Was wondering how often I should grease up my bearing buddies on my trailer? I usually travel from Lewisville to Ray Roberts and back when I go, so grease up after 5 trips? 10 trips? What rule of thumb does everyone go by on this?

Once or twice a year should be fine no farther than you are pulling it. Just keep an eye on them for any signs of problems such as grease coming out of the inside or outside seal. If you will feel of the hubs when you get to the lake before launching, and when you get home, you will be able to tell if they are getting warmer than normal. If they are getting hot, you'll need to find out why.

If you will pull the hub every other year and inspecty the bearings and repack or change them.... we probably will never see you on the side of the road.

!!! inspecty !! have not had my coffee yet!

Typing TOOOOOOOOO fast!

Also watch those lug nuts. My wife lost the closed acorn lug nuts on her lincoln after being over tightened by a local tire dealer.

I bought a used ranger and the guy just installed new crome wheels with the closed lug nuts. I watched them because I knew they could be a problem.

I pull the boat 3 miles at 40 mph. On the third trip the studs stripped on the right tire and the wheel came off. I now have white trailer steel wheels with open lug nuts.

WOW This is all good info! I just purchased my first boat and had the same question about greasing the bearings. I guess the same would go for travel trailers. Good To know!!

Actually if you have bearing buddies on your hubs they have a green oring on them. Before you leave just look at your bearing buddies and if the green oring is not showing then grease them until it does you should be just fine. Just make sure you use a good quality grease and follow Boatmans advise the repack (and inspecty ) them on a regular basis.

Make sure you do it at least twice a year, if was so busy this year forget to do them and lost a hub and almost a wheel, pulled up after fishing in my parking lot and my dang tire fell off, the bearings went and then the hub went, i went ahead and put two new ones on to be safe, and make sure you tighten the hub up to where it needs to be, i have to retighten mine this weekend, i put them on and greesed them and the greese came out the back.lol so i know it did not go on enough to seal the back.

Ray

Same for RV's. Inspect mine minimum of every year and more often if I use the trailer a lot. If your bearing buddy's don't have the ring, and have an exposed spring assembly, watch the spring! When you put in grease the spring compresses - at a glance if you see the springs open then you may need to check bearings and add grease. DON'T FORGET the TIRES. Some don't look low but will only have about 15 or 20 lbs. Any distance with a low tire can cause a blowout. I pull a 5th wheel with the boat behind and I carry an extra bearing set for each one. (Had to limp in one time - not fun, learned lesson)

Take if from me , go ahead and greese those bearing at least 3 times a year, i'm am having to pay $365 for a new axle which went out on me last saturday, after two new hubs it still went bad.

ray

This is a great site for info, tips, tricks, even spiritual matters...put it on your "favorites" list and come back often.

JR

I have a 20 year old Ranger on a OKT trailer and have never done anything but keep the bearing buddies full. I have not even pulled a hub and have had no problems. I check them about every 500 miles and add grease if need be.

never hurts to put a little shot of grease in then everytime you pull your boat. i do my motorcycle trailer everytime i use it,but i am making 400 mile trips.
fish on!

I keep a grease gun hanging in my carport, every time I pass by it I am reminded that grease & oil are the cheapest parts you will ever have to buy, hit 'em a lick or 2 every month or 2, it don't hurt a thing to do it!I like the black lithium grease the best, it seems to repel water the best, as long as you don't blow out your wheel seals, you cannot overgrease the bearings in a trailer of any kind! I hate bearing failures on the side of the road caused by "grease worms" eating up the bearings, hub & spindle!

u need to run down to walmart and pick up some bering buddies they are cheap and easy to install and u will no when u need grease with out having to pull the hub cap off good luck

Whatever you use here is a good tip. Let the trailer sit for 15 minutes after heating them up driving to the lake. Letting them cool reduces the tendency for water to intrude into the wheel and cause damage.

Keeping pressure in bearing buddies also helps.

I have changed one hub out in over 30 years of fishing and 200k miles of pulling a trailer. The one hub I changed was due to the bearing cap falling off and the hub loosing all its lubricant.

I love the oil bath hubs.

Done a ton of bearings for my customers. Here's what I do. Pull the hubs, replace the bearings and races. The inside bearing I pack by hand, install the grease seal and pack the space between the bearing and the seal. Install the hub on the spindle, fill the hub completely with Mystic grease, Hand pack the outer bearing, install the washer, tighten the nut, install the cotter pin. I then place a Bearing Buddy on the hub and pump enough grease into it to make the spring expand 1/4in. Place a Bra over the cap and never touch that bearing again.
What I do is inspect the inside of the wheel rim for grease each time I head out to the lake. If grease is present---you have problems. In order for grease to excape from the hub, water has entered. What you guys are doing with the grease gun is causing yourself problems by overgreasing and blowing the seal out. Think about this. How many times have you repacked your front bearings on your truck? What never! Why not? Your truck is running in water everytime it rains doesn't it. But you don't grease them everytime you go on a trip. My last bass boat made 3 trips 200miles North of Toronto Canada and Back, plus traveling to Amistad,Falcon,Fork and numerous lakes around here. No bearing falure. No extra grease. But I will admit, Once a year, I jack the trailer up and listen to the bearings. Any noise---their out of there, and on that last bass boat I never had to replace a bearing. Sorry for getting so long winded.

Allison1 right about letting the bearings cool down..I think the reason you like oil bath is because oil is less dense than grease, less friction, less heat. Hard to contain but better.. Everyone over greases their bearings, like Mike says-don't use that grease gun. Also I don't pack the hub full, just the bearings,If you push in enough grease in to move grease out pass the seals the seal will let water in. Also try running on dry ground or on sand, sand works the same on legs, as packed hard grease does on your bearings..FRICTION....IMHO Bearing Buddys cause more problems than they solve...Cover the bearings with grease and keep the water out,with good seals... Problem sovled..
My 2Cents

kingdad -- you da man-- I live in Santa Fe, the Home of Sportsman Trailers. Those guys over there told me 20 years ago that buddy bearings cause most people more harm than good. Not that they don't work but people pump that grease gun til the cows come home. Result is blown inner seal. My advice is if you have buddy bearings - DO NOT OVERGREASE and take your hubs apart and do the maintainance the correct way once a year if your trailer travels alot.

If you have the Ranger trailers with the needle valve, thats the best way. It injects grease through the inside of the spnidle and comes out the between the two bearings. This is the best as far as I've seen since bearing buddies just add grease to the outside of the hub. The key to them also is to grease until you see grease moving, a couple pumps.

I always carry a spare new hub and bearing, already packed with grease and ready to go. You never know where that old fickle finger of fate is going to point! I pack my bearings by hand and the use the bearing buddies,I use about one or two squirts at the maximum every 3 months. I always check the hub temp every time I stop. If buying a new or used trailer, make the dealer or seller pull the caps off the hub and make sure the washer is there.

Mike Halfmann the boatmann

You are the only one that I have ever seen or heard that does pack bearing the way my father taught me 55 years ago. I do the same thing you do and over fourty years of trailering I have neve had a problen.

VERY GOOD ADVISE...

I just got my first boat and I want to buy a bearing kit for it. How do I know what size I need? Do I just measure the diameter? I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road on a bad day. The trailer has the buddy bearings on it.
Thanks

My $.02 worth is that I agree with the frequent greasers You know what bearing buddys are designed to do?

When towing, heat and friction build up causing bearing to expand. Back your rig into 55 to 80 degree water and the metals contract quickley pulling water into the hubs. The bearing buddy keeps positive pressure (via grease) not allowing water to enter.

Not all buddys have the ring etc. to show they are full. I give a couple of pumps of grease per trip till I see the end plate move out a tad.

Like the other Guys have said, It's a small price to pay.

Anything I can do to prevent tow vehicle, boat, or tackle failure makes for a better Fishin' trip.

As far as tha spellin' thang goes, There is a freeware program called Tinyspell. Do a web search for it. It's made for forums like this.

TFF is Awesome!

If you drive far enough to heat up the bearings, let them cool for 15 minutes if you can.

When greasing bearing buddies, just enough to make the insert move...no more.

Pulling the wheel and cleaning/repacking once every year or two is the best single thing. It was mentioned several times, I will add it once more.