trailor bearings

On every stop, check for heat and give it a shove from the side to make sure it isn't loose. Polish Pack them once a year.

I have never blew a bearing on my trailors. I very seldom grease them neither. I just pump a bit of greasin once in a while. I used to pack it full, and even pack the hub cap full of grease and hammer it on so the grease would smash in there. I called it a polish bearing buddy, but never had a problem that way neither.

On a boat trailer, you are supposed to pack the hubs full of grease as the grease is used not only to protect the bearings but also to help keep water out. Which is the reason for the grease nipple on bearing buddies and some spindles. Just be careful that you don't put too much grease in as the pressure created when putting the castle nut back on could pop the rear seal off.

Funny JRod, I do almost the same. No fun being stranded on the side of the road. I don't keep a spare hub assy., but I do keep an extra set of bearings, races, seals, and grease. Also keep the 25 dollar hydraulic jack from Farm and Fleet, way better than the jack that came with the Silverado.

less is more in the grease game. also quality over quantity. I was never a big amsoil guy until i tried the water repellent synthetic grease. take your hubs apart, wash the bearings in diesel fuel in the bottom of a coffee can, and gently hand pack the bearings with the magic blue goo. bearing buddies are a waste. they only seem to get the front bearing. the airspace in the hub helps to dissipate heat. i keep a spare set of bearings, and cotter pins handy for trips. clean and check anually. heavy boats eat bearings faster than light ones. smaller tires spin faster than big tires. salt water? good luck on that. finally pack a bottle jack, some wood blocks, and whatever tools you need to do a driveway job for your road trip. a fullsize spare is mandatory. radial tires are far superior to biasply. yes ihave lost tires, bearings, and all of the above... i actually carry a spare hub assembly. $75 and much faster when the 18 wheelers are buzzing by at 80 mph! i guess thats it for now, sorry about the rant.

No such thing as "too much grease".[/

Too much grease makes your bearings run hot! Don't over grease or you blow out your seal and that is how water gets in as well. You should do a visual before you pull away from where ever you are no matter what. If your rims have grease all over them you are in need of a new seal. Don't forget to check the insides as well. Bearings and grease have come a long way over the last 20-30 years. You don't have to grease them as much as you think. Always nice to have a spare set of bearings greased and ready for replacement in the tool box. Along with a seal or two.

I agree MJ. Once you get past the apprehension of doing it yourself, it is surprisingly easy to do. After you've repacked or changed wheel bearings once or twice yourself, you ask yourself why you ever paid someone to do it.

Bearing, races, and seals for each axle does not cost more than 20 bucks. At least that is what mine cost at Napa. I do repack mine in the Spring, and don't overload it with grease. I do add some here and there, and feel the hubs whenever I stop to make sure they are not too warm - but it still surprises me how much grease is in there the following Spring when I remove them to inspect / re-pack.

MJ is right on. A Bearing Buddy slightly pressurizes the bearing. A bearing will warm up while in use causing expansion, thus the reason for the spring in the Bearing Buddy. It takes (relieves) the pressure from expansion off the rear seal. You should only put enough grease in the Bearing Buddy zerk to just move the spring. Most bearing failures are caused by water that enters the bearing when backed into the water while still hot. The bearing components and grease cool too quickly (contract) sucking water into the bearing. BB's are protection against heat differential and are not a method of actually greasing a wheel bearing.

I was informed by a marina mechanic that the average boater should check and repack trailer bearings every two years (replace if required). In the between years you can pump grease in, but only need to once at the beginning of the season. He said, "Think about your car, those axles need grease too, but do you pump it in every trip you make?" Too much grease pumped in and you will blow out the rear seal. Same gentlemen told me that he hates bearing buddies, because they make people think that they never need to inspect their bearings and that all they need to do is keep pumping in more grease. The grease that you pump in either forces the grease that is in there already to come out the front while putting pressure on the rear seal or it is replacing the grease that was lost while when it was escaping out of the already blown rear seal (check the inside of your wheel to see if it is coated in grease from a failed rear seal). Made sense to me and once you have gotten past the apprehension of doing it yourself, you will realize that it is not as bad as you thought it was going to be. There are people who put more miles on their trailers than some people put on their cars, I would suspect your trailer upkeep is slightly more than the average person.

Just the rigamarole that I follow, I am sure everyone has their own thoughts, ideas and opinion. But nothing will replace the need for checking and repacking your bearings, whatever your usage schedule dictates.

Your on the money Wet-net. Every time you stop it is a good idea to feel the hub to see if it is warm. They usually get hot before they fail.

I repack my bearings in the spring. I know it should be done before winter storage but its hunting time. I do feel my hubs with my hands allot . By doing this I can tell if one hub is running hotter then normal. I only add grease 3 to 4 times a year. To much grease can blow out the rear seal. If you are concerned about loosing a bearing on a trip you can always pack a spare hub thats ready to be put right on the trailer.

No disrespect Hangeye, but you can over grease a bearing. Too much grease can insulate the bearing, and it won't be able dissipate the heat very effectively, and can ultimately fail. Whenever I repack my bearings I go pretty sparse on the grease. Do a google search on it, you may be surprised.

You do want to add grease to displace any moisture, but you also want to remove the old stuff.

No such thing as "too much grease". Loose a bearing to a lack of grease and it takes a spindle with it is not good. And when this happens in the middle of tim buck three, it is no fun at all. Been there, done that. I give mine a shot of grease every time I'm going more than 10 miles from home.

I think over-kill is right! If the BearingBuddys are cleaned and filled they will do their job and you wont need to grease again till they show they are getting low..................