Thread: Bearings

I am a new boat owner, have never owned or pulled my own before...

Can anyone give a novice (who isn't too mechanically inclined) a step by step on:

1 - How to check the bearings to make sure they are lubed okay
2 - How to grease them if needed

Thanks in advance

I'm not good at describing how to go about doing that, I could show you easier. Maybe you have a friend that knows a little about mechanics that can show you. It's not hard to pull them off and clean and repack them.

You might see if this would be of some help for you.

YouTube - trailer wheel bearing

Now that's what I'm looking for : )

I'll check those out - didn't even think about checking youtube! I also plan to tap into some of the local guys around here that I'm guessing would be pretty willing to help me out.

Thanks!

so, I watched some youtube vids...still don't know what to check for really. the trailer I have has bearing covers - they are kind of sucked in a bit, does that mean it's probably time for some new grease? if so, what do i get and how do i apply it I assume to really check them I need to pull those covers off, again, what do I look for and if they need grease, what do I get and how do I apply???

Thanks for the help

Originally Posted by wannagofishin

so, I watched some youtube vids...still don't know what to check for really. the trailer I have has bearing covers - they are kind of sucked in a bit, does that mean it's probably time for some new grease? if so, what do i get and how do i apply it I assume to really check them I need to pull those covers off, again, what do I look for and if they need grease, what do I get and how do I apply???

Thanks for the help

Sounds like you might have bearing buddies with the cover on them. If so when you pull the cover off you will see a grease fitting.

Don't bother checking them....just pack them correctly and repack them before every fishing season. I bought a complete hub and bearing assembly from Northern Tool, change out one hub at a time and repack the extra hub inside the garage at my leisure. If you do this often you won't need to buy new bearings, just a new seal (about $3.00). I started doing this after being stranded at the boat dock with a burned-out bearing and axle!

You Can Take It To Where You Have Your Car Repaired And They Can Check And Repack Them For You

Originally Posted by wannagofishin

so, I watched some youtube vids...still don't know what to check for really. the trailer I have has bearing covers - they are kind of sucked in a bit, does that mean it's probably time for some new grease? if so, what do i get and how do i apply it I assume to really check them I need to pull those covers off, again, what do I look for and if they need grease, what do I get and how do I apply???

Thanks for the help

You see this one .... YouTube - Packing trailer bearings

If you have these on your trailer tires : Genuine Bearing Buddy Web Site

... then follow thru all the links for instructions on how to properly apply, use, & refill. (especially the FAQ's)

Oh, and for the record ... buy yourself a quality grease gun (and not a cheap knockoff brand) ... you'll thank me for that one :D

I can personally recommend the Bearing Buddy product ... I've used it on both boats I've owned. Can't give a recommendation on the Bearing Buddy Bra, though .... they tend to get warm (& expand) and sling off. At least, that's been my experience with them. After the third set was purchased, and one of those came off .... I quit using them. I just washed the grease slings off the tires/rims, when they got bad

One other thing ... that's especially important to check, is the back seal (the one that's on the backside of the rim/under the boat. Crawl under the boat, with a bright light, and inspect the seal where the axle comes thru. Look for grease slings, &/or a bulging seal (seal should be flush with rim core). Not overpacking the bearing case, & not allowing an air pocket to form when packing ... should keep the inner seal from being forced out. Everything may look fine & dandy on the outside of the tire ... but, if the inner seal is bulging out & leaking, you could lose enough grease to cause bearing failure. (been there, done that )


... cp

Thats the best step by step explaination on how to inspect, change and grease trailer bearings I have watched. Thank you!