PDA

View Full Version : what are bearing buddies



up the creek
12-05-2018, 12:30 PM
please tell me more then they hold your bearings in, ie what i need to do to service them check them etc,

thanks gang..

Noelm
12-05-2018, 01:04 PM
Not a lot to them, in simple terms, they are a spring loaded gizmo with a grease nipple, that fits on the centre of the hub, you pump grease in, and the spring moves out, the theory being as the grease gets used, the spring tension keeps the hub full, leaving no space for water to get in, great theory, and they do work, but not exactly always as designed.

Noelm
12-05-2018, 01:04 PM
OH, they play no part in keeping the bearings located.

littlejim
12-05-2018, 05:56 PM
They are perfect as a hub cap and keep the outer bearing in grease.
I found to stop the bigger inner bearing from rusting out, I had to pack the ribs of bearing seal with plenty of grease.
This added years to my inner bearing life.

up the creek
13-05-2018, 12:31 PM
thanks lads, :)

Fed
13-05-2018, 12:55 PM
They are perfect as a hub cap and keep the outer bearing in grease.
I found to stop the bigger inner bearing from rusting out, I had to pack the ribs of bearing seal with plenty of grease.
This added years to my inner bearing life.
That's because they weren't installed properly, visit the bearing buddy website for instructions.

littlejim
13-05-2018, 06:40 PM
Fed,
fitted them as per Mr Hoyle. but unless you pack the centre of the hub solidly with grease there is plenty of air in the middle to compress and fizz out past the inner seal as the spring in the b/buddy pushes in.
Still like them on the outside but as I said all my inner bearing problems stopped when I started packing the seals with grease.
What works for you is the way to go.

tunaticer
13-05-2018, 07:21 PM
Why don't you guys drill, tap and fit a grease nipple between the bearings????
Purely simple logic do do so.

littlejim
13-05-2018, 07:59 PM
I don't want fill the middle bit with cans of grease.
I just want to keep the water out on each side.
At the moment I'm getting the result I wanted.

up the creek
13-05-2018, 08:15 PM
each have there own little ways they prefer to do a job, but if they make the bearing last longer as jim says then ill leave em on,, i bought a boat on a trailer a week ago and it had bearing buddies is why i ask,, thanks lads..

Dignity
13-05-2018, 08:32 PM
Packing the bearings with grease BEFORE you install them really is the start of things, not done properly they heat up before melting surrounding grease to flow in, by that time the bearing life has been shortened.

Tunaticer, your idea works but what do you use for a bearing cap, I need to bury my wheels underwater and normal caps won't work.

I really only use bearing buddies because they are the best seal on the outside.

NAGG
13-05-2018, 08:47 PM
117106117107

The fair dinkum bearing buddies are imo - considerably better than the cheaper knock offs

Chris

Noelm
14-05-2018, 07:56 AM
Yes without a doubt, the cheap copies either rust to bits, fall out or just bugger up, the genuine ones are far superior.

NAGG
14-05-2018, 09:14 AM
Yes without a doubt, the cheap copies either rust to bits, fall out or just bugger up, the genuine ones are far superior.

Absolutely ...... I've had to buy at times the knock offs - things like just not fitting (falling off) or nipples unscrewing are common ...... Never had an issue when I've used the actual US made bearing buddy .
I will say though that the Trojan copy is reasonably good - but these are considerably more expensive than the other knock offs ..... $50 / pair vs $30 for cheapies.

Chris

Greg P
14-05-2018, 01:56 PM
For not much more just buy the durahubs. Wont look back once you install them.

ozscott
14-05-2018, 03:17 PM
Proper bearing buddies are excellent kit. Combined with packing Timken or the good Japanese brand with grease up front (whacking it down on your grease laden palm) and using genuine bearing buddies I found meant dunking the Vagabond' s trailer not to be a problem...many years of running and had no play. Cheers

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

NAGG
14-05-2018, 05:42 PM
For not much more just buy the durahubs. Wont look back once you install them.

shame if you have a seal go on a durahub ....... you are always 2 minutes to midnight :(

Greg P
14-05-2018, 09:13 PM
Not really champ, you run both grease and oil. Pack the bearings as per normal , put on a speedi sleeve where the seal runs and you would rarely have a situation where the seal just “let go”. Marine grease seals are just about the most crap set up going around for keeping water out and most people don’t install them correctly anyway.

NAGG
15-05-2018, 07:39 AM
Not really champ, you run both grease and oil. Pack the bearings as per normal , put on a speedi sleeve where the seal runs and you would rarely have a situation where the seal just “let go”. Marine grease seals are just about the most crap set up going around for keeping water out and most people don’t install them correctly anyway.

Hi Greg

I hadn't heard of anyone using a combination of grease & oil ..... but clearly you can
What grease is compatible with the Durahub oil

Chris

Greg P
15-05-2018, 07:32 PM
Chris - just a high quality marine grease. You’re only packing the races and not filling the hubs as you would normally. I then just use leg gearbox oil to top up. Key thing is the preparation of the axle shaft where the seal runs, best way to insure that is to use a speedi sleeve whether axle is new or old. You seriously won’t go back once you have them installed properly and you quickly see issues if water gets in via the clear windows. A lip seal with a spring garter is better positive seal than the old marine seal.

stevej
16-05-2018, 07:30 AM
nothing wrong with not running them just do a thing called maintenance and check the rear seal visually and install them properly to begin with

the guys who give them a pump of grease every trip must have invented a device which can miraculously keep expanding where in reality they have normally blown the back seal out and stuffed it

Lovey80
16-05-2018, 04:02 PM
For not much more just buy the durahubs. Wont look back once you install them.

A second on that one. I think it was Smithy that put me onto them years ago. Best investment in peace of mind I have invested in since I bought my first boat.

inveratta
16-05-2018, 08:05 PM
Not really champ, you run both grease and oil. Pack the bearings as per normal , put on a speedi sleeve where the seal runs and you would rarely have a situation where the seal just “let go”. Marine grease seals are just about the most crap set up going around for keeping water out and most people don’t install them correctly anyway.

nothing...but nothing in boats that is exposed to salt water is fool proof. over time.......nothing....

I dont really think it matters if you use dinky bearing buddies ..cheap bearing buddies...conventional bearings ...cheap bearings ....old style marine seals..etc etc....you need to look as often as you can and see whats happening....

I cant say Im right..but I have to immerse the trailer to launch the trireme...and so I replace the bearings every second year..and yes palm grease into the them... put cheap plastic gloves on..........cheap quick and thats that.....

Smithy
16-05-2018, 10:52 PM
Yep Durahubs were the best ever. Like Greg said, pack with grease first then rely on the engine honey stuff. Outboard gearbox oil is a good idea Packo! Mine and a mackerel pro I used to fish with would get them go milky white and not the nice golden colour like they started out at but they never let us down. Same before I started using them, heard all the horror stories but never let me down with 240-300 dunkings per year. It was all in the prep as per the instructions with emery paper. I initially wanted to run Sea Bears but Durahubs were cheap as by comparison.

NAGG
17-05-2018, 07:27 AM
With the exception of one failure ( through neglect) on my very first boat (live & learn)…….. any bearing mishap has been caused by the loss of a grease cap or bearing buddy .
I see more & more people using Loctite these days


Does it work using Loctite to secure bearing biddies or durahubs ?

Chris

Noelm
17-05-2018, 07:58 AM
I guess it would, but I have found that with genuine buddies, and making sure the "groove" where it fits into the hub is properly clean (I use acetone and a cotton bud) and you tap it in straight, they never fall off, lots come off from cheap thin buddies that just bend out of shape, and left over grease and oil/dirt on the hub.

NAGG
17-05-2018, 08:45 AM
I guess it would, but I have found that with genuine buddies, and making sure the "groove" where it fits into the hub is properly clean (I use acetone and a cotton bud) and you tap it in straight, they never fall off, lots come off from cheap thin buddies that just bend out of shape, and left over grease and oil/dirt on the hub.

I've noticed that the Easytow trailer for my Barcrusher has Loctite on them …… done at the factory

I've not lost a fair dinkum bearing buddy - when I've used them …… but you are right , the knock offs have come off on several occasions ( usually on big trips & bad roads) .

Curious if this use of Loctite is general practice

Chris

Lovey80
17-05-2018, 04:36 PM
With the exception of one failure ( through neglect) on my very first boat (live & learn)…….. any bearing mishap has been caused by the loss of a grease cap or bearing buddy .
I see more & more people using Loctite these days


Does it work using Loctite to secure bearing biddies or durahubs ?

Chris

I use loctite on the durahubs. Haven’t lost one yet. In saying that though on the off-road trailer if I’m going on dirt/corrugated roads I add some tape for extra security.

NAGG
17-05-2018, 05:56 PM
I use loctite on the durahubs. Haven’t lost one yet. In saying that though on the off-road trailer if I’m going on dirt/corrugated roads I add some tape for extra security.

I started using cloth tape as well on those longer trips …… certainly made a difference

Dignity
18-05-2018, 09:00 AM
I used to use self amalgamating tape, a bastard to get off it is too hard to knock off easily. Used to lose a few at the ramps on overnighters before that.

Greg P
18-05-2018, 01:17 PM
Good trick for bearing buddies or even caps if they are falling out is to grab a centre punch and make a few marks (lightly) around them where the interference fit is, gives them some grip. 515 Loctite and away you go.

Toygut
28-05-2018, 08:32 PM
..........

gazza2006au
30-05-2018, 02:23 PM
Whoops wrong thread ;D