For you trailer experts...Bearing Buddies

[SaltwaterSlick]

The theory behind bearing buddies (or Bering buddies for Randy)... was started for boat trailers to keep water out of the hubs. The bearing buddies fill the hub completely with grease and the spring on the front cap keeps positive pressure on the hub so water can't get in. They also have a weep hole so they cannot be overpressured. If you put too much grease in them, it simply pops out the weep hole in the hub. This prevents the bearing buddy from blowing the back seal. I like 'em and they are pretty much flawless if used properly.

[brushtrooper]

IMO Every trailer should be like any other vehicle on the road and require a annual inspection certificate before it can be licensed for the road , I could start another thread about trailer horror stories.
Bad hubs
Bearings
Wiring
Brakes
Battery
Tires

Yes Sir,,check out this brake rotor thats on a 12k axle. It was making a little noise according to his driver..
I think it got a little warm..LOL

[Hoggslayer]

I wouldn't use them as a substitute for packing the bearing. Just a little added insurance to make sure bearings are plenty greased.

[Monark]

The theory behind bearing buddies (or Bering buddies for Randy)... was started for boat trailers to keep water out of the hubs. The bearing buddies fill the hub completely with grease and the spring on the front cap keeps positive pressure on the hub so water can't get in. They also have a weep hole so they cannot be overpressured. If you put too much grease in them, it simply pops out the weep hole in the hub. This prevents the bearing buddy from blowing the back seal. I like 'em and they are pretty much flawless if used properly.

^^^^ This. Not necessary for trailer wheels that don't get dunked on a regular basis.

[Burnadell]

Thanks for the input. This is NOT a boat trailer, and the utility railer won't get used that often. I just could not see how the grease with a Bearing Buddy could get through the close tolerances of the spindle from the outside bearing to the inside bearing enough to do any good. I think I will do without the Bering Buddies on this trailer and just repck it every couple of years.

[cva34]

Gota agree with Saltwaterslick/Monark...I was gona mention same

Repack bearing on schedule...Miles/Months/years.

When you repack Cleanliness is Mandatory.Proper Quality Grease too.Not old can of grease thats been around and had Dirty fingers in.

I monitor my bearings temp with IR temp gun Just cause (I got one) but if bearing housing is (too hot to touch), something is wrong.(Thats a old saying)

[SwampRanger]

Thanks for the input. This is NOT a boat trailer, and the utility railer won't get used that often. I just could not see how the grease with a Bearing Buddy could get through the close tolerances of the spindle from the outside bearing to the inside bearing enough to do any good. I think I will do without the Bering Buddies on this trailer and just repck it every couple of years.

I sea you did it again....nobody was rail against your railer Trandy.

[bigchiefj]

You can blow out the inside seal with bearing buddies. I've also blown the inside seal with the hubs that have the zert on the inside too.

Both styles keep the hub full of grease and it gets distributed into the bearings as the hub rotates.

[Les]

I just repacked my lowboy's bearings last month. I like to do them yearly before I start using it a lot. (Deer season) No bulgiebear-ings buds (sorry Randy!) for me unless its going to be submerged into salt water. I work with bearing ever day out here at work. One thing we try hard to do is not over pack bearing housings. To MUCH grease will not let the heat to dissipate.


It sucks to be on the side if I10 on a Friday evening doing bearings. One time years ago is all it took, and I PM yearly!!

[bboswell]

Thanks for the input. This is NOT a boat trailer, and the utility railer won't get used that often. I just could not see how the grease with a Bearing Buddy could get through the close tolerances of the spindle from the outside bearing to the inside bearing enough to do any good. I think I will do without the Bering Buddies on this trailer and just repck it every couple of years.

it gets through the outside bearing the same way it does when you hit the bearing with a bearing packer, the trick is to fill the void in the hub between the 2 bearings prior to installing the outer bearing.

[ccbrown50]

I wouldn't use them as a substitute for packing the bearing. Just a little added insurance to make sure bearings are plenty greased.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

[Burnadell]

I just repacked my lowboy's bearings last month. I like to do them yearly before I start using it a lot. (Deer season) No bulgiebear-ings buds (sorry Randy!) for me unless its going to be submerged into salt water. I work with bearing ever day out here at work. One thing we try hard to do is not over pack bearing housings. To MUCH grease will not let the heat to dissipate.


It sucks to be on the side if I10 on a Friday evening doing bearings. One time years ago is all it took, and I PM yearly!!

it gets through the outside bearing the same way it does when you hit the bearing with a bearing packer, the trick is to fill the void in the hub between the 2 bearings prior to installing the outer bearing.

Good input! Thanks

[Wall_Hanger]

The theory behind bearing buddies (or Bering buddies for Randy)... was started for boat trailers to keep water out of the hubs. The bearing buddies fill the hub completely with grease and the spring on the front cap keeps positive pressure on the hub so water can't get in. They also have a weep hole so they cannot be overpressured. If you put too much grease in them, it simply pops out the weep hole in the hub. This prevents the bearing buddy from blowing the back seal. I like 'em and they are pretty much flawless if used properly.

Bingo. The spring keeps the pressure within the hub higher than the atmospheric pressure outside of the hub so that should their be a leak, the leak occurs outward and water never enters the hub. If cleaned out and re-lubed annually they are dang near bulletproof.