Trailer Wheel Bearings

All the trailers I ever had were equipped with regular wheel bearings and bearing buddies. Use to grease them for every major trip. Just got a new rig and this trailer has a different system I have never worked with before. The hub over the bearings has a rubber insert in it. The dealer tells me you just pop that out and there is a grease fitting in there. When you lube it the grease goes to the rear bearings and works the old grease out through the front bearings. When you see new grease you are done. Clean off all old grease and reinsert the rubber seal. Sounds good! Does anyone have them? How well do they work? Any tips on how to work on them?

Been useing that type since 2006 with no problems

Mine work just fine. When you get ready to grease, jack up wheel to take tension off bearing. Get you a large piece of cardboard and place under cap to catch excess grease. Give her a few shots and spin the wheel. Keep doing this untill you force all the old grease out. Should be good for a year. Sounds like a lot of work but not as much as tearing everything down, cleaning and packing, then reinstall and adjusting. Plus the cost of seal.

I have the thru-hub grease system on my boat trailer I have had for 10 years and after I learned how to do it right I have had no problems. I found out that if you don't jack up the tire and spin the wheel and then add the grease SLOWLY it is real easy to blow out the rear grease seal. I give it a few pumps of grease over the course of the year but I still tear-down, clean and inspect and repack the bearings every fall.

Here is a pretty good video on the subject, although this is on a camper it's the same process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ndN_9NQL4

they are the only way to go . My main reason for liking them ? you want over fill and blow rear seals . like most , thought I needed a shot of grease every road trip . wrong .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bigjon

I have the thru-hub grease system on my boat trailer I have had for 10 years and after I learned how to do it right I have had no problems. I found out that if you don't jack up the tire and spin the wheel and then add the grease SLOWLY it is real easy to blow out the rear grease seal. I give it a few pumps of grease over the course of the year but I still tear-down, clean and inspect and repack the bearings every fall.

---

I pump and change the grease out in mine once a year.....every three years I do tear down and wash the bearings and inspect them and the races...At this time I replace the grease seals and repack with new grease.

I have a Diamond City trailer, and it has two caps on each wheel the big cap and then the little rubber cap where the grease fitting is, i grease the fittings every five times i put in the water,with the water proof bearing grease just to be safe and it does push old grease out and need to clean the chrome rims from the old grease. Better safe then sorry.

Thanks for all the info, sounds real good, big improvement. Can always count on good info from you guys. THANKS AGAIN!!!

I know its over kill but I grease mine every trip. I scrape out the grease inside the cap and give each wheel 10 pumps. No problems yet.

The rubber gets rotten and splits and grease goes everywhere. Have some new ones in tool box.

I have something like that but the zert is off center so I couldn't get a grease gun on it. I was thinking I might have to find a gun with a small fitting

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrappieTim

I have something like that but the zert is off center so I couldn't get a grease gun on it. I was thinking I might have to find a gun with a small fitting

---

Tim, if you are saying the Zerk itself is made on a angle then you should be able to remove it and install a new straight one. Every one I have seen was dead center in end of axle and a straight Zerk so you could put fitting right onto it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrappieTim

I have something like that but the zert is off center so I couldn't get a grease gun on it. I was thinking I might have to find a gun with a small fitting

---

They make a needle point adapter for a grease gun..You push it into the little hole in the center of the fitting.

Mine is off center, too, but zerk is straight. No problem greasing it with regular grease gun, though. It's the trailer that came with the Tracker boat I bought last year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beshears

The rubber gets rotten and splits and grease goes everywhere. Have some new ones in tool box.

---

where do you get replacements ? Soak in armoral every time I was bearings and repack (every year ).

I got extras at a boat dealers shop, more than likely they are on ebay.

Thanks everyone. People on this site are great. The first thing on my list is to get the bearings take care of. In fact my wife was giving her yearly caution about getting excited too early but I never listen. I will scramble to get the boat ready by April first. The the Nebraska winter will drag on for several weeks :) it's hard to be a crappie fisherman in Nebraska.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beshears

The rubber gets rotten and splits and grease goes everywhere. Have some new ones in tool box.

---

where can you buy these ? no problems yet but always try to fix problems at home ,not on roadside .

I get mine at Sherms Marine coach.....They come in packs of two

I found mine at a local dealer that sells boats and trailers. Knew exactly what I wanted. Said they are very common and had several pacs on the pegboard. I forget but I think they were like $4 for a pack of two. Now safely in my truck tool box for all road trips. Will keep an eye on them and hopefully change at home when needed. But prepared for the road just incase!! Dealer says he has people that have had them for several years and never had a problem!!!

The rubber ones only last for me about 6 months at the most....the neoprene ones last two or three years

Mine are 4yrs old. But kept in garage not in the sun. Maybe put a paper cup or something over the end of hub to keep sun and weather off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wilbur

Mine are 4yrs old. But kept in garage not in the sun. Maybe put a paper cup or something over the end of hub to keep sun and weather off.

---

If kept in Sun ... best to cover the whole wheel if possible. Sun will dry rot your tires !! Leaving them sit for long periods of time & low air pressure don't help the situation, either.

... cp :kewl