bearing buddies?

[The Quadfather]

I have a new trailer as of last year,, it has bearing buddies. I was wondering if any of you have any particular maintenance that you do with them? I can see plenty of lube/oil whatever it is within the hub. If you recall there is that plastic window cover which shows the liquid good stuff. Trailer is used mostly in salt, and i rinse everything well afterwards.

[YellowBear]

I add Grease to mine twice a year and I launch around 100 times each year.
The first thing you need to find out is whether or not your bearings are oil bath or Grease.

[The Quadfather]

I add Grease to mine twice a year and I launch around 100 times each year.
The first thing you need to find out is whether or not your bearings are oil bath or Grease.

They're oil bath. i realize i could just ask the dealer, but i kind of like hearing what kind of things people who are hardcore into fishing/boating do with their equipment.

[swedefish4life1]

Salt water use more:bball:
Your trailer is your diaper there and back.
Keep it clean and lubed and rinse and wash it after any fish off!:-$
Clean is mean and pride of ownership that goes for main motors and kickers as well

[G-Man]

Quad,

I recognized that you had oil bath hubs from your first post. I've got them on my trailer as well and will never go back to using bearing buddies again! As long as the fluid is clear, amber colored and around half full your good to go, if it's cloudy change it out immediately as water has gotten in there somehow. As for maintenance, EZ loader recommends that the oil be changed every 2 years and kept at the proper level. Don't believe the BS that will surely follow this post saying that oil bath hubs are a disaster waiting to happen! I've been all over Washington and Oregon, salt and fresh and have had zero issues. If you have brakes on your trailer, you should look into installing a washdown system for them. I cheat and dump the boat and trailer both into the lake after having it out in the salt and then pressure wash/rise when I get home.

[Anglinarcher]

Quad,

I recognized that you had oil bath hubs from your first post. I've got them on my trailer as well and will never go back to using bearing buddies again! As long as the fluid is clear, amber colored and around half full your good to go, if it's cloudy change it out immediately as water has gotten in there somehow. As for maintenance, EZ loader recommends that the oil be changed every 2 years and kept at the proper level. Don't believe the BS that will surely follow this post saying that oil bath hubs are a disaster waiting to happen! I've been all over Washington and Oregon, salt and fresh and have had zero issues. If you have brakes on your trailer, you should look into installing a washdown system for them. I cheat and dump the boat and trailer both into the lake after having it out in the salt and then pressure wash/rise when I get home.

At the risk of raining on G-Man's parade, Oil Bath hubs are great, but not bullet proof. I know of one person that turned a little tight on a bad ramp and broke the oil bath cover from the hub on a concrete curb (at least that is what he thinks happened), draining out the oil as he left the ramp. The wheel froze up on the way home.

A grease hub might have survived, if found soon enough, but the oil hub did not have a chance.

I have heard stories of gravel doing the same thing, but have not seen it.

Still, watch the hubs, and I'd kind of like them on my rig. The key, with either system, is to check them often.

[fishing collector]

It only takes a few minutes to change the oil in your hubs. We always change the oil after every season or 6 months. Check often for any color change from new. If it changes to a milky color change immediately cause you have a leak. We always carry a bottle of Hilton's Hyperlube with us for emergencies. We launch in salt water and we wash the brakes and trailer after every trip. We have had the same problem with the broken hub. We hit a curb also. We carry a rubber piece that fit's over the housing to keep in the fluid. As long as you don't break it off and only crack it this will work well. Plan ahead for problems. We have never had any problems with this system other than the curb. I'm sure you will have many years of use, trouble free with just some common sense and some preventive maintenance. Have a nice safe Holiday, Steve

[Rich McVey]

Right on. Lots of good info. My trailer is a '61 and both hubs are getting a full rebuild, and a bearing buddy will be a must. Not sure yet which route I'll take, oil or grease, alot will depent on initial price and availability.

[hewesfisher]

At the risk of raining on G-Man's parade, Oil Bath hubs are great, but not bullet proof. I know of one person that turned a little tight on a bad ramp and broke the oil bath cover from the hub on a concrete curb (at least that is what he thinks happened), draining out the oil as he left the ramp. The wheel froze up on the way home.

And for that very reason, EZ Loader is no longer producing the clear acrylic hub covers, or at least that was what was reported on the Hewescraft Owner's Forum. The replacements are now metal and as "indestructible" as a bearing buddy style hub or their predecessor.

I have an EZ Loader trailer under my Hewescraft, and the owner's manual says to change the oil if it becomes milky. It also says to not worry if the oil darkens shortly after being replaced and that it is normal. I could find no reference to how often the oil (50 or 90 weight recommended) should be replaced, but a 2-year schedule sounds prudent to me assuming there is no water intrusion. If the oil gets milky, the hub cover o-rings should be checked as well as the oil filler screw.

I'm with G-Man, oil bath hubs are the way to go, well, unless you really like messing with grease and packing bearings. :compress:

[Bodofish]

In a past life I serviced semi's and trailers for a gravel co. We changed the oil in the hubs every 60k or every other oil change. That's a lot of trailer miles.

[Big D]

Information from the bearing buddy web site:

BEARING BUDDY VS. OIL BATH
Some trailer manufacturers are offering an oil bath system as an alternative to a standard bearing protector, such as Bearing Buddy®. They claim that since long haul trucks use this system it must be a superior system to a grease packed hub. What they fail to recognize is that America's highways are the perfect environment and application, as the constant miles and tire rotation keeps the bearings well lubricated. Boat trailers, however, operate in a completely different environment. The hubs on a trailer can heat up during long trips and when they are dipped into cool lake water, the sudden temperature change creates a vacuum inside the hub. This vacuum will draw any condensation, moisture, or impurities directly into the bearings, which can cause premature bearing failure.
Standard bearing protectors, such as Bearing Buddy®, make it easy to visually check the amount of grease inside grease packed hubs. The internal spring piston exerts about 3 p.s.i. against the grease to ensure that no water enters the hub when the hub is submerged during loading and unloading. When properly maintained, there are no voids inside the hub where condensation can form during wither storage.
By comparison, oil bath hubs should be checked after every loading/unloading cycle to make sure water has not penetrated and diluted the oil. Small leaks can cause the oil to escape and once this happens, bearing failure is quick and complete within a few miles. Most oil bath hubs are only half filled with oil and must be carefully inspected to maintain the proper level. Too much or too little oil could cause problems.
If a Bearing Buddy® is knocked off, it would still be possible to run for many miles without bearing failure. This would not be possible with an oil bath. Bearing failure would occur within a few miles.

[Anonymous]

Information from the bearing buddy web site:

BEARING BUDDY VS. OIL BATH
Some trailer manufacturers are offering an oil bath system as an alternative to a standard bearing protector, such as Bearing Buddy®. They claim that since long haul trucks use this system it must be a superior system to a grease packed hub. What they fail to recognize is that America's highways are the perfect environment and application, as the constant miles and tire rotation keeps the bearings well lubricated. Boat trailers, however, operate in a completely different environment. The hubs on a trailer can heat up during long trips and when they are dipped into cool lake water, the sudden temperature change creates a vacuum inside the hub. This vacuum will draw any condensation, moisture, or impurities directly into the bearings, which can cause premature bearing failure.
Standard bearing protectors, such as Bearing Buddy®, make it easy to visually check the amount of grease inside grease packed hubs. The internal spring piston exerts about 3 p.s.i. against the grease to ensure that no water enters the hub when the hub is submerged during loading and unloading. When properly maintained, there are no voids inside the hub where condensation can form during wither storage.
By comparison, oil bath hubs should be checked after every loading/unloading cycle to make sure water has not penetrated and diluted the oil. Small leaks can cause the oil to escape and once this happens, bearing failure is quick and complete within a few miles. Most oil bath hubs are only half filled with oil and must be carefully inspected to maintain the proper level. Too much or too little oil could cause problems.
If a Bearing Buddy® is knocked off, it would still be possible to run for many miles without bearing failure. This would not be possible with an oil bath. Bearing failure would occur within a few miles.

Good info “Big D”.

There is one word of caution that should be stated about using Bearing Buddies - DO NOT OVERFILL! Only fill until the spring is compressed on the Buddie. Overfilling will blow grease past the inner seal in the hub and that grease will contaminate the brake pads rendering them useless. I personally found out the hard way years ago. The cost of replacing galvanized brake shoes is horrific (Figure $350.00 per wheel for new shoes, backing plates, and turning the drum.) so use caution when pumping grease into the Buddies.

[Bodofish]

Information from the bearing buddy web site:

BEARING BUDDY VS. OIL BATH
Some trailer manufacturers are offering an oil bath system as an alternative to a standard bearing protector, such as Bearing Buddy®. They claim that since long haul trucks use this system it must be a superior system to a grease packed hub. What they fail to recognize is that America's highways are the perfect environment and application, as the constant miles and tire rotation keeps the bearings well lubricated. Boat trailers, however, operate in a completely different environment. The hubs on a trailer can heat up during long trips and when they are dipped into cool lake water, the sudden temperature change creates a vacuum inside the hub. This vacuum will draw any condensation, moisture, or impurities directly into the bearings, which can cause premature bearing failure.
Standard bearing protectors, such as Bearing Buddy®, make it easy to visually check the amount of grease inside grease packed hubs. The internal spring piston exerts about 3 p.s.i. against the grease to ensure that no water enters the hub when the hub is submerged during loading and unloading. When properly maintained, there are no voids inside the hub where condensation can form during wither storage.
By comparison, oil bath hubs should be checked after every loading/unloading cycle to make sure water has not penetrated and diluted the oil. Small leaks can cause the oil to escape and once this happens, bearing failure is quick and complete within a few miles. Most oil bath hubs are only half filled with oil and must be carefully inspected to maintain the proper level. Too much or too little oil could cause problems.
If a Bearing Buddy® is knocked off, it would still be possible to run for many miles without bearing failure. This would not be possible with an oil bath. Bearing failure would occur within a few miles.

And was that taken from Bearing Buddy Liturature? I've had them both and you can keep those messy bearing buddies, water contaminated grease is as good as no grease at all. I've replaced a number of sets of freshly greased bearings on a boat trailer, always twenty miles from no where. If you only ruin the bearings you're doing good. I'd much rather check the oil through the window and call it good. I'll never look back, if I get another boat and trailer it'll have oil baths too. If you ever need to top up an oil bath bearing, it's time to replace the seals. They should require zero maintenance between oil changes. I've had my hands on way too many oil bath bearing in an extremely dirty envionment to not trust them. That's my 2 cents.

[AdsBot [Google]]

I am not an expert when it comes to what is best. I have a 26 ft boat trailer that has greased bearings and a 16 ft with oil bath and both have served me well. I make a point to re-pack the bearings on the 26 ft trailer each spring before the boating season and have never lost a bearing. Although I have never had a problem with the oil bath bearings, Freeway Trailer in Fife highly recommends using greased hubs in lieu of oil bath. Apparently they have had some major problems with oil bath in the past.

[hewesfisher]

I am not an expert when it comes to what is best..

Me either, but there are still folks out there that think we should be maintaining our batteries by specific gravity measurements too.

Like anything new and different, there'll be naysayers on both sides. Me? I'm keeping my oil bath hubs, they're as close to "maintenance free" as I can get, and I can tell at a glance if there's a problem with what's inside. Can't do that with any of the grease 'em up types unless you pull a cover.

[AdsBot [Google]]

I found thd following article interesting. It kinda falls in line with what Freeway Trailer in Fife told me.

A Note of Caution On Oil Bath Hubs ShoreLand’r Offers Trailer Owners
A Note of Caution
IDA GROVE, Iowa 4/22/05— As this year’s boating season approaches there is a new debate among boat owners about the best way to maintain their trailers. The debate centers around grease pack versus oil bath hubs. ShoreLand’r, a leading manufacturer of boat trailers, offers a note of caution to owners thinking of switching to oil bath hubs or purchasing trailers with that type of hub.

ShoreLand’r uses grease pack hubs exclusively because they offer the majority of boat owners the most protection, reliability and convenience. Oil bath hubs have been used for years on large over the road trucks and trailers. America’s highways offer the perfect environment and application as the constant miles and tire rotation keeps the bearings well lubricated. Also, with minimal down time there is little opportunity for condensation to form inside the hubs.

Boat trailers, however, operate in a completely different environment. The hubs on a trailer can heat up during long trips and when they are dipped into cool lake water, the sudden temperature change creates a vacuum inside the hub. This vacuum will draw any condensation, moisture or impurities directly into the bearing, which can cause premature bearing failure.


“For convenience and worry-free operation, grease packed hubs are better suited for the average boater,” says Butch Williams, ShoreLand’r Sales Representative. “Grease packed hubs can be safely run for many miles even if the protector is knocked completely off the hub.”


For the average boater using oil bath hubs, condensation also becomes a problem when the boat is stored over the winter, or only used a few times a year. With many oil bath hubs, it is necessary to rotate the wheels every other week to prevent rusting and pitting of the bearing surfaces when the boat is in storage. That is a chore that most boaters easily forget or ignore.

“Oil bath hubs may make sense in some applications, but when it comes to boat trailering, they are a disaster waiting to happen,” says Tom Long, a licensed captain and outdoor writer from Jacksonville, Fla., who has seen every kind of trailer problem in his 40 years of boating.

“I’ve seen every trailer failure known to man and oil hubs tend to fail more often than grease hubs. From problems with condensation to constant maintenance, they just don’t make sense for the average boater,” says Long

Oil bath hubs should be checked after every loading/unloading cycle to make sure water has not penetrated and diluted the oil. Small leaks can cause the oil to escape and once this happens, bearing failure is quick and complete within a few miles. Most oil bath hubs are only half filled with oil and must be carefully inspected to maintain the proper level. Too much or too little oil could cause problems.

By comparison, standard bearing protectors make it easy to visually check the amount of grease inside grease packed hubs. The internal spring piston exerts about 3 p.s.i. against the grease to ensure that no water enters the hub when the hub is submerged during loading and unloading. When properly maintained there are no voids inside the hub where condensation can form during winter storage.

Jim Pritchard, owner of Fat Cat Trailer Repair in Jacksonville, Fla., agrees that when an oil bath hub fails it can get expensive in a hurry, “Not only are oil bath hubs more expensive to replace in the event of a failure, an owner might be faced with an expensive towing bill to the nearest marine dealership. In addition to replacing the hub and bearings, the axle might have to be replaced as well. By comparison, a bearing protector would cost around $20 to replace and the likelihood of damage to the axle is small.

“We see a higher failure rate of oil bath hubs, especially with boat trailers,” says Pritchard. “If it was my trailer, I’d go with the grease packed hubs every time. They are the only way to go for greater reliability and peace of mind.”

ShoreLand’r recommends the use of grease-packed hub for greater dependability and reliability. Oil bath hubs require constant maintenance to ensure that the oil level is properly filled. The presence of air inside the hub can allows condensation to form, and rust to develop on the bearings.

For more information on trailer maintenance and the complete line of ShoreLand’r boat trailers, call 1-800-859-3028.

[G-Man]

Something to note when using bearing buddies, don't mix grease types! I have had total bearing failure occur when I accidentally topped up one of my buddies with a non-calcium based grease before a trip to Eastern Washington. Different grease formulas can react with one another and either harden up or become overly viscous leading to overheating and failure.

If you use a quality gear oil in your oil bath hubs you will not see any pitting during extended rest periods and even if you have moisture intrusion it is unlikely to cause rapid failure. I use a fully synthetic gear oil made by Valvoline which keeps its viscosity under a wider range of temperatures and provides excellent protection against rust/corrosion in the event you get any moisture in the hub.

If you get moisture in a greased bearing, you will not know it until you 1. disassemble it and perform regular maintenance 2. your hub starts to make noises that it shouldn't or 3. your wheel falls off! You will have pros and cons with either system. I just prefer the ability to instantly see the condition of the hub with the oil bath system. And if you are paranoid about a cracking a hub cover get a spare! Further, if you use bearing buddies I suggest you get a spare one as well as they can come up missing when you least expect it.

[Anglinarcher]

WOW, a lot of passionate responses, from both sides. I indicated before that I would not mind having an oil bath on my next trailer, but to be honest, I am not so sure now.

Perhaps the old adage is true, if it is not broken, don't fix it. Sure, I don't trailer a 30' boat, in fact, about an 18' is all I will ever tow.

I have used the old style where you add grease almost all the time, no spring, no bearing buddies. If I changed the grease out once a year, a little water in the grease made no difference; just use a marine grease.

I now have the bearing buddies on, or should I say knock-offs that came on the trailer. They do not have the window on them, but a metal cap over the spring instead. Nevertheless, I have had the boat for about 9 years now, and pulled the bearings once to check them out. No moisture, no problems, so I doubt I will even check them again.

So, just how much passion should we have about our boat trailers?#-o

I suggest we have gotten past the suggestion phase of this thread and are now in the argumentative phase. Sure, most of us don't use specific gravity to check batteries now, but if you have an older "style" battery, it works just fine. Still, if you have "improved" technology, use the improved methods that go along with it. Perhaps, just perhaps, we have gotten a bit off track here.

Perhaps the cold weather outside has left us with a little too much cabin fever?:-"