The only boat trailer I've ever had problems with had a set of bearing buddies that I kept pumped up. The rear seals had blown out (due to my filling them all the time) and that caused problems.

That was 15 years ago and I've never used a grease gun since. Not one bearing related failure and I've pulled all kinds of trailers. I have mine serviced annually and leave them alone. No reason to pump grease in if grease hasn't come out. It doesn't melt or otherwise go anywhere, so adding grease only displaces grease. That is the cause of most problems. I inspect mine during and after each trip. If I see grease on the inside of a wheel, I've blown a seal and have it serviced. If not, I run it a full season and do nothing other than inspect it.

Another topic along the same lines is going on here:

http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=158967

Rick Pierce of BassCat Boats is the responder "BCB".

I posted in another section yesterday about trailer bearings before reading this, and now have another question. Bear with me, first time boat owner and first time on the maintenance.

My trailer has bearing buddies on them. At one time, there was a black "cover" over them and one cover fell off on the left/driver's side. I looked at the bearing buddies website and it seems that this may have just been a "bearing buddy bra." If so, would the bearing buddies being exposed cause any problems, or is that normal? The website states that the cover is there just to help keep grease from getting on the tires and trailer.

And secondly, I haven't put grease in the bearing buddies and need to. Would a grease gun kit at Wal-Mart from the sporting goods/marine section work fine, or do I need something special?

Arsonal-no, not having the bra on the bearing buddy is not a problem. They are mainly there to keep crud off the BB.

A grease gun from WalMart will work fine. Make sure you gat calcium grease instead of lithium grease. Lithium grease is white where calcium grease looks like motor oil.

just curious....what is wrong with lithium grease?

never had one go bad. I grease 'em about twice a year, make about 25 trips of about 150 mi. each per year. use marine grade grease and keep them full.

i greese my bearings before i go fishing.
this is about 1 time every 2 weeks.

If you don't know the condition of you bearings, inspect them.
Inspect them annually.

Recently bought an eight year old boat and trailer - trailer is a McClain with EZ-Lube spindles. Guy hadn't pulled the boat more than 5 miles in 5 years, but had made short (less than a mile) trips to the lake and back during that time. He mentioned he'd never serviced the bearings during that time. Boy, didn't that turn out to be the truth. Popped the rubber dust caps off, and the old grease flowed out like chocolate syrup. The two rear wheels' bearings were water contaminated (looked like melted chocolate ice cream and about as thick. Cleaned and inspected all bearings and races, found one set pretty badly pitted and replaced. New dust caps, seals and red grease all around, and several 150+ mile trips later she's running cool & doing good.

kicked my wheel and heard the clunk.... Changed bearings, seals, added bearing protectors and caps. $100 well spent.

trailer is a 1997- they had NEVER been changed. I always greased them, but they leaked everywhere!

How do you know what size bearings your trailer takes?

Every wheel bearing has a number on it that can be cross-referenced, usually at any auto parts store, in this application. Unless it's an oddball though, you can pick up what you need off the shelf at Academy, Bass Pro, Cabela's, etc. for about $12 to $15 per wheelset.

Don't forget Wal-Mart! They have some bearings. Don't know the size though.

I have a bt pro 185 i bought used, and the trailer axle is so bent my tires are wearing out; where can i find a replacement axle?

thanks

jon

These guys are good for axels, look for numbers or a manufacturs name on your axel.

im a trailer builder retired, im not big on the over the counter berings, from japan , or god forbid china, there to soft, dont get me wrong, thats probley 90 percent of whats on the market now, but on my trailers, all of them including dry land trailers, i have put buddy berings on, shocks on the axles, and ballance the wheels and tires, there are bering companys in my downtown area that sell domistic U.S.A. made in america, yea wave the flag, berings and races. i guess im crazy, but i like amer made, well anyway the the berings and races made here are better can withstand heating and cooling better because there higher tenstil steel, thay cost a little more but in the long run you save, if you do the work your self, thats great. take the hub off, take the berings out, the front falls out the back bering will stay in because the seal holds it in , put the hub in the middle of two blocks of wood, take a wooden dowel, or cut a old broom stick handle about10 inches long, stick it in the front of the hub, down to the bering, now knock the heck out of it downward and the bering and seal will fall out, take the hub wash it look in side were the bering was, and you will see the race,take a old screwdriver, or punch and gentley start tapping the back side of the race untill it falls out, turn the hub around and knock out the front race, wash them good so the bering company can read the numbers, and tell them you want real american made stuff, not import a lot of companys have them made to there spects and then import them, but theres still amer mfgs out there you just have to get the phone book and ask, we are lucky in s,a. we have boles bering, well if you found them, putting them back in is not so bad either, clean the hub good with a degreesor, put a litte greese on the race, find something the same diamerter of the race and start tapping it in, make sure it is all the way down in the hub, do the other race the same way and the hard part is over, take your berings and pack them with a top of the line baering greese, im sure you have a friend who can show you how to pack a bering in the palm of your hands, its not hard but you have to get the greese into the bering cage covering the rollers till it comes out the back, then take the back bering drop it in the hub just like it came out, then tap the seal in till its flush with the back of the hub, i aways buy 3 or more seals just in case i screw one up beating it in, than put the hub back on the axle, when it as far as you can get it, tap it whit a hammer gently to make sure it all the way on the axle, then put the front bering in, then the trush washer, than the axle NUT, now this is the secret to the whole deal,, YOU WANT TO SCREW DOWN THE NUT all the way as far as it will go, nice and snug, and then 3/4 or maybe a little more to SEAT THE BERINGS, THEN SPIN THE HUB BY HAND 3 OR 4 TURNS, then back off on the nut, just enough to feel the slighest amount of play when you grab the hub with both hands and move it, thats the secret to seat the berings good, but loose just a hair to allow greese to get on the rollers, and allow a little air space for cooling, then put your cotter pin in to the closet hole back io the tighter side,then put your bering buddies back on, and load them wiyh your greese gun, till the spring comes up, and your done. i POSTED this not for you mechs or old timers that do it yourselfs like me but for the guys that have to take there trailers to a garage and spend a bundle, its pretty simple if you get in trouble i bet you have a neighbor or friend that will talk you through it, i hope i havent wasted any to much of you guys time P S i grease mine comeing out of the lake every time, just crazy i guess, but i dont have any problems save your old parts, carry a new hub with packed berings,with a medium ballpeen hammer, water pump pliers, a cold chisel, a fine file, a thread chaser, rags, big flash light, a old blanket to lay on, a prayer book and that will handle that trip to the coast, oh yea for you other guys make sure you have a current credit CARD over and out