bearing buddy

[skyhightree1]

Does anyone use bearing buddies? I use them on my landscape trailers and love them. My friend uses them and loses 1 every week but we cant figure out why. It is mostly on the same side and I tell him he must be hitting the same pothole and losing them. It has got me stumped as to what can make you loose so many.

 

[slick4591]

I don't use them and now knowing that a pothole will pop one I won't waste my money. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I use them and haven't ever lost one, I really like them, and don't know why he would be losing them, I didn't think hitting a hole would do it that easy.

 

[skyhightree1]

i love mine too and no issues with mine.. He drives i-85 everyday and even in the nicest most comfortable car it will feel like you are riding in a covered wagon. The potholes are huge on 85 here. I will never not use them. i wonder if you can over fill them and grease get between the buddy and your axle and make it lubed and pop out ? I dont know im grabbing for straws.

 

[highgrit]

I run them and lose them. If you use your trailer in the woods or other tight spaces you will knock them off.
Also they are not any good on braking axles. You can push the grease past the rear seal really easy, then the brakes are useless. Your right if you put a double lipped seal in it can push the buddy bearing back out.

 

[skyhightree1]

I have lost a bearing buddy pulling the trailer in the woods with the 4 wheeler moving stand but on the road I haven't. We normally just do 2 lil manual pumps in each buddy monday morning before they leave and id say they put atleast being conservative 500 miles a week never any issues.

 

[lavacarancher]

Sky, I use them on all my trailers and have not had any problems at all. You do need to make sure you get the right size. The ones I have now fit really tight - I had to install them with a block of wood and a BIG hammer. Hope I don't ever have to take them off because they're goinin' be a beach.

 

[Bigfoot]

I want to put them on my cow trailer, I didn't know they weren't supposed to be used in an application with trailer brakes. I have had a horse trailer or two that I bought used, that had them on them. In those cases, I didn't own the trailer long enough to mess with the bearings. Will I regret putting them on my cow trailer?

 

[cross_7]

I have to listen to all the mfg's presentations and they claim #1 cause of bearing failure is over greasing, granted they are talking sealed bearings and pushing out the seal
But they also mentioned the bearing buddy
1- They claim that over greasing will ruin the back seal on the hub when over greased allowing dirt, water and etc in the hub.
2- They claim if you just hit it with one or two pumps all the grease is in the dust cap never reaching the bearing
3- They claim the spindle washer blocks most of the grease ever getting to the outside bearing muchless the inside.
4- If you put enough in that you force it past the outside bearing and to the inside bearing and then push it to the seal but are lucky enough not to damage the seal, the grease is packed in so tight it's actually hard on the bearings
5- Most greases used or not for high speed bearings

Whether this is right I can't say

 

[Bigfoot]

I have to listen to all the mfg's presentations and they claim #1 cause of bearing failure is over greasing, granted they are talking sealed bearings and pushing out the seal
But they also mentioned the bearing buddy
1- They claim that over greasing will ruin the back seal on the hub when over greased allowing dirt, water and etc in the hub.
2- They claim if you just hit it with one or two pumps all the grease is in the dust cap never reaching the bearing
3- They claim the spindle washer blocks most of the grease ever getting to the outside bearing muchless the inside.
4- If you put enough in that you force it past the outside bearing and to the inside bearing and then push it to the seal but are lucky enough not to damage the seal, the grease is packed in so tight it's actually hard on the bearings
5- Most greases used or not for high speed bearings

Whether this is right I can't say

Sounds logical.

I'll go old school, and just keep packing them my self.

 

[skyhightree1]

I have to listen to all the mfg's presentations and they claim #1 cause of bearing failure is over greasing, granted they are talking sealed bearings and pushing out the seal
But they also mentioned the bearing buddy
1- They claim that over greasing will ruin the back seal on the hub when over greased allowing dirt, water and etc in the hub.
2- They claim if you just hit it with one or two pumps all the grease is in the dust cap never reaching the bearing
3- They claim the spindle washer blocks most of the grease ever getting to the outside bearing muchless the inside.
4- If you put enough in that you force it past the outside bearing and to the inside bearing and then push it to the seal but are lucky enough not to damage the seal, the grease is packed in so tight it's actually hard on the bearings
5- Most greases used or not for high speed bearings

Whether this is right I can't say

Sounds logical.

I'll go old school, and just keep packing them my self.

Bigfoot not to discredit anything cross has said I will tell you my personal experience. I have bearing buddies on my cattle trailer and my business trailers that are 2 axles and single axle trailers the 2 tandem axles have them on there.. As I mentioned before I do give a couple pumps a week for grease. The bearing buddies have a spring that presses the grease on the bearing and what I do is only keep it pumped half way so there isnt that much pressure I think you should try them they are 20 bucks and as long as you use self control and dont try to fill them up too much you should be ok.

 

[highgrit]

Bigfoot, when you force grease past the seal on an axle that has electric drum brakes you have a mess. The magnet doesn't grab the drum, and the shoes and drums are slick as ice. With disc brakes a little extra grease is not nearly as bad. After a while a few pumps a week is going to mean no brakes on a trailer with electric drum brakes. Fact I have done this many a time. Very slow learner here.

 

[skyhightree1]

. After a while a few pumps a week is going to mean no brakes on a trailer with electric drum brakes.quote]

I think it also matters how much you drive your trailers mine roll constantly and are loaded coming and going. I have never now that I say this something crazy will happen probably. I bought all my landscape trailers in 2001 and have never changed 1 bearing on them and they are nice and tight. Its like anything else you buy a dodge you love it no problems I buy one have every problem known to man. :lol2:

 

[dun]

In the past I used them on travel trailers. In the past and currently I use them on bot trailers, Mainly becaue I want the bearings packed as tight as possible becuase they get submerged so frequently.

 

[greybeard]

"a couple of pumps a week". In a year, that's over 100 pumps. Where do ya think all that grease is going?

 

[skyhightree1]

No clue GB all I know is bought trailers 12 years ago still original bearings and a ton of miles on them.

 

[houstoncutter]

I put em on just about all of my trailers and have never had one pop off. I drive in S.E. Texas the land of many potholes

 

[Bigfoot]

Can you pop your dust cap off, then stick a bearing buddy on squirt a little grease in then replace your dust cap? In an attempt to keep from pulling the bearing to repack it.

 

[skyhightree1]

If I think I understand your question no dust cap won't fit over bearing buddy after you put bearing buddy on.

 

[Bigfoot]

Family is wild tonight. I lost my train of thought 10 times posting that. I would only use the bearing buddy to put grease in. I would then remove it, and put the dust cap back on.