Smoking Trailer Wheel Bearing-Bearing Buddy

[LordNelson]

On the way to the launch ramp one of my wheel bearings started smoking. I managed to crawl into a nearby marina for repairs.

I was wondering about bearing buddies. I had a pair years ago on another trailer, but stopped using them when I got gease into the brake pads.

My sailboat trailer has no brakes, so I am considering trying them again to get grease into the bearing for winter. Has anyone had good/bad experience with the bearing buddies?

 

[Cabby]

I have never had problems with Bearing Buddies. They should not be over used with grease too much. The fact that you do not have brakes would leave me to think that the problem is with the bearings and or adjustment of them.

Bearing Buddies should have grease added to the point where you just see the nipple plate start to move outward. You should not add grease until the plate is all the way outward causing the spring to be totally compressed.

Smoking hubs/Bearing Buddies is a serious indication of something terribly wrong. I use one of those IR thermometers to check my hub temperatures when I trailer my boat.
Something like this link;
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00377BSU4...d=14612055801081175721&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

The hub temps are usually much less than 140 degrees F and that is with a trailer that has brakes. I often see the hub temps at around 120 degrees.

 

[LordNelson]

yes, it was the wheel bearings and i am having them both replaced. i was thinking of putting on some bearing buddies after they are replaced. do you still have to grease the bearings by removing the wheel, or do you just rely on the bearing buddies?

 

[caguy]

Just attach your grease gun to the zerk fitting. Make sure you also replace the seals.

 

[Cabby]

New bearings need to be packed with grease manually, not by the bearing buddies. Try a you tube search for techniques in "repacking wheel bearings". If you are having the work done by a shop I would think they repack them manually or with a fixture to do the job. Adjustment of them is also important, do not "over tighten them. Again, try searching on line for info.

 

[pfschmid]

Bearing buddies are a good addition to your trailer wheels (used per Cabby's advice), but you should do an inspection of the bearings at the close of each season. Going in and out of the water, especially salt water, doesn't do them any good. And as with everything your bearings will wear out and need to be replaced. Depending on how often you launch each season and how far you trailer your boat, your bearings should last at least several seasons. If your trailer tires are smaller than your vehicles tires, they are going to get harder use while trailering.

 

[LordNelson]

it was worse than i thought. the axle is also shot and a new one has been ordered.

 

[Dan Hill]

Bearing Buddies are not designed to grease bearings. The object of their design is to maintain positive pressure inside the hub assembly to keep water intrusion out when you launch. When launching after even a short haul your hubs are warm, when they hit cold water they contract and suck water in which will cause premature bearing failures. There is a axle stub design that is drilled for bearing lubrication that does not use buddies, considering you need to replace yours you may want to consider them.