Docwheelhorse 2,660 #1 Posted May 30, 2022 Remember folks... keep pumping grease in until you see it seep out (around the brake drum is usual JUST enough) Happy Memorial Day Tony 8 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 7,007 #2 Posted May 30, 2022 Wheel bearings generally don't have grease fittings. I wonder if somebody pumped grease into the bleed valve on the wheel cylinder? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,202 #3 Posted May 30, 2022 (edited) 14 minutes ago, Docwheelhorse said: (around the brake drum WTF? We need to hear the 'back story' on that one Doc! Someone is taking "Greasy Pete" to heart I think ! I bet even Pete would say that's a bit too much "Red N Tacky" ! @peter lena Edited May 30, 2022 by Jeff-C175 1 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Docwheelhorse 2,660 #4 Posted May 30, 2022 1 minute ago, Jeff-C175 said: WTF? We need to hear the 'back story' on that one Doc! It's not anything I was involved in... my buddy sent me pic after his buddy sent pic after his buddy..... lol 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Docwheelhorse 2,660 #5 Posted May 30, 2022 10 minutes ago, 8ntruck said: Wheel bearings generally don't have grease fittings. I wonder if somebody pumped grease into the bleed valve on the wheel cylinder? Look up "bearing buddies" on google..Google... they are bearing caps with grease zerks so you can show your bearings some love by giving them a pump or two now and then 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,202 #6 Posted May 30, 2022 3 minutes ago, Docwheelhorse said: "bearing buddies" Never seen 'em on a car or truck. Plenty seen on boat trailers though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,307 #7 Posted May 30, 2022 They have been putting grease fittings on trailer spindles as an option for years as a sales gimmick. Stupid, lazy people pump grease in and it pushes right past the ill fitting seal and lubes the brakes. If you have those fittings, smack them with a hammer and hand pack the bearings. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,127 #8 Posted May 30, 2022 Bearing buddies are a wheel bearing salesman's best friend! My brother who is not mechanically inclined had a boat that he took out to his cottage every weekend. I asked him one Christmas if he ever had his trailer bearings re-packed. He said no need because he had bearing buddies on it. I told him he would be calling me at some point. That spring first time out, when he went to back into his driveway, one of the trailer wheels fell off! Ruined the spindle and everything. From then on every fall I would find 2 trailer hubs by my door to the garage for me to clean and repack. 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 17,000 #9 Posted May 30, 2022 My boat trailer had no brakes. Just a hub with 2 bearings and a seal. The only place for the grease to go is completely through both of the bearings and out the seal on the other side. (The same side and place water can get in ) Super quick and easy to give it a couple of pumps every once in a while. The spring loaded action of the button continues to push grease through slowly the whole time it's being towed and let's you know when to give a pump. Used correctly on SMALL BOAT trailers they work very well. Had them on there for over 10 years and never had a problem and never changed a bearing, neither does my friend that has it now. Lazy people like me that know what they're doing can use them for their intended use. Stupid people that don't know anything aren't going to be able to grease pack a bearing anyway and if you're stupid enough to put them on where they don't belong (Like the pic above), good luck!. I'm guessing Squonk's brother never bothered to ever pump any grease in his. The bearing buddy doesn't automatically supply a lifetime of grease to the bearings and eventually it just becomes another dust cover like any other dust cover. It's certainly not the bearing buddies fault the guy drove it until the wheel fell off. Boat trailers that launch frequently need much more frequent attention to that inner bearing than dry run trailers do. 4 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
c-series don 8,708 #10 Posted May 30, 2022 @wallfishEspecially if they are going in salt water which is basically all we have around here! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 7,007 #11 Posted May 30, 2022 This topic reminds me that I need to check the bearings in my pontoon trailer. I've had it 3 years, and it probably has between 100 and 200 miles on it. Been in the water 8 or 10 times. I'm planning on taking the trailer to our place on Mo. to bring back some 4" I beams for a project here in Mi. That's about 1400 miles. Better make sure the bearings will be up for it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimSraj 430 #13 Posted May 31, 2022 Just got back from 800 mike trip to deliver the 1267 with the rebuilt k301 to my camp in WV. The trailer I used has only been mine for a little over a year and I never checked the bearing so I decided to get in there and I installed Bearing Buddies before the trip and I’m glad I did. One of the bearing seals was shot so along with the BB new bearings and seals. No problems and pretty nice not wondering about the bearings on the trip. BTW, the tractor ran great and mowed like a champ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 25,578 #14 Posted May 31, 2022 Used bearing buddies on small no brake boat and utility trailers for years with excellent results. As @wallfish says above, if used correctly they do the job intended. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wh500special 2,184 #15 Posted May 31, 2022 (edited) I've always had bearing buddies on my boat trailers and never had any problems. Like the others said you just have to use them properly. Most of them have some kind of telltale on them that indicates that you've filled them sufficiently. On the ones Tony pictured the little disk the grease zerk is mounted to rides on a spring and you can visually tell when they're getting full. You give them a pump or two until the disk just about stops being able to be rocked back and forth. They usually also have some kind of weep hole on them that will sling excess grease out of the hub when they are running down the highway or fill the exterior space around the fitting with excess grease. The idea is that the spring exerts a pressure on the grease to combat the water pressure trying to push water into the hub when the trailer is submerged. Also supposed to help counteract the effect of a warm hub getting put into cold water and sucking in water. The caveat is you can blow the seal if you're overzealous with filling them. If you don't have any grease seal leakage, they very rarely need to be pumped back up. Still need to repack regularly though. I have them on my boat trailer that has electric brakes. Since I can't see the seal on the backside of the hub I am really cautious about giving them a shot of grease lest I fill the brake drum like in the picture. And yes, electric brakes are just fine on a freshwater boat trailer. Steve Edited May 31, 2022 by wh500special Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
