Wheel Bearing question

[Raz]

Now that everybody has had a nice nap.........

[Raz]

......my trailer doesn't have EZ lube spindles but after seeing these pictures I'm not sure I would use them if it did. Raz

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Raz

.........but after seeing these pictures I'm not sure I would use them if it did. Raz

I'll be waiting on my royalty payment

[Raz]

Originally Posted by gordon2

I'll be waiting on my royalty payment

Check's in the mail

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Raz

Check's in the mail

Along with your deposit for my NeArLy New SCaMp for only $4000??
(The one I have to ship to you sight unseen because ...insert BS here)

And for those who wonder W.T.H. that is about.. the photos that Raz posted are from my six month old Scamp. Just a few pumps of the grease gun with the wheel stationary and the hub not warmed up before hand might have caused this. A bad seal is also a possible cause.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Along with your deposit for my NeArLy New SCaMp for only $4000??
(The one I have to ship to you sight unseen because ...insert BS here)

And for those who wonder W.T.H. that is about.. the photos that Raz posted are from my six month old Scamp. Just a few pumps of the grease gun with the wheel stationary and the hub not warmed up before hand might have caused this. A bad seal is also a possible cause.

No matter the cause, without removing the hub you would not know that it happened. And if you remove the hub, why not......

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Raz

No matter the cause, without removing the hub you would not know that it happened. And if you remove the hub, why not......

I think you forgot to finish your sentence

If the ending is "repack the bearings" then the answer is because its a damn messy job! But I do think it is best practice and it will be mine also.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by gordon2

I'll be waiting on my royalty payment

Suspect you will be getting royalty payments from MANY members here for years to come Gordon!

[Linda Stewart]

I learned the hard way...STAY AWAY FROM THOSE DARN BEARING BUDDIES. They force the grease into the brake drums.

The Bearing Buddies are meant for boat trailers.

Linda

[TheWanderers]

I felt like these Bearing Buddies would be the perfect answer to what those here would agree is a messy job. When we bought our Scamp, I was excited to hear that they had been installed.

However,...the trip home was uneventful but on our first outing, one of the Bearing Buddies fell off, and I don't mean the dust cap. I assumed that I had hit something like a rock or a bump that knocked it loose somewhere on the road. The entire assembly was missing when we made it to camp 75 miles from home. I had stopped to complete a general check/walk around about half way to the campground and found the Bearing Buddy missing. Lots of grease all over the wheel and a little on the side of the camper.

I cleaned up the mess and re-installed a new pair of Bearing Buddies and we headed out for our second trip after inspection and greasing. After we arrived home I noticed that the same side of the axel had lost the same Bearing Buddy, again!

Now I'm wondering if the actual axel won't hold the Bearing Buddy or an axel cap? Since we've had this problem twice, I was wondering about installing another set of Bearing Buddies. After reading what has been posted here, I'm looking for alternatives. The axel of open and exposed and I'll need to find a solution soon if we're to make our next outing commitment.

I'm interested in hearing any recommendations of what should replace the Bearing Buddies. Thanx

[floyd]

To reiterate here....KEEP IN MIND... "Bearing Buddies" employ a whole different technology for a whole different purpose than EZ-Lube.
Below is... first the bearing buddy and the second the EZ-Lube.

Scamp now uses bolt-on axles.
To appease those who wish to judge axle wear with their fists, tire replacement with their calendars, and wish to avoid that messy and constant bearing disassembly repack ... why not just change the whole thing every three years?
Its just a few bolts and a couple of wires,and you can drop off all those worn out three year old axle assemblies at my house, with the wheels and tires still attached.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

I'm interested in hearing any recommendations of what should replace the Bearing Buddies. Thanx

Conventional dust covers would be a good choice . they are available at parts stores, RV shops and trailer/boat sales for cheap.
A big plus is that you could then add hubcaps or wheel covers!

[Raz]

Originally Posted by floyd

Conventional dust covers would be a good choice . they are available at parts stores, RV shops and trailer/boat sales for cheap.
A big plus is that you could then add hubcaps or wheel covers!

And they can be driven in with a mallet and a piece of 2" PVC pipe to avoid denting them.

[TheWanderers]

I may end up trying the conventional dust cap/cover since it'd be cheaper than Bearing Buddies. However, I have my doubts that they'll stay in place as well. Remember that I've already lost two Bearing Buddies for no obvious reason. The conventional cap would have the advantage of weighing less and therefore might stay in place longer because they're shorter and have less force pulling on them when you hit a bump or whatever is causing the Bearing Buddy to fall off. Can't drive around with my parts exposed.

Originally Posted by floyd

Conventional dust covers would be a good choice . they are available at parts stores, RV shops and trailer/boat sales for cheap.
A big plus is that you could then add hubcaps or wheel covers!

[Johnny M]

Originally Posted by Dan Meyer

The only remotely possible problem would be water in the grease, and by extension, the bearings.
--Dan Meyer

Have you ever seen what can happen to bearings, races, and/or spindles where dirt/girt along with improper cleaning/greasing have made their mark? Being the son of a mechanic who spent much of my early years in my dad's shop learning about the mechanics of vehicles and seeing first hand what damage improper maintenance can do I would not rely solely on a bearing lube device, I would definitely remove, clean and visually inspect those parts on a regular basis, even if using a lube device in between cleaning/inspections...but that's just me and based on what I have seen first hand

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Johnny M

Have you ever seen what can happen to bearings, races, and/or spindles where dirt/girt along with improper cleaning/greasing have made their mark? Being the son of a mechanic who spent much of my early years in my dad's shop learning about the mechanics of vehicles and seeing first hand what damage improper maintenance can do I would not rely solely on a bearing lube device, I would definitely remove, clean and visually inspect those parts on a regular basis, even if using a lube device in between cleaning/inspections...but that's just me and based on what I have seen first hand

[mary and bob]

I'm wondering if Bill's one hub was machined a little oversize where the dust cap sets, resulting in the bearing buddy falling off. The old prick punch trick might be necessary. Dust caps are available in different sizes. For another idea on greasing, I actually read this on another forum, the posting person said they just occasionally pop off the dust cap and pack some grease in it.

[MCDenny]

I spent 26 years working for bearing manufacturers. Trailer bearings are so lightly loaded and run so slow FOR THEIR CAPACITY they would last forever if properly adjusted and kept properly lubricated and clean.

Modern automobile wheel hub units utilize expensive seals running on perfectly concentric ground and hardened lands. They are not "adjustable", the running clearance is determined by precision machining with tolerances of a few .0001".

Trailers use seals that cost about 50 cents to make, run on machined soft lands and the bearings are adjusted by hand.

Apples and oranges indeed.


Denny Wolfe
Wanderingourway.wordpress.com

[Johnny M]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

For another idea on greasing, I actually read this on another forum, the posting person said they just occasionally pop off the dust cap and pack some grease in it.

OMG REALLY?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

However, I have my doubts that they'll stay in place as well. Remember that I've already lost two Bearing Buddies for no obvious reason. The conventional cap would have the advantage of weighing less and therefore might stay in place longer because they're shorter and have less force pulling on them when you hit a bump or whatever is causing the Bearing Buddy to fall off. Can't drive around with my parts exposed.

You need to use a piece of wood and a rubber hammer to tap them on. If they do not require some effort to put on then you have the wrong sized caps & they will indeed fall off.

I learned the hard way that the caps I could buy here in Canada which were metric where to loose on my US built Scamp, although they looked to be the same size they were out a smudge and would not stay in place. Had to pick up spare replacement caps for it while in the US.