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Bearing Buddies

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John Pittman
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/11/2009 : 07:33:39

Question for the trailer experts.

I pulled the rubber cover of my bearing Buddie to check for grease and was surprised no actually shocked to see that one was very rusty, and bone dry.

I think I need to replace it

, question is has anyone ever taken one off and installed a new one?

If so what is the procedure?

johnnyp

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 07:48:09

John,
Take a hammer and tap it around the outer edge and that should loosen it sufficiently to remove it. They are usually tapped in with a hammer also. No screws or rotation involved. By the way these clean up real well. You might give that a try before replacing it.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 08:05:05

The cover covers the outside of the BB. You should see a grease nipple just inside the cover, centered, and pumping grease in it fills the bearings with grease. The BB is a spring loaded plate that moves out when grease is pumped in and it moves in when grease runs out or when the bearings are lowered in cold water and the whole thing contracts.

A red line inside the bb hub indicates if it needs more grease.

The red line was a newer addition and not all of them have the red line.

Edited by - on

Moondance
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 08:20:32

John,
...I learned the importance of HAVING bearing buddies and that wasn't by choice. (My two kids learned some new 'vocabulary words' from Mommy that day). Good thing you decided to check, and thanks for the reminder to do the same!

Lori
Moondance

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 09:37:46

Just be careful not to over fill. The pressure from putting in too much grease can cause them to come loose. I lost one that way.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 09:41:29

John,

You may be talking about a cap over the hub, rather than a bearing buddy.

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 09:45:09

If you do have to remove and replace them, it really is quite easy. I would recommend using a rubber mallet, and gently knock the edge of the bearing buddy at an angle. You'll see the bearing buddy start to separate from it's seat.

Be sure to get the right size. I had a "buddy" pick some up at the store for his own trailer, and he didn't realize they arent' all the same size. Guess what, the ones he bought were too big. The good news is they were perfect for my trailer so I took them off his hands.

When you tap the new bearing buddies in, I recommend also using a piece of flat wood with the rubber mallet, because it is hard to get the bearing buddy in uniformly otherwise. I found using the flat piece of wood helped the the bearing buddy get started into it's seat; then just tap the bearing buddy in. At a certain point the buddy will be in far enough that the flat block is unnecessary.

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John Pittman
1st Mate

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USA
44 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 09:56:52

Redeye, I am looking at what once was a very shiny steel housing with a zirc fitting and a spring which is now covered with rust deposits.

There is a rubber cap with bearing Buddie printed on it.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 10:24:04

The sizes of Bearing Buddies is incredibly confusing and subtle. You must take your old one with you to match the size exactly.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 11:18:56

Yepper.. You got a bb. Like Frank said, they made a million versions of them. I've tried to add them at every trailer I've had and some of them fall off. I don't have any secrets.

It is relatively easy to add a new BB, but what you want to do is check your bearings. Jack up the tire, remove the tire, remove the cotter pin, unscrew the nut and pull out the bearings and see if they are pitted. Inspect the racers for pitting.

It is not easy to rebuild a complete hub, the bearings and seals are easy to replace, but it is difficult to remove and replace the racers.

Some people just buy new hubs.
Some people put in new bearings and grease seals.

Try to find someone that has done it before. In some ways it is not too difficult, Just Greasy!!!

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2009 : 11:44:38

I ditched my rubber caps years ago. About every 3rd to 5th time out pump it full of grease until it starts exiting the overflow hole. I imagine although rusted yours are probably just fine John, just needs grease. Also they make wheel bearing grease and then they make marine bearing grease for underwater use.

Edited by - on

pfduffy
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2009 : 19:30:17

Sounds like it is certainly worth the time to pull the wheels off the trailer and carefully inspect the bearings. Replacing them is cheap insurance - I recently did bearings on a trailer for $45 and about an hour of labor. The only tricky part is removing the inner and outer races from the hub. Not difficult, just tedious. I drove the new races in place with the old bearing.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 05/13/2009 : 05:36:33

I've always wanted to make a review of how to do that. I've done it many times over the years but it is always something like 5 years apart. My grlfrnd and I just did one about 2 years ago on her snipe trailer. We replaced the grease seals and bearings and it was easy. I try to keep an extra set of bearings in the car. I found the parts at Northern Tools.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 05/13/2009 : 13:32:21

You might want to talk to John G. before you do it again. A lot of people might benefit from an tech article like that if he thinks it's apprpriate.

Edited by - on

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.