Bearing buddies on my 2005 146 trailer

[SFKjeld]

This is the original trailer. Like to put bearing buddies on it. I have no documentation on the trailer. Has anyone put these on their Hunter 146 trailer? Do you know the size? Otherwise, since I do not have a caliper, I guess I'll measure with a tape.

 

[twalker H260]

Take existing grease cap in with you and have parts place measure for you.

 

[Rick Webb]

I'd bet they are the 1.98" ones
Best way to install is with a hammer and block of wood. The need to be almost perfectly square to set them in. Don't bother with the plastic ones and absolutely do get the vinyl covers. Only pump grease in to the point you see the diaphragm push against the spring. Too much and the grease is going to get pushed out the rear seal and make a mess.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Rick hit it on the nailhead at 1.98/ First gently tap it in lightly to square up and barely hold and then put the board against it and hit it in the middle.

 

[SFKjeld]

Great, thanks fellas. I measured it at 2", so 1.98 has to be it. There are a couple of excellent youtubes that demonstrate how to install them.

 

[mm2347]

Be aware that "bearing buddies" do not repace cleaning, inspecting, and repacking on a reg schedule. I believe they will only create a positive pressure helping to keep stuff like water from entering. To test I have installed clean unpacked w/ grease bearings on a wheel spindle (one wheel) complete w/ new bearing buddies, then pumped a full tube of grease in and then disassembled. The grease had filled some of the space ( between the bearings and had started to come out the seal but very little had gone into the rear berg. and none into the front or outside berg. I have not repeated this and there could be different results.

 

[mm2347]

Sorry. I was going to say that some of the front bearings had some grease between the rollers and outer race but only there. My opinion is to use bearing buddies only as an addition to regular cleaning, inspection, and repacking.

 

[SFKjeld]

Thanks, I stand warned.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@skjfeld and @mm2347
I use to tell my customers about not or over greasing bearings. When a bearing is going out, by touch the hub is not luke warm like it is suppose to be but hot. That tells you probably bearing failure. Every time you are on a trip, I use to tell my customers to stop the first 10-20 miles to check tie downs and hubs for heat. That is a key. Then I told them every 100 miles, pull over and recheck again. As for stopping every 100 miles as well, it meant getting out of the car and in a sense refreshing oneself from what I call the falling to sleep doctrine. My customers were glad to have been told that and generally never an issue. If a hub was hot, that was fixed immediately. I never over the years had any issues reported back. Only once transporting a 28 footer on my trailer, I failed to heed my own advice and when I saw an axle on fire, then I pulled over and extingquished it with the appropriate fire extingquisher. After that I listened to my own advice. Hope this helps you.

 

[SFKjeld]

When you say 'fix immediately', do you mean the first time you feel a hot bearing, head to the nearest repair shop? Too late to add more grease and check again?

Also, the owner says that he'd never packed the bearings, ever. He was the original owner and never drove it far. When I pulled the dust caps off the other day, both sides appeared to have quite a lot of 'clean' grease inside. Should I try to remove it and replace it with fresh grease?

 

[Rick Webb]

YES
It will give you a definite date of when last done.

Also the principle purpose of Bearing Buddies is to keep water and air away from the bearings by keeping the voids filled with grease. The bearings will last a very long time if there is no corrosion. Actually it is usually the races that go first. They are made with a weaker metal and rust away. Bearing Buddies are not a substitute for packing the wheel bearings when being installed.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Generally when hot indicates problems most likely the racers and or bearings beginning or has failed. Yes immediate attention.
Thanks gRick for responding