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Join Date: May 2001
05-21-2004, 10:40 AM
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Here's a question for those in the know... When you put grease in your trailer wheels for the bearings, how much do you add and how do you know when to stop? As I understand it the grease is there to not only lubricate the bearings, but to keep water out of the bearings when you dunk the trailer. I also understand that if you overfill the bearings with grease, it can pop the seal and grease will get into your trailer brakes requiring a total rebuild of your brakes. What's the proper technique? Thanks
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Join Date: Apr 2002
05-21-2004, 10:47 AM
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I have Bearing Buddies on my trailer. I bought a grease gun and it attaches to the Bearing Buddies. I pump in grease until I see it to start oozing out the sides. It is pretty easy actually. I just bought the mini grease gun at Autozone.
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Join Date: Mar 2002
05-21-2004, 10:55 AM
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It doesn't take much. Go very slowly.
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Join Date: Apr 2003
05-21-2004, 11:07 AM
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I don't, in '03 and newer boatmate trailers they have a new system (can't remember what it's called though) that doesn't require this.
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Join Date: Nov 2002
05-21-2004, 11:14 AM
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Just a couple of squirts is all you need. Don't fill it up until it comes out the side. Make sure you use marine grease also.
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Join Date: Feb 2001
05-21-2004, 2:47 PM
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if you fill it up till it comes out the sides it has then just blown the seal away and water can get in. I use bearing buddies that when full back out to the edge, they are spring loaded.
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05-21-2004, 3:14 PM
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I have bearing buddies on my trailer and after they get hot from braking the caps came off and they fling grease all over the wheel? Has anyone else had this problem?
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Join Date: Dec 2003
05-22-2004, 9:15 AM
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Daniel - you probably have too much grease.... the spring is designed to compensate for heating... if you pump grease in them until the spring is totally compressed, then you can blow the Buddies off the hub. I have a friend who had this happen multiple times until he backed off from completely filling with grease and compressing the spring. When the seal starts moving and compressing the spring, you have plenty of grease for your bearings.
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05-22-2004, 8:42 PM
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Glen Thanks for the info. Sounds like it's time for a new set! You're totally right...I pump them until they are overflowing and that must be the problem. I appriciate the passed on knowledge!!! Thanks, Dan
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Join Date: May 2004
05-23-2004, 1:22 AM
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John, Definitely go with the Bearing Buddies. They're around 20 bucks a pair and well worth it since the alterative is hand packing. We don't even want to think of going there. Jon
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05-23-2004, 6:35 AM
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Even with the buddies, it is good practice to remove and hand pack once a year. Even if you don't do that, you must start with hand backed bearings. The buddies will not get grease into a dry bearing. I am thinking about converting to the oil bath hubs, much better technology.
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Join Date: Sep 2001
05-23-2004, 10:26 AM
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The best time to grease the bearings is right before the trailer gets put in the water, although no one does this. When you pull up to the boat ramp it is also a good time to feel each hub and see if any are hot indicating a problem. Kinda restating it...the way to grease them is to add just enough grease until the spring loaded part starts to move and stop. You can recheck them by pressing on the center section and see if it rocks, indicating plenty O grease. You do not want to fill them until the cap tops out. Any grease on the backside of the hub means time to repack with new seals.
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05-23-2004, 7:58 PM
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Forgive my ignorance, but I've had my boat for 2 years and have watched my hubs as that is what I was told to do by the dealer. He said when you can't see the blue (the cap recessing) then it's time to refill them. I've pushed on it every now and again to make sure they weren't stuck, but they always seem full. Either that, or my service dept is filling them and not telling me. Is there another way to check the levels??
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Join Date: May 2001
05-24-2004, 8:34 AM
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I think the key point to take away from all of this is not to let them go dry and not to overfill them and bust the seal. Anywhere in-between is pretty good.
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Join Date: Mar 2002
05-24-2004, 8:39 AM
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Anyone else notice that the new Bearing Buddies (Model 1980) don't have the blue sleve anymore? I noticed yesterday that my trailer tossed a Bearing Buddy, so I picked up a new set. You can see the spring on the new ones, but there is no blue sleve.
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