Don't forget to check bearings

tnj8222 · Post by **tnj8222** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:24 am

My bearings blew out on me and I had no clue, coming home from tapps I got to my work to check in on my employees and saw my back right right bearings smoking good. Welded metal to metal, tire almost came off and I felt nothing driving. Be careful everybody, could have cost myself alot more money or hurt somebody. Check your bearings now!

Post by **Amx** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:29 am

Trailer bearings? If so find out what spindle, hub, and bearings and seals it takes and let me know. I have extra of the ones that my trailer took before I went with a different axle that has brakes. Maybe these will fit yours.

And that is why the truck I usually tow the boat with is out of commission for another month minimum. I replaced both rear axle bearings, but need to replace the bearings on one side of the front spindles and check the other side and at least grease.

spindog · Post by **spindog** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:39 am

Bearing Buddies are a life saver. Even then you should feel for heat after towing.
tnj sorry to hear your having trailer issues- that sucks! I myself had some fuel leak issues on my first trip out. Murphys law
http://www.bearingbuddy.com/

tnj8222 · Post by **tnj8222** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:57 am

First time owning a boat and trailer. Made a rookie mistake. I'm upgrading my trailers axle leaf spring hubs bearings the whole deal. Leaf springs because I want to. Clutch went out on gfs car, trailer going to crap and getting a new ff installed at same time, if your gonna own a boat you better be able to fork over cash.

Post by **Bodofish** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:19 am

go for no trouble and if you upgrade get oil bath bearings. Check the lube with a walk around every time you tow and put eh grease gun away cause you will never need it on the trailer again.

Rich McVey · Post by **Rich McVey** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:18 pm

Yup, had that happen once with my first rig. Was stored at Moms for a couple months and on the trip home we blew out the bearings and trashed the hub.

Lesson learned.

Rig #2 got new bearings and Bearing Buddys the first season we had it.

I also like to keep a small grease gun in the boat for longer trips. ($10 @ Harbor Freight) Only $6 for 3 Marine Grease refills which lasts all season.

Post by **Bodofish** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:45 pm

For those that missed it. Join the 21 Century, Oil bath is the only way to go. No more grease guns and all that's needed is a walk around inspection.

Grease is just soooo... Well the name says it all.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:00 am

I need to have my bearings checked and replaced if necessary. Thanks for the reminder.

hewesfisher · Post by **hewesfisher** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:02 am

Bodofish wrote:go for no trouble and if you upgrade get oil bath bearings. Check the lube with a walk around every time you tow and put eh grease gun away cause you will never need it on the trailer again.

Yep, I sure do like the oil bath system. Not entirely fool proof, but darn close to it and being able to confirm lube with a walk around is way better than wondering if there's grease in the hubs.

Post by **Bodofish** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:17 am

hewesfisher wrote:
Bodofish wrote:go for no trouble and if you upgrade get oil bath bearings. Check the lube with a walk around every time you tow and put eh grease gun away cause you will never need it on the trailer again.
Yep, I sure do like the oil bath system. Not entirely fool proof, but darn close to it and being able to confirm lube with a walk around is way better than wondering if there's grease in the hubs.

a million plus truckers can't be wrong!

Ocktane · Post by **Ocktane** » Wed May 04, 2011 5:01 am

Inspected and regreased my bearings this past weekend! Definitely one of those little things we take for granted and forget about until its too late... Great idea to have this thread!

basspro · Post by **basspro** » Wed May 04, 2011 10:50 pm

Oil bath hubs are good, but here is a better product UFP's Hybrid Vault System- Maintenance Free for 5 years. We have these on our Phoenix Bass Boat trailers. Check them out. I'm not sold on the oil bath hubs as we have seen several have had severe leakage issues and they are a pain to maintain. Grease style set ups although messy are easier to maintain if checked frequently and taken care of.

If you guys need help on this Limit Out Performance Marine works on trailers regularly so give us a call.

Russ

FishingFool · Post by **FishingFool** » Wed May 04, 2011 11:03 pm

basspro wrote:Oil bath hubs are good, but here is a better product UFP's Hybrid Vault System- Maintenance Free for 5 years. We have these on our Phoenix Bass Boat trailers. Check them out. I'm not sold on the oil bath hubs as we have seen several have had severe leakage issues and they are a pain to maintain. Grease style set ups although messy are easier to maintain if checked frequently and taken care of.

If you guys need help on this Limit Out Performance Marine works on trailers regularly so give us a call.

Russ

those are new right? I do wonder about the long term and if it's really as advertised.

I should check mine... but too lazy.

I got sure-lube hubs, where there's a zerk behind the hub to put grease in. And all the old grease comes out the front of the hub. I flushed it out last year for winterizing. I've only taken 2 trips so far this year, but seems to be fine...

Post by **Bodofish** » Thu May 05, 2011 7:18 am

basspro wrote:Oil bath hubs are good, but here is a better product UFP's Hybrid Vault System- Maintenance Free for 5 years. We have these on our Phoenix Bass Boat trailers. Check them out. I'm not sold on the oil bath hubs as we have seen several have had severe leakage issues and they are a pain to maintain. Grease style set ups although messy are easier to maintain if checked frequently and taken care of.

If you guys need help on this Limit Out Performance Marine works on trailers regularly so give us a call.

Russ

The new ones sound cool. I'm not sure about the oilbath bearing being hard to work on. Drain and refill through the little drain, five minutes tops, Replace a seal if it goes bad, about twenty minutes. No dirty grease involved. While I was in College I maintained a fleet of gravel trucks at night. Oil bath bearing on everything but drive axels. Most of them would go at least 100k before the seals wore out. My boat trailer has been going for 6 years and the oil shows no signs of needing a change. The spindles don't even get warm unless the brakes are in use. Pretty hard to beat

sickbayer · Post by **sickbayer** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:08 pm

What does it UFP's Hybrid Vault System cost? My trailer is 8 years old. Im looking to replace my duel axel trailer drums with disc brakes pretty soon. i figured i do it all when i do.

hewesfisher · Post by **hewesfisher** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:37 am

basspro wrote:Oil bath hubs are good, but here is a better product UFP's Hybrid Vault System- Maintenance Free for 5 years. We have these on our Phoenix Bass Boat trailers. Check them out. I'm not sold on the oil bath hubs as we have seen several have had severe leakage issues and they are a pain to maintain. Grease style set ups although messy are easier to maintain if checked frequently and taken care of.

Good info Russ, but I don't see where the grease style is easier to "maintain", why do you say that? I can tell at a glance if the oil level is low, or if water has intruded, indicating a seal failure, IMO, that's pretty easy maintenance.

Bearing adjustments on either involve a similar process, and for me, refilling the reservoir is easier than packing bearings and/or messing with grease guns. Just personal preference.

That said, however, there have been some complaints about oil bath hubs with the all plastic cover, they can be broken if snagged on a rock or other hard object. A modified replacement cover is available that greatly reduces this risk. All in all, they are basically fool proof, in my experience anyway.

bassboattech · Post by **bassboattech** » Fri May 06, 2011 3:37 am

Well in my opinion as i work on this stuff day in and day out ill take grease any day over oil bath, we pull our rigs thousands of miles every year i always carry grease for my trim rams,propshaft,bearings. ive seen very so often oil bath caps crack,damaged and leaking if this happens while driving your done bearings fried. water even in grease even if the caps gone may get you home. grease more messy than stinky 50 weight motor oil i think not easy ton maintain(it takes me half the time repacking bearings than weighting for oil to drain out a small hole and refilling and then putting sealant on a pipe plug. i dont get grease on me they go in the bearings....haha. good thread though.

Post by **Bodofish** » Fri May 06, 2011 5:40 am

Grease........ so 19th century.

Every semi on the road has at least 6 sets of oil bath bearings for the non drivers. Why do they use them? Because they just work and maintenance is keep to a mininmum. Minimum maintenance is king on rigs that run on average a half a million miles a year. Not a couple thousand.

If you break a cap you have far worse problems than losing oil because you've run into something.

Why would I want to cheap out on my trailer? Why would I want to carry a grease gun so I can play with the trailer after dipping it in the drink? When I pull the boat out I just want to go home, not play in a parking lot.

Experience working on trailers every work day for several years. Not working on boats and a few trailers but, all trailers, big ones, all the time. I'll take oil over grease any day. You don't have to touch it.

If you like to play with grease, that's your thing. I'll leave my grease where it belongs. On the wooden horesy cart axels.

These so called vault things you speak of. Perhaps you could provide a link on the UFP site. All I could see was a bunch of bearing buddies and oil bath supplies.

bassboattech · Post by **bassboattech** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:35 pm

But they did cheap out your trailer with cheap Chinese made caps of plastic, if i remember correctly semi trailers have a metal cover with alot more bolts. know one plays with there trailer in a parking lot not that i know any way. but oil baths may have to come along before i get them. as long as i have worked on cars,motorcycles,boats,ect they all have grease in the bearings, how come they dont use oil in there bearings. is it a gimmick or are oil baths here to stay. how readily do you see 50 weight fully synthetic oil on the shelf compared to grease on the shelf at the auto parts store. When i go on a trip i take grease, not oil,funnel or sringe,sealant and rags and cleaner, seems like one more thing to take up space and time....just my 2 cents.

Post by **Bodofish** » Fri May 06, 2011 2:55 pm

Every single oil bath cap I've seen is made of plastic, that includes semis. It would be a little tough to check the level and color of the oil during a walk around with metal cap.

Now I see you weren't able to provide a link to "The Vault" I couldn't find it anywhere. Maybe you can help?

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Don't forget to check bearings

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