Mad Buddies Trailer

[Johnette Esteb]

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240 hours in the boat, probably 7500 miles towing. Bearings have not been repacked. Last weekend I lost a bearing buddy (actually a UFP branded trailer buddy) while towing. While pulling the boat out of storage this morning, plop, another one fell out. I've replaced both with the similar attwood product from my local boat store (walmart). Any clues on why they hate my trailer?

I have had that happen as well. Two theories, the trailer was in the water longer than normal due to a crosswind that kept made us do multiple attempts to land the boat. I believe some water got in there and when warmed up directly after by driving it expanded and pushed them out. Another time I had just rebuilt the brakes and don't think I knocked it on perfectly straight and it was out of balance. In both cases the replacements never came off and the bearings were fine for hundreds of miles more until I sold the trailer. I would agree that an overheating hub could cause it as well, but I haven't had the pleasure of that happening yet, so can only speculate.

I did repack the hub and bang a new cover on and did a 20 mile freeway lap with a couple of exits (breaking) and the hub in question was similarly warm to all the others. Certainly not burn your hand hot (am familiar with how hot they CAN get on a 5000' twisty descent).

The second one fell off spontaneously, cold. Weird. I banged them all with a 2x4 and hammer for good measure. And bought a second set of the walmart covers to leave in my pistol pete kit just in case.

I used to carry a set of 2 bearing buddies in my tool box along with a grease pump because, if you lose one of those on one of my typical 300 mile one-way trips, you're screwed. I never had to install one.

Those UFP Trailer Buddy bearings are garbage. Previous owner installed them on all 4 wheels. Two of them broke (luckily on the same axle), and I've replaced them with the real Bearing Buddies, which are clearly a better built product.

I have one bearing buddy that backs out of the hub constantly. I attest it to a trailer shop that repacked my bearings while the trailer was in for a few other things. I've lost two bearing buddies from that specific hub after the shop did the repairs. I've repacking and changed bearings twice since the shop had it, and never lost or even had the other side hub BB move (so its not over packing or over heating). Luckly I don't tow very often anymore, but when I do, every time I stop I have a hammer and piece of wood and pound the one BB back in.

My thoughts are the trailer shop pounded in that BB at a bit of an angle (or was too aggressive removing the BB from the hub), and widened the the ID of the hub slightly. Last time I changed the bearings I used some fine sand paper and smoothed out the hub where the BB seats, and then used a bit coarser to try to roughen it up (this helped quite a bit). I'm sure I could replace that hub and it would be fine, but I really don't care as I can drive 200 miles and it only backs out 1/8" to 1/4". And now I tow my boat once a year.

Well the surprising thing here is that I haven't had any recent maintenance. The hub in question is no hotter than the others. I've not towed over the pass since this issue has arisen though, and I know that's the true test. I've got discs on all four wheels and they will get hot coming down 20 and 49 no matter how you drive. It's just the nature of surge brakes. Even when freshly professionally repacked, you WILL burn your hand if you grab the hub or lug nuts when we get to the lake.

Maybe that is the man upstairs way of telling you it is time to get those bearings serviced. It sounds like you have dipped that boat in the water quite a few times and have really put some miles on it. If I were in your shoes - I'd repack those puppies and go with all new parts.

Most of those bearing hubs come in 2 or 3 different sizes, but they are pretty much standard sizes. You may have to take the bearing cap off, and take it to the supply store with you, to get the right one.

The question I have is, why do you want to use Bearing Buddies? You aren't going to be submerging the wheels in water, so it's not likely to pull enough water into the bearing housing to ruin the grease. Just repack the bearings every 5 to 7 years.

5 years? I only have to repack the bearings every 5 years? I was just thinking the buddies would give me peace of mind. I could check to see if the grease is ok with a glance and without taking it apart.

Install the bearing buddy, inject enough grease to fill it, then pull it off and put the old cap back on...looks MUCH nicer, and now you KNOW it has enough grease. ( it may weep some grease out when the hubs are warm...just wipe it off)

My Harbor Freight trailer 12" wheels have grease certs on back side of hub so I do not need the bearing buddies, to me its even better set up because you get grease to both bearings at the same time, where the bearing buddies you have to go past the outer bearing first before the inner bearing gets any grease, unlike bearing buddies its out of sight as well & no mess . Over 2,400 mi so far with no problems.

I do CHECK my bearings once a year and before a trip. But I don't see the need to repack them every year. If the seal doesn't blow out or the wheels get submerged in water, there really isn't a need for it.

Bearing Buddies were designed for boat trailers that submerge thier wheels when they are hot. Without Bearing Buddies the hub will suck water in through the seal when it hits the cooler water. Bearing buddies are spring loaded to allow the grease to expand and contract without sucking water into the hub.

I totally agree with you! These damn puppies need to be put to sleep! It angers me how Di$ney keeps dumbing down their films these days! Seriously, this is what they've dumped their animation desks for? Stupid tween sitcoms, and stupid talking puppy movies?!? These damn buddies make Scrappy-Doo look cool by comparison!

You are absolutely correct sir! Disney's sorry asses havent been able to put out anything remotely decent since the late 80s! It's sad to think a lot of children and some adults actually think stale garbage like this is even worth watching. RIP Disney, Nickelodeon, and MTV, we hardly knew ye.

I have seen them on ads, and have a new kayak trailer (2000 lb axle, 15 inch wheels). These BBuddies allow external greasing. Do they save the axle, truly? Do they work? Do they stay on (considerably heavier than the normal metal dustcaps)?

Finally, the FAQs on their website says:

"What type of lubricant should I use? Fill the hubs completely with a high quality, multipurpose No. 2 grade lubricant (e.g., the type used for automotive suspensions). Don't use heavy, fibrous greases; don't mix grease types. "

Isn;t the heavy grease what I likely have (I will take off current cap and see) on the trailer (thus, unless I repack, I'd have to mix), and I think #2 lube--although could get in a lube gun and squirt into the fitting on the BB--is not as good for the axle as the heavy, fibrous traditional axle grease. No? I mean, the heat of the axle and rotations certainly would burn out "suspension lube", right?

Thanks for your thoughts. CD1

........ come in different sizes . You should take the grease cap off the hub , measure the inside dia. (I.S. dia.) and make sure the Buddy's you get are the same size dia. . The fit is very snug and installation requires that you start them in squarely with a wood block and hammer tapping until they bottom out on the boss (ledge) .

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