those stupid trailer bearings

[petrolhead]

I am generally a good boy, I pop the hubs off and dry/clean/grease the bearings after every dunking. Usually able to do this in about 20 mins per side at worst so a good investment I think!

The shaky trailer I overhauled recently, new suspension, hubs,bearings complete...all nicely greased up.
Having just stripped them and cleaned them after sundays dunk in the Itchen despite new seals/hubs/caps the lot there was enough water poured out to evidence it would have been folly to leave them standing for maybe months like this, pucker waterproof grease or not.

Does anybody have any better experiences with bearings? am I doing something wrong!

[se7en]

"Jade's" E-Z loader trailer has clear plastic bearing covers and the bearings are oil bathed, you can see the level and condition of the oil without stripping them down, I haven't touched them from new..!! 3 years.

[petrolhead]

that is interesting, wonder where they come from. I like the idea of oil too, because if Water were to get in it will mix properley, simply emulsify and be a lot easier to clean out/replenish.

[tiptoe]

I am not mechanically minded, but have had bearing collapse at inappropriate moment, so never want it again. I always remove hub caps and pump grease through which forces all the water out, every time I use boat - is this the sensible way to stop problems?

[Pete54]

I've had some success using 'bearing savers'. However there does seem to be a bit of a 'trick' to them. Because the spring loading keeps the grease packed into the hubs the grease seems to get much more fluid (from heating).

So if you stop and put the trailer in the water soon after there is still some possibility of water ingress.

However if you use a grease gun to top them up just before entering the water this does not seem to happen and the grease stays uncontaminated. Its a bit of a fiddle but only takes a couple of seconds - so far (1 season), the bearings remain breight and shiny.

[petrolhead]

thats is good to know, I have a pair of bearing savers on the bench to fit and a seasons use then a clean/regrease is quite acceptable. Good tip on the hot grease too.....I have seen people arrive at a slipway and dunk straight in with steam coming up from the bearings its alwyas worth leaving it a while to cool time permitting.

[yogibear]

I'm very fortunate in so much as my bearings, and hubs obviously, are Vauxhall. Even with the better seal arrangement they still need replacing every season though but at under a fiver a wheel complete its really no hardship. I tend to carry a spare hub ready to fit on longer journeys, just in case, but if all else fails I reckon I can find a Corsa/Astra dumped in just about any local scrapyard or layby

Having said that I've just worked out my trailer has been in the water 16 times this month alone... At that rate of immersion maybe a season out of the bearings is pretty good.

[Alacrity]

I confess I don't check mine that often - my theory has always been that as all my boating takes place 2 - 6hrs drive from home & lot of the water will have evaporated off on the journey. I checked the Broom trailer once last year after many dunkings, & apart from the grease being grey the bearings themselves were like new. Having said all that Petrolhead had a fair journey home on Sunday & he still had water. Maybe I tow faster (I always try to go as fast as is legal, get bored otherwise ) & as a result it all runs that little bit hotter?? I have also thought the method described earlier by tiptoe would be a good way to go but I shall check the bearings on the Stapely soon to see how they look - that has had 2 x salt & 1 x fresh dunkings since new & they haven't been touched. The Broom will be checked before the Soar later next month so will report back with my findings.

[petrolhead]

60mph all the way on cruise control. The bearings had grease slightly grey in them on the rollers and being good grease it was fine, the hubs/caps were fine BUT water tipped out of the caps!

[Tremlett 15]

Will let you know what mine are like in a few weeks time, topped up during & after Cardiff 2008 for trip home & topped up once home, I always grease before, during & at end of each way trip but always carry a jack and a few spare sets + hubs.

T 15