Grease for bearings

[dazz999]

just pack by hand old school works the same as a bearing packer unless you have a bearing packer which is just quicker

[Redhunter]

If you're taking out the bearings, replace them. For the few bucks it costs, it's peace of mind. Chances are that they will be shot anyway. I'd also strongly recommend putting bearing buddies on. No boat trailer should be without them imo.

[barra mick]

[quote="purple5ive"]replace them man, std seals will let more salt water in than a marine one as its just a basic dust cover.
your bearings will be most likley corroded by now and almost all of your grease might have leaked out the dust cover by now
see how you go when you take them out anyway..[/quo

If your putting your trailor in salt your best to do the bearings once a year.....at least take them out and have a look

mine are pretty much atuffed after a year.

[KeenAds]

If it was my trailer I would take them out and buy a full set of bearings and seals to be on the safe side. Use a good quality marine grease and pack by hand. Be careful when fitting the hub back on that you don't damage the seal otherwise your efforts will be for nothing. Don't over tighten....

With the old bearings give them a good clean with kero and if they are still good keep them as a spare just in case your on a road trip and run into trouble.

[ango]

Hi, I always use Castrol marine grease, I check & repack bearings annually by hand, my current set are 10 years old & still going strong to my amazement. You can tell if bearings are shot by jacking up the wheel and checking if it feels smooth when you turn it, also after a drive feel if they are hot, if so there is trouble ahead. My experience is trailer manufacturers rarely use marine seals on their trailers so best to check ASAP when you get a new one.
Cheers
Ango

[Mattblack]

Thanks guys....I searched the internet for ages looking for these answers!

[Nude up]

I buy my wheel bearings from bearing wholesalers they are a large chain and there should be one near you. If you have never changed wheel bearings before go on you tube ther will be someone who has posted. I use grease called red purchased from where I get the bearings from.
I remove and repack my wheel bearings every year and replace if required, the inner seal has to be replaced every year it gets damaged when you remove it.
The best thing to do is when you have removed the 1st hub clean it and the bearings take them to bearing wholesalers they will match the bearings part numbers and they will have the correct size rear seal. They will also have bearing buddies buy genuine not cheap plated rubbish again they come in different sizes.
When you have bought everything keep the part numbers . I take a photo and have a file on my phone of all my boat bits oil filter fuel filter etc.
A tip with bearing buddies pre fill your hub with grease install once the bearing buddy is tapped into your hub pump grease in until the inner plate starts to compress the spring then stop the spring is to allow thermal expansion and will prevent you blowing the rear seal out.
Good luck having a tandem its a half day job lucky for me my mate tuna tube comes round and gives me a hand.

[Mattblack]

Trailer worries me more than the boat to be honest!
So general consensus is:
1./ Check bearings regularly by spinning wheels and checking temperature after use.
2/. Remove and repack by hand (make sure the grease passes through the grooves of the bearings & don't over tighten) Do this at least once a year (replace if required)
3/. Use a good quality marine grade Lithium grease capable of handling extreme temperatures (Red, Castrol)
4/. Use good quality bearings (Bearing Wholesalers) http://bearingwholesalers.com.au/
5/. Carry spare set of bearings in case of emergency
6/. Do not presume trailer manufactures use good quality bearings
7/. Buy some bearing buddies
8/. Keep photos of all parts on your phone for easy reference.

thumbs up.jpg (4.48 KiB) Viewed 777 times

[frozenpod]

I have a full hub with bearings and grease ready to use in the event that a bearing fails on the road. Makes the repair time much faster.

Bearing buddies are good certainly worth the money. Provided you are not dunking hot bearings into salt water they should last for years.

The last time I changed mine they had been in for 6 years.

[drew 2]

Might pay to check the axle journal where the seal runs if you've never had it apart before.If it is badly grooved it wont seal up properly.Not an easy fix unfortunately.They can be sleeved but requires removing the axle for machining.Sometimes cheaper to buy a new axle.