Bearing buddies
Submitted by Sea goat on Sat, 2022-12-10 10:03
Hey guys, wondering if I could get some advice.
had all my bearings redone/ replaced at last service approx 7 months ago.
have got bearing buddies, so every couple of weeks I usually have a look, and if there is no movement of the plate I will put 1-2 pumps of grease through the grease gun.
went to do that today and noted the following.
one of the caps full of grease, once cleaned noted the grease nipple has come off, floating in all the grease, can't reattach, looks like thread may have busted.
wondering if any way to fix, or if needs full replacement?
any suggestions as whether would be ok to drive to the workshop? Or best to keep immobile?
any advice greatly appreciated!!!
goat.
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Sea goat
Posts: 980
Date Joined: 26/03/17
Hmmm just watched on
Hmmm just watched on YouTube, looks like pretty easy to remove.... wonder if I just take it off and replace. I'm hoping actual bearings would still be ok...
Sea goat
Posts: 980
Date Joined: 26/03/17
Hmmm just watched on
Hmmm just watched on YouTube, looks like pretty easy to remove.... wonder if I just take it off and replace. I'm hoping actual bearings would still be ok...
squidvicious1
Posts: 824
Date Joined: 22/07/10
buy new ones,cheap
buy new ones,cheap insurance.best to learn to redo them yourself. Will save you money.
One of the most satisfying jobs of owning a boat knowing you've done it.
Sea goat
Posts: 980
Date Joined: 26/03/17
Agreed! Next morning I have
Agreed! Next morning I have free I plan to go through doing th whole bearings.
as far as this issue goes, turned out to look pretty simple. Super easy to remove the bearing buddy, turns out behind the plate where the nippe is, was a nutt which must have just worked loose. Cleaned up, reattached, put back on. Refilled with grease and seems to be sorted!
plan to replace them all as soon as can get to shops, but should be ok for now I think. Bearings were still grease etc, just the bearing buddy that had an isssue. Unsure of whether water would have ingressed (suspectmfairly likely) so will redo as soon as possible.
still trying
Posts: 1062
Date Joined: 27/06/17
I think you should be fine
I think you should be fine was grease inside bearing buddy clean if so should be clean beyond that too. Good reminder to have a look at mine. I usually have bearing buddies but not for last 12 months just caps this time.
rather be fishing
Bodgy 79
Posts: 287
Date Joined: 04/08/22
You shouldn't need to grease
You shouldn't need to grease them so much as they will start to run hot if over greased.I'm a diesel fitter and personally I don't like or use bearing buddies.Way better insurance flicking a $3 cap off and checking visually the condition of grease(silver bad,bearing wear),water ingress (seal leaking),adjustment is correct and nut & lock is ok.top up with grease as required.do this a couple of times a year and Should be trouble free.
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Same here mate, the only
Same here mate, the only issues Ive ever had with bearings has been with bearing buddies. False security IMO, pressed or screw in caps are so much better.
Jackalchub
Posts: 599
Date Joined: 10/03/12
+2.. from the moment they
+2.. from the moment they are submerged, they're on the way out. Sealed caps are the go, give you a much bigger lifespan
fishfish
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 01/09/09
No bearing buddies !
Yep hate bearing buddies , always let's water in . Just stick to plain old caps with a thin smear of ultra black around the outside to keep water out and help retain the cap .
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18032
Date Joined: 11/03/08
Gave up on the bearing
Gave up on the bearing buddies . Had 2 lots of bearing go due to water getting in . Now run with caps . So far so good . Check them regularly
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
sea-kem
Posts: 15002
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Get rid of them, waste of
Get rid of them, waste of time.
Love the West!
Sea goat
Posts: 980
Date Joined: 26/03/17
Hmm interesting to know!
Hmm interesting to know! Looks like when I do the bearings I will likely be swapping back to regular cap!
thanks for the input!
Bodgy 79
Posts: 287
Date Joined: 04/08/22
Good move mate,I've done a
Good move mate,I've done a lot of work on road trains and we don't use them on there hubs
Alan James
Posts: 2224
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Tow-Safe don't recommend them
so that says it all to me.
scottnofish
Posts: 1621
Date Joined: 28/08/07
I use to have them and was doing bearings every year
Just run caps now and just changed my first bearing in 4 years as the inner seal failed on 1 hub other 3 were still like new
NORUN NOFUN
Posts: 1035
Date Joined: 15/08/11
Ditch the bearing buddies,
Ditch the bearing buddies, regular inspection and maintenance are a far superior method, bearing caps are far cheaper.
Ran a set of bearing buddies on my new trailer a few years ago as that is what they came with and coincidentally they all "fell" off at Mindarie boat ramp one night while I was out fishing, funnily enough my number plate fell off as well lol.
scubafish
Posts: 962
Date Joined: 15/08/12
drill the hub
Learnt on my first boat trailer many many moons ago about bearing failure always the inner one.
Trucky many moons ago showed me a trick. Remove the hub drill and tap a hole in the centre of the bub to suit the grease nipple ,
put a good quality inner seal,reinstall all and put a very small hole in the cap.
CAN EVEN PUT A RUBBER GROMIT IN THE HOLE ,REMOVE WHEN FILLING.
Fill till the grease worms it's way out the very small hole on the cap .(DUST CAP)
Main problem with failure is inside bearing dos'nt get grease .
IMO.
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys