Trailer Bearings

[StarRider07]

I built a trailer last year. The hubs were brand new and greased very well. Made one trip with it last summer and put 1700 kilometers (1056 miles) on it. I am going on another trip leaving this weekend and will be putting approx. 3500 kilometers (2175 miles) on it. How often do the bearings need greasing? Would they need it already?

[Tom]

They should not need it but for my own piece of mind Id pull the dust covers and take a peek..If it looks like a lot of grease put on the dust cap and have a great time! I have bearing buddies on mine and I shoot just a little grease in till I see the movement then stop. Tom

[StarRider07]

They should not need it but for my own piece of mind Id pull the dust covers and take a peek..If it looks like a lot of grease put on the dust cap and have a great time! I have bearing buddies on mine and I shoot just a little grease in till I see the movement then stop. Tom

 

Thanks Tom. I will check them tonight.

Ok, what are bearing buddies. Or is that baring buddies. hahahaha, shoot a little grease, hahahahaha

[Tom]

Thanks Tom. I will check them tonight.

Ok, what are bearing buddies. Or is that baring buddies. hahahaha, shoot a little grease, hahahahaha

They are not that expensive and all you do is stick a grease gun on the nipple where the dust cap normally is and shoot a bit of grease in it. http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/rn/bearing/2441.jpg

[StarRider07]

Hey Tom. Great idea. And you're right, they are inexpensive.

[RedRider]

Bearing Buddies are a great addition, however, they are not likely needed for your trailer. The application for BBs is generally boat trailers. When you run a boat trailer, the bearing heat up (just like when pulling any trailer). At the end of pulling a boat trailer, however, you back the trailer into water - launching the boat. This instantly cools the bearing/hub, creating a vaccuum. The vaccuum pulls water thru the seal and into the bearings. Water and bearings don't mix. The BBs carry extra grease just outside the seals, so when the vaccuum is created, the bearings/hubs suck in additional grease, not water.

 

Unless you are putting your trailer in water - or are Freebird - you likely won't need the protection of BB.

 

Grease in trailer bearings last a long time. Just think how often you greased your front wheel bearings in your old car (never).

 

Take off the dust cap and give it a view. Likely will look just like after you greased them last time. Always good to check though. Just like air in the tires - usually fine, but important to check.

 

RR (used to be an engineer for Timken Bearings)

[Billet]

Gotta agree with Red rider, I built my utility trailer 15 years ago. Have checked them but never repacked them. If they were packed right and the seals are in good shape and the caps fit good and it hasn't been submerged and the end play is correct you should be good to go. Put your hand on the hub after about 50 mi. If it's cool or barely warm it's good.

[Brake Pad]

They came standard on the Matrix Rover Trailer.

I pop grease in them every 1000 miles, as he manfg. suggests:thumbsup:

[Carbon_One]

All good info here.

One other thing to keep in mind is the wheel size of the trailer. An 8" wheel will be running higher revolutions per mile as opposed to a 12" wheel so will generate more heat.

Bearings can also fail by being over greased. What happens is the repeated greasing pushes out the seal(s) which then allows dirt and containments to get in as well as letting grease escape when heated up from a long run.

Bottom line is it's never a bad idea to at least do a precheck prior to any trip.

Larry

[dr_bar]

Took my little trailer for a 14,000 kilometre jaunt last summer. Every stop I checked the temperature of those hubs, every time they were as cool as a cucumber...