Tip for keeping bearings in boat trailers

Kayakkermit

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Location
Ontario
TDI
Jetta TDI, 2002, Silver
If you own a boat on a trailer, I'd like to give you a tip to help you keep long life in your trailer wheel bearings.

First off, use a good wheel bearing grease with high water resistance properties; it should say it on the label. Only fill the hub with enough grease so that with the spindle in, only 1/3 of the hub is filled. Too much grease will kill a bearing very quickly due to causing high heat rise.
This is also a great time to advise you NOT to use a "bearing buddy", for exactly the reason above.
Replace your grease yearly, its cheap insurance, and it also gives you the opportunity to inspect the bearings for pits / oxidation / heat marks.

Secondly, when arriving at the boat launch, BEFORE putting the boat in, stop and have a picnic lunch. This will give your hubs a chance to cool down after the trip. Interestingly (to me anyway) when you back a boat trailer into the water with hot hubs, the cool water quenching the heat actually causes a vacuum to form inside the hubs, effectively vacuuming water into them (which is exactly what you have been trying so hard to prevent).

Thirdly, when you do replace the bearings, make sure to replace both the cones (the bearing part with the rollers) AND the cups (the outer race), AND ALWAYS replace the seals.
Do NOT purchase bearings made in China!!! The #1 tapered roller bearing manufacturer is Timken, and NTN also makes a very good product at less cost.

By following these suggestions, you should be able to enjoy many years and many miles inexpensively. I hope this helps at least one person to keep their bearings longer.
 

Darren_J

Veteran Member
Joined
May 23, 2001
Location
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
TDI
MK 4 TDI
Thanks for the tips. I picked up a shorelander trailer for my boat with the bearing buddies, I wasn't sure how much to put in, I guess a little will go a long way.
 

Darren_J

Veteran Member
Joined
May 23, 2001
Location
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
TDI
MK 4 TDI
Thanks for the tips. I picked up a shorelander trailer for my boat with the bearing buddies, I wasn't sure how much to put in, I guess a little will go a long way.
 

SoTxBill

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 14, 2000
Location
its not the base, its the additives!!
TDI
13 passatdsg 10 jetdsg, 09 jetdsg, 2006 jetdsg, 2001Jet, 96passat, 86jet, 81 jet, 78pickup all vw diesel.
talk about bad advice!!!!

first off use only grease designed for marine applications is a good ideal but must be stated correctly... graphite is a noble metal and graphite based grease is NOT compatible with water and will actually help eat the metal away from the bearing surfaces when exposed to water... so for marine applications... use a marine approved grease.. or the bearing/metal will fail faster and literly be eaten away... trailers are not necessary a marine application but since you can get a high quality grease's that are graphite free.. it doesnt necessary hurt...

now that we stated that correctly...

secondly.. do NOT fill the hub with any grease... you pack the bearings not the hub... you have to clean the bearings.. and dry them... do not spin them dry as they we be damaged with no grease on them... then ether pack them by hand by forceing grease into the grooves on the big side till it oozes out of the little groove.. do this all the way around the bearing till all air spaces are removed... thats why it called "repacking a bearing"... or used a bearing packer that covers the bearing and does the same thing but be sure to use an approved grease for axle bearing use and if done correctly any good bearing grease will work but do NOT pack the hubs.. hubs get no additional grease... replace the inside grease seal and install the hub.. only the bearings have grease on them.. the hub is otherwise empty.... and the bearing should be well packed so that there are no air pockets and grease is oozing out everywhere, around all rollers, as well as the inner and outer cages....

bearing buddy's.... most people have no clue about bearing buddys or how to use them..

you dont fill the hub full of grease... read the instructions... the bearing buddys have spring loaded ends on them... after installed... you apply one or two pumps of grease to them... as you do so.. you will the end caps move out slightly against the strong springs... this is important!!! what you are doing is NOT filling the hub with grease.. what you are doing is pressurizing the hub and the springs move out slightly due to increasing the air pressure in the hubs from adding a small quarter ounce or less of grease.. the PRESSURE in the hubs will NOW prevent water from entering the hubs... if the hub is pressurized the water cannot enter the hubs... the bearing buddies have a mark to show that the outside disc has moved out against the pressure of the springs so that you can check them by simply looking at them at any time... and if they are moved back in to the danger mark.. you simply give them a pump of grease.. one pump is usually enough for a year or so... and after about 10 years or so you might end up the the hub 1/10 full...
if your hub will not hold pressure, your inside grease seal is bad or you have a mechanical failure somewhere... as a rule of thumb, 1 lpound of pressure will resist 2 feet of water pressure.. the little spring on the bearing buddy is pretty stout so you better have a good grease seal or it will simply pop off the back side and the spring indicater will not move... so remember to check the bearing buddy to see that it show the springs are compressed due to hub pressure...


letting the hubs cool is howerver good advice but sometimes unpracticle as the long line of folks waiting behind you to launch their boats expect you to move quickly once you have entered the boat launch area.. so please pull over before the lauch area and prep your boat before blocking the launch area.. make up a list of things to do,, including installing the boat drain plug,, and even pre starting the engine so that you dont get to ramp to find your battery is dead or your engine will not start... and you tie up the ramp for 30 minutes or better... proper maintaining you bearing, and boat means safety for everyone...
so dont necesary believe the everything you read...sorry....
 

Kayakkermit

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Location
Ontario
TDI
Jetta TDI, 2002, Silver
First off Bill, what I said was to use a grease with high water resistance - your tangent of a specific grease is all yours, not mine.
Glad you have lots of knowledge, you might consider using it in the proper context.
Secondly, how many bearings have you sold? How many product schools? This has been my career for the past nearly 17 years - with well over half a dozen bearing schools under my belt. Plus the fact that I am a branch manager. Oh, and my specialty is troubleshooting and design engineering.
Thirdly, the vast majority of people use a bearing buddy incorrectly - hence being better off not using one.
Fourthly, when originally packing, you still put some grease into the hub - it will purge itself.
In another post, you tried to argue against a physicist for crying out loud. You may be a very intelligent man, but I'd suggest you reallize that maybe you are not an expert in everything. I post what I know, and ask what I don't.
God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason, to listen twice as much as we talk.
The majority of your posts that I have read seem to be more negative then anything.
 

y22man

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Location
SLC, UT
ahh, I took a breath. =)

I personally have had 17 years of expirence of taking care of bearings on my boat trailer and have insturcted my buddy about bearing maintance. I have owned 2 differnt Meatal Craft boat trailers. 1 holding a '88 19' Marlin Cuddy, 1 holding a '95 240 Celeberty Bowrider.

I had a steap learning curve. I did no matanance on the first trailer and pooped the bearings while turning around in the culdasac at the end of our street. Ok, I now repack bearings every Fall before I winterize the boat. I clean the bearings. I then put grease in my hand and work the grease in the bearings til they are repacked. Have not had an issue since.

On the second trailer my bearing buddy fell off in the spring. I did not replace it and was planing too at winterize time. Bad mistake. 1 month later, about 1 hour out of Misquite heading too Lake Mead from Salt Lake City, I saw my boat throwing out cigeretts. =) It was red hot bearings being tossed. Pulled over and boy was I lucky. I did not lose the tire but it was close. I had to run down to Vegas to get a new axle due to the spindle being toast. I had to repair the trailer on a highway off ramp. From that point on, I make it a priority to have a spare bearing buddy at all times. I will never tow, or put the boat in the water without it. I think it is sound advice to keep or install bearing buddys on boat trailers. I am not one to instruct people on this. This is what I have learned. A quick search on bearing buddys will provide ample research.

I have not had a problem in the last 9 years. Infact, The bearings look great. I replaced my bearings last year and the Napa fella said those bearings look good for a few more years. I still wanted the peice of mind and replaced them. Cheap insurance.

******
P.S
Oh and one more thing. Anyone know of someone wanting to sell their '95 or newer celeberty 240 bowrider? I have one or 2 buyers.
 

Kayakkermit

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Location
Ontario
TDI
Jetta TDI, 2002, Silver
It would appear that you use your bearing buddy correctly, and you clean and relube your bearings every year.
As I had said, the vast majority of people don't, and that is why it is better for them to not have it.
Personally I am more then pleased when people can keep their bearings in good shape for a long time. I would honestly much prefer to *not* sell them as often - I have made my reputation as an honest person who will try to talk a customer out of the wrong purchase and into a better solution, even if I make 1/10 the money. I have engineered solutions for clients where there was no sale at the end of it, but it was the right solution. Why? Because my reputation is worth more then any bearing I could sell, and people know that when they have a problem, I will help them. That tends to breed loyalty, and they are willing to pay a little more for their other purchases because they know that all in all, I save them large coin.
I am pleased that you are so responsible with your bearings - right now and in the future we are starting to, and will more and more, have problems getting them - all the scrap steel has been shipping to China, and the bearing manufacturers are beginning to have problems sourcing the raw material to make their own steel. I am hearing form some of the manufacturers that their factories are beginning to give 26 week deliveries
 
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