Wheel Bearings Etc.

Rapio

Seaman
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
62
I have said for years, if you balance your trailer wheels and keep the spindle nut correctly tightened you won't loose your Bearing Buddies. Well it has come to haunt me. Lost a "BB" this am. With wheel off the ground I can shake the wheel a bit. Just more than I would expect. One slot in the nut is too tight, back off one and it is loose enough to question. Is there such a thing as various thickness spindle washers or more slots to the nut. P.S All bearings are next to new..Thanks
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
You could also sand down a too thick washer. It isn't easy and can take a while, but other then buying a thinner version, I don't know what else to tell you. Usually there isn't a situation of being too tight and back off one cotter pin place and being too loose. You are merely turning the castle nut a few degrees of rotation. :noidea:
 

hemi rt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
321
If turning it back one slot makes it a little loose you should be good to go. I've never seen a slightly loose over a snug wheel bearing fail unless it wasn't greased properly. If it is snug when you get to a slot then back it off until the next slot lines up and put the cotter pin in and you should be alright
 

Rapio

Seaman
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
62
It wasn't a matter of a wheel bearing failing. As stated it was the loss of a Bearing Buddie due to (I assume) at freeway speeds a constant minor wobble with the "BB" spring pushing outward. Nuff said. With an off the shelf new washer, the nut tightens up just right. We'll see next trip.
 

Starcraft5834

Lieutenant Commander
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Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,677
IMHO- bearing buddies are about useless... overfilling them can cause rear seal blow outs.. been down that road with my 20ft cuddy... after constant problems with he then 27 year old axle and hubs and BB's,, replaced with new axle and hubs,, all new axle's now come with "zerks" (oil fitting tips), they fill from back to front as they should, BB's you push grease front to back.. best $150 I ever spent (new Axle, nice new spindle's, bearings tight and smooth).. no more worries dragging the boat....
 

WIMUSKY

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Sep 26, 2009
Messages
19,790
IMHO- bearing buddies are about useless... overfilling them can cause rear seal blow outs.. been down that road with my 20ft cuddy... after constant problems with he then 27 year old axle and hubs and BB's,, replaced with new axle and hubs,, all new axle's now come with "zerks" (oil fitting tips), they fill from back to front as they should, BB's you push grease front to back.. best $150 I ever spent (new Axle, nice new spindle's, bearings tight and smooth).. no more worries dragging the boat....



That's the key. DON'T OVERFILL THEM. Once the spring moves a fraction of an inch, stop filling........... I swear by BB. Use them on all my trailers if they didn't already come with the EZ Lube system. I've only had one pop off. Thru many, many years....

Are you sure going one slot tighter is too tight? If you have the slightest movement, it's fine..... I feel the hubs anytime I travel 1/2hr or more. Warm is good, hot is bad.......
 

82rude

Rear Admiral
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
4,082
1 plus on the bb WIMUSKY! Also buy a sparehub assembly and you will never ever have to use it!I honestly don't remember when ive last had a bearing failure,30 plus years ago maybe?
 
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gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
I've only had one wheel bearing failure in all my years. And that one failure was on a brand new factory packed 1972 Dodge Challenger. It happened about 4 months after I bought it brand new off the showroom floor. It literally seized up and welded onto the spindle while traveling on the interstate. Had to be torched off with a cutting torch. But I never ever had any other bearing failure on any of my equipment that serviced myself since then.
 

WIMUSKY

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Same here guys. Hope the 3 of us aren't jinxed now........
 

TyeeMan

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
849
There's 4 now. I'll bet a beer the reason you lost the bearing buddy was one of two things. 1) you hit a really big pot hole going down the highway. 2) More likely - the bearing buddy probably didn't have a real nice snug press fit in the hub. It would be impossible to blow one off from over greasing as your seal would fail first.
Highway speed shouldn't matter either. I've towed going up north Minnesota at 70-75 mph for years and never lost one. You did mention something about a bearing buddy wobble. If I'm understanding, that would tell me that the BB wasn't full installed. That could be your smoking gun, , , er smoking Bearing Buddy in this case. :joyous:
 
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