeared resulting in a completely fried spindle and hub. I've seen some people devise different ways to make sure that doesn't happen but I now have the EZ Lube and have a lot more piece of mind that there's no big heavy bearing buddy that can fly off.

Correction....EZ Lube spindles...

 

[Silverbullet555]

Re: Bearing Buddies

You'll get, as you can see, lots of varying opinions. If you are buying new axles or have the option, get something like the dexter system where the grease goes through a hollow spindle and can push the old grease out. If you don't have that option, get true bearing buddies and when you put them on, note how tight they are. If they aren't tight, you can do a couple things to make them tighter. I ran them for a number of years and had 1 come off after repacking. Caught it and put a new one on.

In short, if you have regular axles, get buddies.

 

[Milemaker13]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Do the super lube hubs have a fairly"tight" fit around the spindle? What i mean is, how much free space is there in the middle of the hub?
I think i could pump an entire tube of grease into the free space in my hubs. So i am wondering if the design has reduced that space so not as much grease is need in the hub.
So when"repacking" the hubs how much grease is used?
I an thinking about adding a zerk to my regular hubs, but how will it perform with such a "large" space in the middle?
Has anyone here added a zerk themselves?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Bearing Buddies

My Dexter hubs takes about 1/2 tube per hub.

 

[Milemaker13]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I started looking at the vortex hubs from tie down eng. I like the threaded cap idea. I don't have lube thru spindles, but i don't know if they offer vortex hubs with a zerk on the back side.
Back to drilling the hubs myself to install a zerk.
Does anybody have experience with the vortex hubs, or know of another hub that uses a threaded cap?

 

[stylesabu]

Re: Bearing Buddies

bearings are pretty simple, check for play, spin wheel with one hand on spting listen and feel for noise of vibration. if hub is tight and quiet then just pop outer cover and check for water intrusion or signs of rust(grease will be brown). cleaning and re-packing more often is fine for your peace of mind. ive been re-packing bearing for 30 years and as long as they are clean and snug they're good

 

[RobWise64]

Re: Bearing Buddies

The problem with Vortex hubs is finding one in a pinch. I've sold trailer parts for over 20 years and not a single Vortex hub, so I don't stock them, and I stock well over 1,000 unique trailer parts. I'm no fan of Tie-Down in general. They tend to change their designs often (just look at all the different disc brake designs over the past ten years) and then stop supporting the obsolete parts. You cannot use a standard dust cap for a quick emergency replacement on a threaded hub.

EZ Lube Dexter axles (and other similar axles) are great for repacking, but they don't negate the use of bearing buddies for marine trailers. If bearing buddies aren't used, the possibility of getting water in your bearings is high even if you just repacked it. Some bearing buddies don't work well with greasable axles because they have a sliding interior disc that hits the grease fitting on the axle. Kodiak "Red Eye" bearing buddies let you get the proper amount of pressure in the hubs without interference from and moving parts on the bearing buddy.

Bearing buddies come off much easier than putting them on! And frequently when travelling. They are very heavy, especially when filled with grease, and stick out much farther than standard caps. That makes them likely to detach if you hit a road hazard or pot hole, rock, etc while travelling. Keep a spare (and a grease gun) with you, or at least a spare dust cap to do a quick roadside fix until you get to your destination.

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I have had both and prefer e-z lube myself.

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Bearing Buddies are NOT your friend

 

[eclark53520]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Bearing Buddies are NOT your friend

Uneducated opinion or do you have some sort of actual proof?

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Bearing Buddies

I just installed new Tie Down 3500 lb axel with zerk spindle,, nice........rubber plug in dust cap,, Ive had bad experiences with Buddies,, they cost me a bearing blow out,,,,they can be overfilled and cause problems,, get a Tie Down axel,,,,,,and throw the Buddies OUT!!

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Bearing Buddies

It comes down to new technologies,, Tie Down zerks, vs Buddies,,, someone else chirp in here please.......... Ive used both,,, buddies can cause blow outs,, over filling them can cause rear seal to pop out,,, tie down's dont, simply connect grease to pin on end of axel, pump and turn the wheel, soon you will see the old grease come to the front and new grease replaces it,,,,it works!! rear seal intact and sound,,, anyone who defends buddies probably has no experience with Tie Down products.... good luck.... FISH ON!!

 

[RobWise64]

Re: Bearing Buddies

The key to using bearing buddies is to not pump grease in them every time you tow. I have had customers who shoot a little grease in there every week and that's a great way to blow a seal. Fill it to where there's a little pressure and then leave it alone.

 

[alumanut]

Re: Bearing Buddies

With Tie Down zerks how do you know the inside bearing is getting grease??? It would seem to me that if the outside bearing had the least resistance that's where the grease would go - and the seal would keep you from seeing the inside bearing anyway - unless the grease is being inserted between the inside bearing and the seal. In the latter case, the outside bearing would ultimately be repacked from the old grease coming from the inside bearing. Am I confused or are others wondering the same thing??? I've repacked bearings by hand for more years than I care to think about! Currently I'm on my first set of Bearing Buddies and the jury is still out.

 

[DABS]

Re: Bearing Buddies

Mr Murphy is always hiding in the shadows. If a Bearing Buddy / rear seal is compromised, you'll get grease all over your trailer and tires. But, you'll probably get home.

If an oil filled hub is compromised, you'll get oil all over the place, probably none left on the bearing, and likely the bearing will fail. Hope you're not on the interstate!

Bearing Buddies for 15 years. Not even a grease leak. When they get repacked the inside looks like new. Maybe an off-brand might save you $3. I'll stick with the original.

I'm with you JimS...mine have been on the trailer since 1983, still all original, gets used all the time..

 

[ktbarrentine]

Re: Bearing Buddies

+1 on bearing buddies.... and I have done the "mod" to easily ensure they (and the plastic caps) stay on the hubs. Cheap insurance. I use BB's on my boat trailer and Dexter easy-lubes on my travel trailer. I like them both.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Bearing Buddies

My Phoenix trailer (came with my boat from the factory) has Vault hubs... Haven't seen them mentioned in this thread, and they dont seem to be widely used, but they're some sort of grease/oil hybrid and are supposedly "maintenence free" (for whatever that term is worth).

VAULT HLS Maintenance Free Hybrid Oil Hubs by UFP Trailer Buddy

No issues yet, then again the trailer doesn't see a whole lot of miles. We'll see how they do when I move from NY to SC next year.

I've used bearing buddies and red eyes in the past, had good luck with both of those, over many years and many miles of Sea-Doo trailering.

 

[DABS]

Re: Bearing Buddies

The Vault debuted in June of 2007 when UFP discontinued production of the oil bath. It comes with a 5 year warranty extendable during the first year, to a 10 year warranty for $50. The Vault lube is temperature reactive, changing from a grease, to an oil at 150 degrees. Internally, your hub uses the same bearings and seals as always and, if you are more comfortable with the previous pressurized grease system, you simply smack the Vault protector off and install a grease protector. No need to clean out the hub as both lubes will mix.