Hey all...

My wife and I have a 180BR on a Heritage trailer.  I believe the trailer has what are called "bearing buddies".  There isn't anyplace to grease them.  I don't have any experience with a trailer like this, and we're approaching the end of the third year we've had the boat...  I'm afraid there is maintenance that needs to be done that I'm not doing.  Can anyone help out?

Thanks,

Chad

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2005 180BR
"Hope She Floats II"

Chad,

You should be able to pull of the "cap" at the end of the axle and see the grease fitting.  I just did mine this year.  I have a two axle trailer.  One axle had a black rubber cover over the axle end, the other did not.  Here is the Bearing Buddy website for more info.

 http://www.bearingbuddy.com/faqs.htm#7

Good luck

Heath

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"Mother Hen"
2003 202BR
Vancouver, WA

After three seasons without fresh grease to top off the bearing buddy (unless your winterizing mechanic has been doing it),  I'd suggest have the hub disassembled and have the bearings re-packed.  From what I have heard, the bearing buddys are fine to keep them topped off, but they still do need occasional re-packing maintenance since it isn't a totally flow through system unless you pop a grease seal from overloading.  As mentioned, the bearing buddy's that I have seen have had a plastic cover over the grease zerk on the front of the hub.

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Un-Civil-ized 2002 230BR, MX6.2 BIII on a Prestige Trailer. Moonstone/Amethyst with silver diamond graphics

Mine have a chrome center cap covering the fitting, pop it off with a small screw driver to expose the fitting......

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1999 202BR MISS "B" HAVEN
Platform by swimplatforms.com
Samson Wakeboard Tower

so you guys are saying I still need to repack even if bearing buddies installed? I have had them on past trailers and never repacked. Have I just dodged lightning? From what I could tell all the grease would get mixed in with the older stuff. Pluse I think you loose some when you back the trailer into the water. I have read that the hubs get warm enough to drop some grease when they hit the cool water. The seals contract and allow grease to escape. Thus the reason to keep adding grease?

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Limited Edition 230BR 8.2Liter/502CI (GSI Volo Penta) DP-S

LAKATION

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I have bearing buddies and they will leak (seep) a little grease over time.  I pump them up about twice a season.  I have never repacked my bearings in 10 seasons and I trailer everywhere with some trips of 5-6 hundred miles.........

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1999 202BR MISS "B" HAVEN
Platform by swimplatforms.com
Samson Wakeboard Tower

Randy Brooks:

I have bearing buddies and they will leak (seep) a little grease over time.  I pump them up about twice a season.  I have never repacked my bearings in 10 seasons and I trailer everywhere with some trips of 5-6 hundred miles.........

good hear that is what I have done on all my trailers. I even have bearing buddies on my ATV trailer. I love not having to re-pack the bearings NASTY!!

 

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Limited Edition 230BR 8.2Liter/502CI (GSI Volo Penta) DP-S

LAKATION

Project(s) Completed:
2000 Watt Stereo Systerm
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Coming Soon:
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Thanks all... As it turns out, they are "trailer buddies", and there is a stainless cap that covers up the zerk fitting.  These are the ones that have a blue ring that shows when they're full of grease.  Both have the blue ring showing.  I'm going to go ahead a put a shot or two of grease into each.  With the blue ring showing, should I need to repack the bearings?

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2005 180BR
"Hope She Floats II"

Maybe every few years it wouldn't be a bad idea to repack them if you trailer a lot but otherwise, probably don't need to worry too much.  Just don't over grease.  Worse than under greasing cause the pressure will blow out the inner grease seal and then you'll get water in the hub. 

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O'
"Little Mascara 3"
2003 266BR,496 MAG w/Bravo III

Since you haven't put new grease in them for awhile, I'd still suggest a re-pack.  I have heard of grease getting hard if you don't keep up with fresh stuff.  The bearing buddies are better than nothing, but I have heard of occasional issues of thorough flow.  I have the Sure Lube bearings which is a totally flow through design--new stuff in the front zerk, old stuff gets pushed out the back.  With regular maintenance, you are probably OK with the bearng buddies, but I'd still re-pack every few years with that system.  From what others have told me when they have disassembled their bearings, the bearings in the flow through system definitely had less wear than the bearing buddy style. 

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Un-Civil-ized 2002 230BR, MX6.2 BIII on a Prestige Trailer. Moonstone/Amethyst with silver diamond graphics

Randy Andersen:

Since you haven't put new grease in them for awhile, I'd still suggest a re-pack.  I have heard of grease getting hard if you don't keep up with fresh stuff.  The bearing buddies are better than nothing, but I have heard of occasional issues of thorough flow.  I have the Sure Lube bearings which is a totally flow through design--new stuff in the front zerk, old stuff gets pushed out the back.  With regular maintenance, you are probably OK with the bearng buddies, but I'd still re-pack every few years with that system.  From what others have told me when they have disassembled their bearings, the bearings in the flow through system definitely had less wear than the bearing buddy style. 

 

Randy, No doubt you should repack the bearing buddie bearings, I find wheel and hubs all the time along the road that had that system installed and failed. I got me a free spare tire and several of my friends also because of that false sense of security.

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2006 crownline 180 br 1957 16' chris craft. GO GO WHITESOX !!!
"our summer place"

Robert Ruiz:

so you guys are saying I still need to repack even if bearing buddies installed? I have had them on past trailers and never repacked. Have I just dodged lightning? From what I could tell all the grease would get mixed in with the older stuff. Pluse I think you loose some when you back the trailer into the water. I have read that the hubs get warm enough to drop some grease when they hit the cool water. The seals contract and allow grease to escape. Thus the reason to keep adding grease?

 It is actually the opposite when you back in.  When the warm hub hits the water, the warm grease contracts and could pull water IN.  As long as you have enough grease that there is positive pressure on the hub (spring in the bearing buddy is compressed some) it will keep that from happening.  If you let it go long enough to where there is no pressure on the spring, then you run the risk of pulling water into the hub when backing in.

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Steve Kroesen
Apollo Beach, FL
Kroes Nest

Steve Kroesen:

Robert Ruiz:

so you guys are saying I still need to repack even if bearing buddies installed? I have had them on past trailers and never repacked. Have I just dodged lightning? From what I could tell all the grease would get mixed in with the older stuff. Pluse I think you loose some when you back the trailer into the water. I have read that the hubs get warm enough to drop some grease when they hit the cool water. The seals contract and allow grease to escape. Thus the reason to keep adding grease?

 It is actually the opposite when you back in.  When the warm hub hits the water, the warm grease contracts and could pull water IN.  As long as you have enough grease that there is positive pressure on the hub (spring in the bearing buddy is compressed some) it will keep that from happening.  If you let it go long enough to where there is no pressure on the spring, then you run the risk of pulling water into the hub when backing in.

I am thinking I will re-pack just to get a "looksie". I may replace my tires also at the same time . . .I am all about PM, I hate when stuff breaks that you could have avoided. Drives me BONKERS!! . . the rest I just go with the flow . . .

 

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Limited Edition 230BR 8.2Liter/502CI (GSI Volo Penta) DP-S

LAKATION

Project(s) Completed:
2000 Watt Stereo Systerm
Swimplatforms.com

Coming Soon:
Wakeboard Tower and Speaker Setup
Custom Graphics

Chad,

Mike O is pretty much on the money about  over greasing, over greasing is the largest cause of bearing failure, to much grease creates to much friction which leads to over heating. Also make sure to always use the same type of grease. There are a lot of different greases out there and if you mix & match you could have premature failure.

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Mark & Mary Campbell
M & M 's
2007 LS 200
Garnet & Moonstone

Prestige has a new type of bearing assembly they are using now.  It's a sealed unit with a graphite based grease that is designed to turn to a liquid at a certain temp.  You never have to re-fill this unit.  This is supposed to be the next in the evolution of bearings on trailers and is taking the place of the oil bath bearing system.

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Un-Civil-ized 2002 230BR, MX6.2 BIII on a Prestige Trailer. Moonstone/Amethyst with silver diamond graphics