What Came off my trailer wheel!?

[Ki Ki]

So, I drove for 200 miles and the trailer for back and was missing one silver metal piece and a cap. It's approximately 2.3 inches in diameter. One side on the trailer had it and one doesn't.

Does it need to go to the shop or can I just pop a new assembly on? What is this part even?

Pics included soon.. I see what's missing now. It's a bearing buddy on the outside on cap. Tough to install? I can't seem to upload pictures but can email.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

You just tap them on with a mallet. Nothing to it, except paying for a new one. If it were me I'd just get a dust cap and install that and forget about the bearing buddies.

 

[Ki Ki]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

Do we need to refill it with grease- I see the looks if a cotter ion and a bunch of dark grease in there already. I like the dust cap idea. Does it matter if one side has a bearing buddy and one without?Any link to a dust cap? Two inch.
Thanks old jeep

 

[robert graham]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

The bearing buddy is a spring loaded device with a grease zerk on the end, so you can pump grease into it, and the spring in theory maintains a slight grease pressure which would help keep water out of the hub and bearings....they're only a few bucks each at the hardware or industrial supply store....there are a few different diameters so get another one just like the one that you lost....they have been known to come off while going down the highway, so it's not a rare occurrence....

 

[steelespike]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

The bearing buddy allows you to be sure the bearing is greased.Just a squirt or two.Too much will make a mess.
If you put on a lot of miles Bearing buddy is easier to be sure its greased. A dust cover will work fine for normal operation.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

Do we need to refill it with grease- I see the looks if a cotter ion and a bunch of dark grease in there already. I like the dust cap idea. Does it matter if one side has a bearing buddy and one without?Any link to a dust cap? Two inch.
Thanks old jeep

Any auto parts store will have the grease cap. No problem running on only one side. The bearing buddy thing is a religious argument. I would say that unless your hub seals are leaking that there is no reason to be pumping grease into your hubs constantly. Never had a bearing buddy and never had water in my hubs.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

Clean and repack the bearings, then put a bearing buddy or dust cap on. There is no telling what may have gotten mixed with the old grease in a 200 mile trip when the BB could have fallen off anytime during the trip.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: What Came off my trailer wheel!?

On my trailers w bearing buddies I need a pump or two of grease every year or two.....

definately not greasing religiously.... No water in the hubs and no repacking bearings. Win win