- Someone mentioned that since only the outside bearing is
covered by the Buddy, that the back (inside) bearings are
still open to getting water into them.

Nope, the hub is full of grease. The bearing buddy insures that there is a
slight pressure in there and that they stay full. That is the function of the
spring plate in front. Centrifugal force and associated motion will distribute
the grease around the outside of the hub, The BB inserts in in the center to
fill any voids.

Ok, the other Bearing Buddy thread was interesting, but
getting long. A few more questions:


- Someone mentioned that since only the outside bearing is
covered by the Buddy, that the back (inside) bearings are
still open to getting water into them. Is that right and if so
is there some solution to that?

- Someone else mentioned Oil Filled bearings. I am looking at
a picture of one in the West catalog. What are the pluses &
minuses of this (other than price which I can figure)?


Thanks,
Gary

I posted both. The oil filled hubs are by far superior. Every semi trailer
you see will have them. With minimal care, making sure the oil is in there and
clean, these hubs can run a hundred thousand miles EASY. Im sure they could
outlast your trailer, boat and the vehicle you tow it with.
The bearing buddy will not keep water out, the seal does that. Most people
will keep pumping grease into the bearing buddy until it blows the seal, then
the grease will go through and push the water out. Park rangers here wont let
you put your trailer in with grease all over the wheels which is what happens
when the seal blows. If you dont want to spend the money for the oil filled
hubs your best advice is to get the bearings re-packed each season.

"Gary Warner" wrote in message
...

From this, it seems just repacking each season is best for us.

We don't need 100,000 miles out of the trailer - oil filled seems
overkill.
Probably only put a few thousand each season. And repacking is not
difficult at all, done it before.

How did you flush out all the old grease? Spray? Take it to a shop and have
it dunked in a parts cleaner?

How did you flush out all the old grease? Spray? Take it to a shop and
have
it dunked in a parts cleaner?

Now that I think about it.....actually I didn't REpack, just packed...I
bought
new bearings and put them on a used trailer I had purchased. So, how
*does* one get the old grease out??

So, how
*does* one get the old grease out??

Start be scooping and wiping out all you can, then use paint thinner (mineral
spirits) to get out the rest. I usually soak the bearings themselves in a
plastic peanut butter jar full of solvent, that I can shake up, one at a time
so you don't chip them.

A basic cleaning solvent (naphtha) followed by brake cleaner (to dry out all
the naphtha) works well. Then a good blow job (without spinning the
bearing) and you are ready for new grease.

--
Steve

=======================
Remove the not dot from my address to abuse my email box
"Gary Warner" wrote in message
...
How did you flush out all the old grease? Spray? Take it to a shop and
have
it dunked in a parts cleaner?

Now that I think about it.....actually I didn't REpack, just packed...I
bought
new bearings and put them on a used trailer I had purchased. So, how
*does* one get the old grease out??

" - Someone mentioned that since only the outside bearing is
covered by the Buddy, that the back (inside) bearings are
still open to getting water into them. Is that right and if so
is there some solution to that?

It isn't the "bearing" that has the bearing buddy, it is the hub. The
whole point of the bearing buddy is that it pressurizes the entire hub via
the spring loaded plunger. As long as there is a positive pressure inside
the hub, water will not leak in.

It is the seal on the axel that must hold this pressure, and this is where
the system may eventually fail. Over a period of years, the seal will
eventually lose its ability to hold the pressure for very long and then
things get to be a greasy mess. A seal in good shape will allow the bearing
buddies to hold pressure for multiple trips. When it gets to the point that
you have to regrease the system just before you launch it is time to
consider changing the seal.

Which brings up a good point: if the plunger on the bearing buddies isn't
pumped up when you back the trailer into the water, it won't be doing its
job. Carry the grease gun with you, and check the bearing buddies just
before you back down the ramp.



- Someone else mentioned Oil Filled bearings. I am looking at
a picture of one in the West catalog. What are the pluses &
minuses of this (other than price which I can figure)?


Pluses: An good oil bath will definately keep the bearings better
lubricated and would also provide better cooling.

Minuses: A contaminated oil bath does NOT do a good job lubricating the
bearing. Having all the oil leak out doesn't lubricate the bearings at
all.

When you back the trailer into the water there are two things that will
create a pressure differential between the inside of the hub and the
surrounding water. The first is simply the depth, which will be about 1/2 a
PSI per foot of water depth. The second is the fact that the hubs could be
hot, and the water is cold, causing the air inside the hubs to contract. It
is certainly possible that you could end up with a couple of PSI pressure
differential. If the seal leaks, water gets in.

Rod