New Bearing Buddies

[Navy Jr.]

Our new Shorelandr' trailer came with Bearing Buddies installed. Last weekend I decided to check them.

The manual and website says that if you can rock or otherwise move the piston, then the system is charged correctly with grease. If you can't, then you should add grease until the piston cover moves outwards about an 1/8th of an inch.

The problem is the piston covers on both BBs don't move. There's about 5/8" between the outside edge of the BB to the top of the piston cover (under the zerk fitting).

I'm worried the bearings on the axles were properly lubed with grease, but not the BBs. I tried to add a little grease with my grease gun, but the grease would not go in; it just flowed out over the zerk fitting. Then, when I went to remove the grease gun, I didn't angle it enough to twist it off right away and the gun stuck to the zerk fitting such that I could pull the piston cover slightly outwards against the pressure of the spring. I angled the gun off the fitting and cleaned the grease off of the spring.

Any ideas? Am I interpreting the instructions all wrong? I sent an e-mail to Bearing Buddies yesterday, but no reply yet.

Thanks. Ken

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

it sounds like you were not completely on the zerk.

 

[modernrocketry]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

I have heard that some of the "less expensive" grease guns don't create enough pressure to inject grease when using bearing buddies. Someone once told me they had this problem with a Walmart gun, they got a better quality grease gun and that solved the problem.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

I e-mailed my dealer about the state of the new Bearing Buddies and he called to ask that I bring it in for him to look at. I had been wondering if perhaps they weren't charged with grease since I wasn't able to rock the piston cover back and forth.

My son and I stopped by there this morning on our way to the lake. The dealer looked at them, then very patiently and with a smile on his face said that the Bearing Buddies were indeed fully charged and that I had nothing to worry about. He then explained that the piston cover was hardly depressed by the spring and the Bearing Buddies had hardly been broken in (we have about 650 miles on the trailer so far). When it is time to add grease, he said, the piston cover will be quite noticeably pushed in towards the hub by the outer spring (he pointed to a spot to show us how far in it will go, and it was quite a ways).

It was good to see the salesman again. We always have lots of laughs. He wondered when I was going to put my first ding it the boat, so I figured he just jinxed me and it would be today at the lake. But we're home safe and sound, and no dings. It doesn't mean we didn't try. Today was the first time my son loaded the boat onto the trailer. He did a wonderful job!

 

[sharps45]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

In my sad experience I have learned to not trust them. They are nice to have, and work well, but the cost of a replacement axle has taught me to grease them often and keep them full. Also, whenever the trailer has been in the water, before leaving the lake I'll pump some new grease in there. When you dip a hot bearing into the cool lake water it invites water into the bearings, so you need to replace that grease before heading home.

 

[fishingdan]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

It is important to remember the purpose of BBs. They are designed to put a positive pressure on the grease space in the hub. The idea is that with pressure in their, water will have a difficult time getting in.

I don't really know how valuable they are. They probably help some, but as you noted, they don't eliminate regular maintenance.

- You still need to perform periodic inspection/maintenance on the wheel bearings and the spindle.

- Don't overfill them. If you do, you will blow out the rear hub seal.

- Use a BB cover over them. It keeps the zerks cleaner and when the BBs get older, it keep grease from being slung all over the place.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

.......

- Use a BB cover over them. It keeps the zerks cleaner and when the BBs get older, it keep grease from being slung all over the place.

If the bearing buddies are 'worn', then they are no longer doing what they are supposed to do. If they are slinging grease out of the front seal, they are no longer maintaining pressure inside the hub or have been over filled.

 

[j_martin]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

Bearing buddies, or red-eyes give you a quick visual indication of the lubrication in the hub.

On the bearing buddy, if you look at it from the side, the top of the grease zerk should be close to the top of the BB. If the piston has receded inward, it needs grease. If it won't hold grease, it needs service. Red-eye is similar except it has a calibrated full indication.

Without a spring load, there is no chance to keep water out of the bearings. With a spring loaded greaser, maintainance will keep the water out. They don't eliminate regular service, they make it possible and practical.

hope it helps
John

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: New Bearing Buddies

Bearing buddies, or red-eyes give you a quick visual indication of the lubrication in the hub.

On the bearing buddy, if you look at it from the side, the top of the grease zerk should be close to the top of the BB. If the piston has receded inward, it needs grease. If it won't hold grease, it needs service. Hope it helps
John

Yes, the top of the zerk is close to the top (less than 1/4"). Thanks, John.