Bearing buddies advise please

[marto78]

I have been thinking about putting them on my trailer for a while now, but seeing as I have now lost a dust cap off the drivers side bearing I think now is as good a time as any to get some. I just have a few questions before starting my search.

Where do you buy them from and how much?

Do they come with new dust caps?

Are there different brands and/or quality?

And lastly what are peoples opinions on them? Are they worth the extra $$$ or not?

Cheers

Marto

[shy guys]

You can buy them from any trailer component shop or shops like bias even supercheap sell them, they usually cost somewhere between $30 and $50 for a pair they do come with new dust caps there are a couple of different styles and brands but are all about the same quality, they do work well as long as you dont pump to much Greece into them and blow out your rear bearing seal. I run them on my duel axel with no dramas just pump abit of Greece in every couple times you go out never had a problem with them hope that helps a little

[peterbo3]

There are Chinese "knock offs" available or you can purchase more expensive US made buddies. You want cheap or do you want quality??

[Bull]

I've just replaced mine I bought them from Couplemate in Wynnum. I think they work and worth the money.
Cheers Bull

[netmaker]

i hate changing bearings. filthy, rag consuming work. bearing buddies for me. a top up every few months (i dont wet the axle) keeps the dirty work at bay. and i reckon they work. how couldn't they? grease injected under pressure displaces water. grease goes somewhere. the gun gets emptier. the only problem i have had with the buddies is one of the nipple nuts undid over time which i think was through detaching the grease gun from the nipple. so if you get them, make sure the nipple nuts are real tight.

cheers
davo

[griz066]

i hate changing bearings. filthy, rag consuming work. bearing buddies for me. a top up every few months (i dont wet the axle) keeps the dirty work at bay. and i reckon they work. how couldn't they? grease injected under pressure displaces water. grease goes somewhere. the gun gets emptier. the only problem i have had with the buddies is one of the nipple nuts undid over time which i think was through detaching the grease gun from the nipple. so if you get them, make sure the nipple nuts are real tight.

cheers

davo

I had the same problem, I just removed them and put some loctite on the nut and that has fixed the problem. I put a set on the Jayco the other day and did the loctite from new just in case.

[Kondo 1]

Big difference between the chinese ones and the genuine USA made bearing buddies. Personnally I only use genuine after having some issues with the chinese ones.

Just take the bearing buddy sticker off them otherwise the genuine ones seems to go walkabout at the ramp.

I like them myself and run them on my trailers.

[tropicrows]

I've just replaced mine I bought them from Couplemate in Wynnum. I think they work and worth the money.
Cheers Bull

You beat me to it, that's who I was going to suggest.

[johncar]

Probar at Caboolture have the Alko ones for $25 a pair last time I looked. They seem to be good quality but there are some nasty ones getting around on the market so beware. The US made genuine ones are good also but sometimes hard to find at local suppliers. I got my last set from the US but were more expensive than the Alko's
Find them here if on the north side or they will post them to you for a little extra: http://www.probar.net.au/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=583

[marto78]

Thanks for the replies guys I might give Probar a call as I have a job up there in a couple of days.

And Bull 1 it was your thread that got me thinking.

Cheers

[SunnyCoastMark]

Hmmmm... Bearing Buddies - I don't like them. They give people the impression, that if they just keep pumping grease in - all will be right.

That is definitely not the case. - Keep pumping grease in every couple of trips and you will blow the seal out the back. - then water gets in - your bearings go rusty, grease turns to mush and you find yourself on the side of the road without a hub and wheel.

With boat trailers - you should be replacing the bearings every 12 months and servicing them at least every six months. This also gives you the opportunity to check brakes, discs, hubs, etc.
Grease should also be replaced every 12 months.

I'm not saying don't use Bearing Buddies - just don't get lazy....

Mark

[wrxhoon]

I only ever use USA made S/S by Bearing buddy, you can buy cheap copies but they are crap, they don't even fit tight and they come off.
If you can't find them locally buy them from USA, they are not expensive but make sure you buy the correct size because there are heaps of different diameter.
If you use the Aussie type rubber marine seals make sure you only pump enough grease for the spring to rock then stop or the rubber seal will move on the stub and then it will let water in.
I never use these type of seals because they can even move on the stub by themselves ( without pumping grease in them), I know plenty of people use them and they like them, good for them.
Nobody uses then in USA either, they use what I use , double lip seal that runs on a S/S sleeve that fits very tight on the axle stubb. If you pump your BB's the seal will not move as it is fixed very tight on the hub.

[Noelm]

One thing I have found (regardless of the brand) if/when you do take them off for checking or bearing replacement, be extra carefull when refitting them, you need to wipe around the little groove they sit in with thinners are something, and do the same with the bearing buddy, any grease that is left there will make them loose and they fall off, and often get reported as being stolen, when in fact, they were never fitted to a nice clean surface in the first place! I refit them now with some "goo" to make sure they stick, can't remember what it is called, sort of like a loctite stuff.

[Crunchy]

I think they are great, I always dunk the axle to launch and retreive and the bearings (Quality Jap ones) look like new whenever I check them (5 years old now). Agree with WRX and Nolem about using the genuine ones and fitting them properly or yes they do bloodly fall off! Got mine from CBC Bearings at Eagle Farm, about $70 all up for 2 x buddies and bra's. I use the double lip seals as WRX explains and have never pumped out a leak despite trying my best to do so when I didn't know any better.

[marto78]

One thing I have found (regardless of the brand) if/when you do take them off for checking or bearing replacement, be extra carefull when refitting them, you need to wipe around the little groove they sit in with thinners are something, and do the same with the bearing buddy, any grease that is left there will make them loose and they fall off, and often get reported as being stolen, when in fact, they were never fitted to a nice clean surface in the first place! I refit them now with some "goo" to make sure they stick, can't remember what it is called, sort of like a loctite stuff.

I think thats how I lost the dust cap in the first place I didn't clean it properly before putting it back on.
Oh well another lesson learned.

[johncar]

I only ever use USA made S/S by Bearing buddy, you can buy cheap copies but they are crap, they don't even fit tight and they come off.
If you can't find them locally buy them from USA, they are not expensive but make sure you buy the correct size because there are heaps of different diameter.
If you use the Aussie type rubber marine seals make sure you only pump enough grease for the spring to rock then stop or the rubber seal will move on the stub and then it will let water in.
I never use these type of seals because they can even move on the stub by themselves ( without pumping grease in them), I know plenty of people use them and they like them, good for them.
Nobody uses then in USA either, they use what I use , double lip seal that runs on a S/S sleeve that fits very tight on the axle stubb. If you pump your BB's the seal will not move as it is fixed very tight on the hub.

Hi wrx, Do you know a good supplier for the SS sleeves. I priced the speedy sleeves here locally a while back and they were fairly pricey so I held off, but I would like to fit them.

[Fed]

Proper marine seals are much better John, when you see them you'll know why.

[wrxhoon]

You are correct , not cheap but you buy them once, fit them to your stubs and you know the seal always runs on clean surface that never rusts to let water in, most good trailer manufactures in USA fit them on as standard, like they use S/S bolts and U bolts on their trailers and Full S/S brakes including rotors.


Fed, the Aussie marine seals the sell here will work too as long as you put something on the stub to stop them from moving inwards when the hub pushes them in . They rely on the rubber to hold tight on a shaft, if the hub is not hard up on them it will leak, let water in and your bearing is history. Years ago ( maybe 20) when I used them last I would press a ring on the stub to act as a stopper . I will never go back to these type of seals again .
If you don't like using B/B's you can use a posi lube stub or a super lube hub, both work very well.

If you don't know them google is your friend.

Both systems are used in USA as well as oil bath systems but they never use the marine seals we use here, not because they don't know them , because they know they not as good as the systems they have.

The only problem I can see with the double lip seals is rust on the stub , thats why I use the S/S sleeve .

I have never had a bearing failure or water in the hub, remember on boat trailers bearings will only fail because they have water in them not because they got old, overloaded or ran dry .

[Fed]

Years ago I had to make up spacers wrx but my 'new' (now 3 year old) trailer came with the stubs machined so the seal pressed straight onto the shoulder of the axle.
To me that's the good point about them the seal can't move, not that I've ever personally blown one out with a grease gun but they say it happens?

Either way, SS running surface assembled properly with BBs is the only way to go IMO.
My car wheel bearings have got 300,000 Ks on them and there's no reason the trailer shouldn't do the same without touching them.

[mal555]

One thing I have found (regardless of the brand) if/when you do take them off for checking or bearing replacement, be extra carefull when refitting them, you need to wipe around the little groove they sit in with thinners are something, and do the same with the bearing buddy, any grease that is left there will make them loose and they fall off, and often get reported as being stolen, when in fact, they were never fitted to a nice clean surface in the first place! I refit them now with some "goo" to make sure they stick, can't remember what it is called, sort of like a loctite stuff.

My BB's fitted fine until I replaced the rotors due to corrosion, then they started falling off, I guessed the new rotor outer ID's were machined to large.
I now cut a 5mm wide slither of the finest brass shim available, with enough length to do one circumference of the recessed surface of the BB, then press fit her home, which fixed the problem.

[Noelm]

yep, very common thing, I have found the cleaning and care/goo when re-fitting fixed the drama though, but I had lost a few first.

[Mike Delisser]

Old thread but does anyone know where I can buy the stainless steel version on the north side of Brisbane? Thanks

[johncar]

Mike, I will be going to Probar Caboolture tomorrow, I will try and remember to see if they have any SS type.

[Crunchy]

I got from:
CBC Bearings 865 Kingsford Smith Drv, Eagle Farm QLD 4009
Ph 0738662100

[marto78]

I just installed some bright blue plastic buddies from supercheap a couple of weeks ago. I was having trouble with the stainless ones falling off on the drivers side because they were a real tight fit on the new hub but the plastic ones fit real snug. I did 1000kms with them last weekend with no problems where as the same trip 4 months ago I lost a stainless one and a dust cap on the trip up.

[TheRealAndy]

Hmmmm... Bearing Buddies - I don't like them. They give people the impression, that if they just keep pumping grease in - all will be right.

That is definitely not the case. - Keep pumping grease in every couple of trips and you will blow the seal out the back. - then water gets in - your bearings go rusty, grease turns to mush and you find yourself on the side of the road without a hub and wheel.

With boat trailers - you should be replacing the bearings every 12 months and servicing them at least every six months. This also gives you the opportunity to check brakes, discs, hubs, etc.
Grease should also be replaced every 12 months.

I'm not saying don't use Bearing Buddies - just don't get lazy....

Mark

I was of the same opinion... Until I fitted bearing buddies. Then I never changed a bearing again.

12months, pull the wheel down, check the bearing, no damage or wear. Only time I did replace a bearing was when I buggered a seal whilst checking it.

I had the bearing buddies on the polycraft trailer for 4 years till I sold it, trailer had the same bearings the whole time. Bearings went under the water whilst launching, trailer did 1000's of k's upto lucinda each year, and many trips to hervey bay per year. They are friggin great things.

I also have bearing buddies on all my rag boat trailers that live in the hardstand, and anyone who has a boat in a hardstand can attest to the fact that bearings never last. Well the do with bearing buddies.

As for pumping grease into them, I do it all the time. Never had a seal blowout yet.





I think thats how I lost the dust cap in the first place I didn't clean it properly before putting it back on.
Oh well another lesson learned.

I have never managed to keep the dust caps. I just dont worry about it anymore.


As everyone here says, genuine ones are the best, but I have use the better quality knock off's and they are fine.

[Oceanranger24]

I have never lost a dust cap... when pushing it on I press in the middle to burp out the air and it makes a little vacuum. The cap then has a hollow depression in the centre. Also I am with Fed. They should be good for many years and 100000 km like a car.

I'm gonna knock the professionals here but the only failures I have experienced have been from poor service technique of various mechanics.
Since having such a failure as a 19yr old now at 53 I have never had a failure BUT other trailers club boats rowing trailers etc etc habe seen numerous fails.
My summary fill hub completely with grease. Add bearing buddies if you choose. If not use the standard cap and every trip or two scoop a little extra grease into the cap and hammer it back on. Or pump in a bit in a bb. Most important though, intrrested in them look at them and you will see if the grease is greasy and clear or if it is getting water affected