New tires, new bearings, ready to go.

[wiliermdb]

Spent my morning hitting a couple of places until I found my grease seals for the back of the hubs. Installed new bearings and races, marine grease and bearing buddy's. Yesterday I dropped off my rims at a tire shop a couple of miles from work and picked them up on the way home.

Ended up with a pair of Triangle brand radials in a 175/ 80/13 with new valve stems, mount and balance for $141. It's actually a nice looking trailer tire that doesn't look cheap. Owned by BF Goodrich, supposedly. 

Plan on hitting the river tomorrow and give the ski pylon it's first test.

[Rosscoe]

Its nice to keep the trailer maintained. I think this is an area that gets neglected alot. I'm guilty of this but before getting involved in this club, I was trailering about 10 miles to a lake so it wasnt getting much use.
My 2 cents in Bearing Buddys. I used to think these were great but at least for me, I no longer care for them. Heres why.
1. I have a tendency to over fill them with a gun and I think this can blow out the seals.
2. If viscosity of the grease is thin enough to go through a grease gun, I think its too thin. I had it running out after it heated up on my last trip to Red Wing. Made a mess of the wheels.
Just look at real wheel bearing grease in a can. That stuff is thick and stringy. Also, taking them apart to grease them gives you an opportunity to inspect the bearings. Just my opinion.

[Jerry]

OK here we go, Just for Ross, and the rest of you non-believers. Marine grade grease gun grease is what you use whether you hand pack (which you need to do even with Buddies) with just a hub cap, or with Bearing Buddies. First your seal surface must be good (on the axle) this may mean you need to install "speedy Sleeves" they are at the same bearing supply house you get your "double lipped seals" the cheap crap you buy in that kit was designed to keep grease in "Double lipped" seals were designed to keep grease in, and water out. You really need them if you don't use buddies because when you back into the water and the hub is warm it cools off and causes a vacuum that sucks water in. If you are using Bearing Buddies and only fill them until the spring is 1/2 collapsed, you will keep a positive pressure on the hub, and water can not get in to rust your bearings. If when you pressurize your hub and grease comes out the back, you did something wrong, start over with speedy Sleeves, and double lipped seals.

Do it right and you won't be stuck on the highway with one wheel and a bad weekend.

[V153]

when you back into the water and the hub is warm it cools off and causes a vacuum that sucks water in.

Makes sense. More on speedy sleeves please. Can imagine what they are but have never seen one. I'm assuming it/they come with their own set of bearings?

[CVX Fever]

Ended up with a pair of Triangle brand radials in a 175/ 80/13 with new valve stems, mount and balance for $141. It's actually a nice looking trailer tire that doesn't look cheap. Owned by BF Goodrich, supposedly. 

Never heard of those. Hopefully you'll have good luck w/them. Good decision going with a radial over a bias ply.

Ross - They make plastic bearing buddy caps that slip on by hand to keep grease from slinging all over the place. Even if you don't overfill BB's they'll still make a mess all over the wheels unless your just towing around the block!

[badgercarlson]

I had the cheap crap you talked about and had blown-out seals for years and years.  I just kept adding more grease after each trip.  The inside of the wheels was a big greasy mess.  Anyway, I decided to get bearing buddies a few years back.  To my surprise, the old bearings looked great.  I suppose all that grease getting thrown out and me continually adding more grease kept fresh grease in the bearings.  I should have put on bearing buddies a long time ago.   If I need to add a little grease, which is rare, I pump the grease gun slowly.

[wiliermdb]

Looks great and rides great.

I hand packed my hub using a butter knife. First I packed each bearing with grease then I packed the bearing buddy with grease and set aside. I used the knife to fill the back side of the rear seal cap and after placing the rear bearing in the hub I added more grease in there and sued the knife to make a hole for the spindle. Used my greasy gloves to wipe grease on the spindle and install the hub. After installing the front bearing I topped off the space with grease using the knife and installed the greased Bearing Buddy. I'll let that settle in and then put the gun to it to top it off.

[Rosscoe]

Yikes! I thought for sure Jerry was an old schooler and would dislike Buddies. Jerry yelled at me again.
Speedy sleeves... ?
There is so much I dont know.

[TomLund]

Here is a dumb question what are speedy sleeves? I have only pack bearings one certain way. I had bearing buddies fail on me that was on my bass tracker on my way leech lake nothing like working on your trailer in mills fleet farm parking lot in baxter mn

[Rosscoe]

At least you had a source for parts. My wheel literaly fell off at a landing once. I was pulling the 163 out and looked in my mirror and the wheel was wobbling all over. I stopped and the trailer was sitting on the tire. Managed to maneuver it into a handicap parking spot, took the wife and step kids home, got tools and went back to work on it. It was a Sunday though, so by the time I knew what I needed, it was too late to buy another. Man, I couldnt sleep knowing it was sitting at that landing, outside all night.

[MarkS]

Jerry's pic has a speedi sleeve laying on top on the axle, not yet installed.  The seal riding on the slightly raised portion of the axle (usually 1.25" on a 1" axle) will get a groove "milled" into it where the seal rides.  Sometimes corrosion will cause pits there as well.  The speedi sleeve is pressed (or driven) over this area to provide a new sealing surface for the seal to ride on - seal against.  They are normally purchased in a a kit with the speedi sleeve and the proper seal to go along with it.  Just give the parts guy your old seal number, or mic the axle and give him the measurements, and he can fix you up with the proper kit.

The reason bearing buddies blow rear seals out, and leak grease everywhere out the "weep hole" in front is because someone over filled the bearing buddy.  You just want to pump grease in until the inner piston in the bb barely moves outward.  Occasional checks to make sure the piston hasn't bottomed out indicating the need for a few pumps of grease, and check the bb to make sure it isn't working loose from the hub are highly recommended.  Should really be part of every pre-trip inspection, along with lights, tires (inflation and damage), lug nuts, and all the usual stuff, IMHO.  I love 'em!

[wiliermdb]

My seal areas were pretty clean. I just wrapped a strip of 600 paper around it and polished it out. Smooth and no grease leaking out.  I bought two extra seals and kept the old bearings and seats as back up in the event I ever need a road side repair kit. I keep that, a complete prop kit, set of plugs, about 5 feet of wire, terminal kit and other items in the boat for that one time you may need something.

I'll be putting the bearings to the ultimate test Memorial Day weekend when I drive 430 miles one way to Austin, TX to spend the weekend with my brother and nephews. They are looking forward to a day full of skiing, tubing and knee boarding.

[Jerry]

Thank you Mark for looking at the picture and explaining it better than I did. I put speedy sleeves and Bearing Buddies, and double lip seals on all my trailers. (and carry a spare) I also run 8 ply tires at 70 lbs. (and carry a spare)

[Rosscoe]

Jerry, do you get these at that trailer parts supplier on N Mpls? I have the name somewhere...

[Jerry]

I get them at Interstate on 494 by the airport, just because they're close. Any good Bearing dealer should have them.