Bearing buddy to blame?

[Linndoren]

So I pulled my hubs for the first time to repack my bearings. Luckily I ordered new breaks as I have had this trailer for three years. Now I know I am to blame but I did no, absolutely no maintenance for three years. So I knew my breaks needed done with 60k+ miles on her. What I found shocked me. The first hub was packed full of grease then when I removed the hub grease had been slung all over my break drum and pads. I thought ok it’s only one no worries but I was wrong yet again, all four were exactly the same. So my question, is the bearing buddy to blame? Did the dealer over fill the hub which caused this? I can’t believe some Good Samaritan topped off my grease without my knowledge.

[Second Chance]

Are you talking about actual Bearing Buddy grease caps or the EasyLube Zerk fittings on the end of the spindles (I suspect the latter). Either way, the equipment is not to blame. The issue lies with pumping the hubs full of grease without removing them to clean, inspect, and repack the bearings and inspect the brakes. Those Zerk fittings are controversial at best and most of us never use them.

Rob

[huntindog]

So I pulled my hubs for the first time to repack my bearings. Luckily I ordered new breaks as I have had this trailer for three years. Now I know I am to blame but I did no, absolutely no maintenance for three years. So I knew my breaks needed done with 60k+ miles on her. What I found shocked me. The first hub was packed full of grease then when I removed the hub grease had been slung all over my break drum and pads. I thought ok it’s only one no worries but I was wrong yet again, all four were exactly the same. So my question, is the bearing buddy to blame? Did the dealer over fill the hub which caused this? I can’t believe some Good Samaritan topped off my grease without my knowledge.

That pic shows an EZ lube spindle. I bet you had poor braking from day 1.

FWIW, I have seen far worse, but any grease on the brakes is bad.

[Gronk1]

It was the leaf... the leaf did it.

[Riverbug]

Are you talking about actual Bearing Buddy grease caps or the EasyLube Zerk fittings on the end of the spindles (I suspect the latter). Either way, the equipment is not to blame. The issue lies with pumping the hubs full of grease without removing them to clean, inspect, and repack the bearings and inspect the brakes. Those Zerk fittings are controversial at best and most of us never use them.

Rob

Hi Rob. In my experience EasyLube spindles only function poorly when used improperly (i.e., overfilling without the usual maintenance). On boat trailers, they are great because you want to fill the void with grease to avoid having water filling the void. Between trips to the ramp this style is great for forcing the old grease out the front and new grease in from the rear which is what they are designed for. My 2003 trailer has had no issues ever other than normal wear and tear, but I do maintenance on them every winter. So, like many things in this world, sometimes it's the user and not the product, many times it is the product but not in this case IMHO.

[FT4NOW]

Those Zerk fittings are controversial at best and most of us never use them.

I wonder if axle manufacturers are picking up on this. I had to remove one of the wheels on my 398, and to my surprise there is no zerk fitting installed. The female threads are present, but no actual fitting installed, not that I would use the zerk fitting, I'm in the manual repack group for bearing maintenance.

[jmbopp]

The correct way to use the E-Z Lube feature is to jack up the wheel and rotate it while slowly pumping in grease. If you use a pneumatic gun, pump fast, or don't rotate the wheel you're asking for trouble.

[huntindog]

Hi Rob. In my experience EasyLube spindles only function poorly when used improperly (i.e., overfilling without the usual maintenance). On boat trailers, they are great because you want to fill the void with grease to avoid having water filling the void. Between trips to the ramp this style is great for forcing the old grease out the front and new grease in from the rear which is what they are designed for. My 2003 trailer has had no issues ever other than normal wear and tear, but I do maintenance on them every winter. So, like many things in this world, sometimes it's the user and not the product, many times it is the product but not in this case IMHO.

The OP has EZ lubes, They are NOT for boat trailers Bearing Buddies are a different system and they ARE for boat trailers. About the only thing the two systems have in common is they both have grease zerks.

I see this all the time on the forums. People use the two names interchangably to the point that a lot of people think they are the same thing.

[jkwilson]

The OP has EZ lubes, They are NOT for boat trailers Bearing Buddies are a different system and they ARE for boat trailers. About the only thing the two systems have in common is they both have grease zerks.

I see this all the time on the forums. People use the two names interchangably to the point that a lot of people think they are the same thing.

EZ Lube axles are routinely used on boat trailers. When combined with a marine grease and proper service interval, they do a good job. My understanding is they were originally designed for boats, as were Bearing Buddies, though the function of the two systems is significantly different.

[huntindog]

EZ Lube axles are routinely used on boat trailers. When combined with a marine grease and proper service interval, they do a good job. My understanding is they were originally designed for boats, as were Bearing Buddies, though the function of the two systems is significantly different.

This is the first I have heard that. And it is pretty hard to believe.
The EZ lube has an opening (where the grease exits when the zerk is used) that will guarauntee water will enter the bearing cavity when it is underwater... Especially when it is hot. Fresh water, or worse salt water contacting the bearing grease is a very bad thing.

Bearing Buddies is a sealed system that prevents water from entering the bearing cavity....

I do not doubt that some are using Bearing Buddies on RV axles, and I do not doubt that some are using EZ lubes on boat trailers. Both would be an incorrect use of the products

That has never stopped some people from doing it wrong though.

I have owned a boat trailer that I installed Bearing Buddies on, and sucessfully used it. I have also owned two RVs with EZ lubes..... I never used them as the mechanic in me knows what can
go wrong.... And it simply uses too much grease to do a complete purge of ALL of the old grease