Lubricating "new" Bearings

[DarkHorse]

G'Day Crew,

Recently had my boat "package" serviced as a whole.

Obvious things are engine, electricals on boat, but had to ask to service the trailer.

Bearings have constantly thrown grease/emptied since day one. Supposedly the bearings were replaced under warranty, only to find that no work had been done.

Unfortunately I have dunk the trailer and wheels when launching/retrieving the boat.

It is a Stacer (telwater) trailer with yum cha bearing buddies.

I use the red rubber caps during driving but have been told to remove them during launching/retrieving so that water drains out.

I would love to remove the yum cha buddies and find the BEST bearings/covers on the market even if they cost $$ and maintain them from scratch.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Rob

[chrisg]

Look up Durahub systems. Oil rather than grease based and work very well. Easy install too.

C.

[Catchin Jack]

replace hubs, new bearings and get axle machined and put on durahubs on, have either oil filled, greased filled or both.

[DarkHorse]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Fezza when you say get axle machined, do you mean machined to fit or get a new axle machined?

Also the trailer is braked, so has discs etc. I take it more of a problem..........

Got a few weeks off, but dont want it to interupt my fishing too much.

Regards,

Rob

[Catchin Jack]

sand axle ends to get rid of burs or if not true round probably cheaper to buy new one, mine cost me around 70 dollars, supply only.

[Lucky]

G'day Darkhorse, I've got bearing buddies too. I carry a grease gun in the boot of the car and after each retrieve I top up both bearings. The drive home then forces out any water and coats the bearings. Easy and effective.

[musty]

Mate my trailer is dunked into saltwater at LEAST once a week. I have bearing buddies on. Don't be removing the dust caps when u launch. Dunk the wheels retrieve and give the entire hub and axle a good blast with the hose when at home. Every 4-6 months pump the bearings full of a good quality grease via the grease nipple.

I have mates that change their bearing once every 12 months regardless, just to be on the safe side however i myself wait a little longer.

Musty

[andrew399]

How can you tell when they are ready to be replaced?

[spaners]

How can you tell when they are ready to be replaced?

Jack up the wheel and spin it,it should rotate evenly,no locking up or tight spots,grinding,rumbling or free play top to bottom.If in dought replace,its better than the price of a tow truck.

[musty]

How can you tell when they are ready to be replaced?

When your trailer wheel overtakes ur car going down the freeway

6 months prior they were ready to be replaced!

Musty

Edited November 14, 2010 by musty

[Fester]

You dont have to replace every year, just remove hubs, flush old grease out of bearings and hubs, check for case hardening coming off race, or pits in rollers, if any wear then replace, otherwise repack bearings and hubs, fit good quality seals and set bearing preload correctly, better to have a couple of mm's movement than overtightened bearings.

[Guest Aussie007]

How can you tell when they are ready to be replaced?

remove the hubs and check both bearings for pitting i removed my hubs today to find a shocker one side of the axle is rooted deep pits and the bearing isnt much better i reckon a previous owner went down the highway no grease locking up the bearing not a pretty sight seeing what i found today because of lack of bearing maintenance and it was the inner bearing so removal of the hub was necessary ah yeah and the wheels spun freely while jacked up before hub removal

[mr magoo]

i used to just check my bearings and if they seemed ok id just repack them with grease and away id go

i do a fair bit of towing up and down the coast

a couple of years back (3ish)i checked all of the bearings and they seemed fine

towed the boat down the coast and a bearing failed on the way home ,a 150 kms from home sunday arvo

i chained up the axle to the frame and towed the boat back slowly on 3 wheels back to the van park and made the repairs good

so now i just replace them yearly

cheap insurance

and you will find that if you overfill the bearing buddies they,l spit grease through the little hole in the side,i wouldn't worry about it ,just a tad messy ,my rims look as they've been dipped in grease,lol

and i leave the caps on too,right or wrong don't know

cheers arman

Edited November 14, 2010 by mr magoo

[Day's Fishin]

Hi Rob, I run bearing buddies and leave the caps on. I just had a bearing collapse on me luckily we noticed the wheel wobbling after launching the boat as we had just been traveling at 100k's per hour on the expressway. I checked all wheels for play and pumped grease into them before we left. A bearing can collapse for no apparent reason apparently. If you are getting a lot of grease coming out I would be looking at how the seals are seated, you may find that the axle is not true and the seal won't seat properly.

Regards Jeff

[a boat]

Hi, not sure why on a 4.35M Stacer would you get the wheels and running gear wet. That rig would be easy to launch and retrieve without getting them wet and I guess no one showed you how to do it right because on any ramp around here I could easily launch and retrieve by myself without getting the running gear wet and having that walkway makes it a breeze.

If you like, organise a time that I am going down to the Hawkesbury and you can tag along and I can show you how to keep the trailer dry and then you do not have this issue.

Cheers,

Huey.

[iMick]

For what it's worth I have used bearing buddies in the past and now prefer the metal hubs with a coat of grease on the outside to seal where the hub connects with the trailer, works great for me. I bash off the hubs about once every 2 months and flush out and repack with that inox red stuff.

The hub with a lick off grease on the outside does keep out the water, as far as I can tell, and the bearing are going strong into their second year.

Mick

[iMick]

Hi, not sure why on a 4.35M Stacer would you get the wheels and running gear wet. That rig would be easy to launch and retrieve without getting them wet and I guess no one showed you how to do it right because on any ramp around here I could easily launch and retrieve by myself without getting the running gear wet and having that walkway makes it a breeze.

If you like, organise a time that I am going down to the Hawkesbury and you can tag along and I can show you how to keep the trailer dry and then you do not have this issue.

Cheers,

Huey.

With your experience I'm sure you are right, but with my 4.2m boat with some ramps the angle just doesn't seem right, therefore my wheels do go in the drink. I'm too scared that my boat will bottom out on launch. Does your method include having some weight up front of the boat (eg. a person) on launch?

Picnic Point ramp my wheel don't go near the water, Parley Bay they do.

Mick

[DarkHorse]

Hi, not sure why on a 4.35M Stacer would you get the wheels and running gear wet. That rig would be easy to launch and retrieve without getting them wet and I guess no one showed you how to do it right because on any ramp around here I could easily launch and retrieve by myself without getting the running gear wet and having that walkway makes it a breeze.

If you like, organise a time that I am going down to the Hawkesbury and you can tag along and I can show you how to keep the trailer dry and then you do not have this issue.

Cheers,

Huey.

Hey Huey,

Thanks for the reply. Nope was never shown...... In saying that the stacer trailer only has small wheels and find that with most ramps, because of the angle, I have to get the running gear wet.

What shall I use to keep the rollers on the trailer running smoothly?

I believe in maintaining all my gear, including the boat and trailer. I have always been proactive rather than reactive. Probably OCD.

Regards,

Rob

[DarkHorse]

Thanks for ALL of the replies!

Will keep the grease filled. I was told by stacer dealer NOT to have covers (red) on during launching/retrieving as it traps in the water. Stacer does not recommend there use and no longer supplies them for their trailers?

One of the bearing buddies does not sit level, never has. Even when filling yesterday with grease it moves outward on an angle.

Even the new grease yesterday (blue marine, lithium based) has started to seperate into a liquid and pool at the lowest point on the buddy housing!

Regards,

Rob

[a boat]

Hey Huey,

Thanks for the reply. Nope was never shown...... In saying that the stacer trailer only has small wheels and find that with most ramps, because of the angle, I have to get the running gear wet.

What shall I use to keep the rollers on the trailer running smoothly?

I believe in maintaining all my gear, including the boat and trailer. I have always been proactive rather than reactive. Probably OCD.

Regards,

Rob

Hi Rob, that trailer has 13 inch wheels and I would not call them same. 10 inch yes are small wheels, but really does not make a difference in how you launch a boat and as i said the offer is open, plan on using the boat up here on day and see if i am running a boat as well and I will show you. As for the angle of a ramp, yes a flat ramp would not be ideal, but still I would not get the wheels wet and if you wind the boat off it does not hit the bottom.

Cheers,

Huey.

[DarkHorse]

G'Day Huey,

Thankyou will definately take you up on the offer. I have a few weeks off at the moment and would be nice to have a fish on the Hawkesbury. Thank you.

Whilst I have your attention, what should I use to lubricate the steering arm and pivot points on my engine?

Previously it has had a red type grease applied, which quickly goes a muddy colour after getting wet.

I have been told by one boat shop to wipe away all grease and just use WD40............

Another said to use any type of grease.

Also read to use power steering fluid?

I have a post here:

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=52212

I appreciate your help. Again Thank you.

Regards,

Rob

[defyet]

I dont understand why they would tell you to remove the bearing buddy caps when launching and retrieving if the wheels go in the water, wouldnt it make more sense to leave them on to stop water getting in, then when you pull it out of the water take them off incase any water did get in there and it can drain out? Rather then taking them off so they do get wet.

[Guest Aussie007]

I dont understand why they would tell you to remove the bearing buddy caps when launching and retrieving if the wheels go in the water, wouldnt it make more sense to leave them on to stop water getting in, then when you pull it out of the water take them off incase any water did get in there and it can drain out? Rather then taking them off so they do get wet.

i think there saying to leave the bearing buddy in place just remove the rubber cap to allow excess water to drain

[a boat]

Hi Rob, we use a BRP product called triple guard grease on everything except wheel bearings and have used this for many many years on all the brands of outboards we service.

Cheers,

Huey.

[DarkHorse]

G'Day Huey,

THANK YOU for the info. Purchased some of the triple guard today, from what I read it was originally made by OMC, but with the buyout and newer grease technology? It is now sold by BRP. I would have purchased some from you, but I live half a world away, sorry.

I now need to find good "water resistant" lithium high temperature wheel bearing grease............... what a mouthful.

Still I wouldnt ming getting a new set of buddies (good quality) or the durahubs.

Regards,

Rob