Bearing buddies kept falling off.

[saxrulez]

I just thought I would share this in case anyone else runs into this problem.

I had to replace the bearings in one of my trailer hubs this week. Went and got all the things needed and decided I would switch to Bearing buddies as my father swore by them. Got everything put back together, put the bearing buddy on, pumped it full of grease, and took it for a drive.

About a mile down the road, I saw something silver bouncing off the road behind my boat. I thought to myself aw man, I must have left a beer can in the boat. When I got back to the house I looked at the hub and the bearing buddy was gone!

I wasn't sure what caused it, so I put the other one on there, but this time made sure I got it in extra tight. Went to the lake yesterday, checked it when I got to the lake and it was still looking good. Got home that night and checked it, gone again!

I did a little reading and decided I was going to try a different brand. I went with Reese towpower bearing protectors. Oh my goodness this thing was a pain to get in/on. I was at it for probably 45 minutes trying to tap this thing in and it just wouldn't quite fit.

I got out my trusty dremel, went to town and took probably .005(estimate) off the edge all the way around. It was still a VERY tight fit, but it is on now and I don't believe it is going anywhere. I just tested it on the interstate to make sure.

So if you run into bearing buddies being slightly too loose, I would recommend trying the reese towpower bearing protectors, but be prepared to do some machining on them for sure. It was 100% impossible to get them into my hub as they came in the package.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

Either you bought the wrong size (both times - one too small and one too big), your hub is corroded, or you have Chineese hubs.

If you had to dremel it to get it to fit you got a problem. Its destined to fall off too, or you'll never get it off again without damaging it.

They are not a universal fit - they come in many different sizes. You need to match the buddy with the hub size.

 

[surfmonkey]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

If the hubs have ever gotten pretty hot or been run with little or no grease, they will warp and it is impossible to keep the Bearing Buddies in the hub....only speaking from experience....

 

[kjsAZ]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

Bearing Buddies falling of should be taken as a sign! Their real name is "rear seal killer" unless you just use them as overpriced dust covers and never grease them up after the initial install of the hub...... If you want something good get EZ-Lube or Sure-Lube spindles.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

love 'em.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

Either you bought the wrong size (both times - one too small and one too big), your hub is corroded, or you have Chineese hubs.

If you had to dremel it to get it to fit you got a problem. Its destined to fall off too, or you'll never get it off again without damaging it.

They are not a universal fit - they come in many different sizes. You need to match the buddy with the hub size.

I am 100% sure I had the correct size on both pairs. I measured the hub with a caliper. Both were 1.98" protectors. If you do some searching,there are a lot of posts on this forum and others with problems with bearing buddies falling off. I also measured the Reese bearing protectors, and although they are supposed to be 1.98" from the factory,I suspect that was before the coating they placed on them. I had zero issues with the protector I took off to replace with the bearing buddy. It made the trip from Alabama to Kansas without a problem

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

I had a pair fall off on my other trailer and cross three lanes of traffic between cars. They were 1.98 as well. I found if they go on easy they fall off easy. It could have been a defect during manufacturing or they warped...who knows. I would buy another pair they are not expensive. Check the hub as well. I carry a spare pair with me just in case something happens to them.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

When I got my new boat last year I made sure the trailer had Dexters.

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

I used a Reese hub after my other one feel off and it was hard to get started. I used a 4x4 block of wood, to prevent damage, and a ball peen hammer. I center it and it went on. It was tough...many hits. But it never fell off. I found that when I check the bearings I just replace them.

 

[saxrulez]

Re: Bearing buddies kept falling off.

Just an update. Two trips to the lake now with the Reese protector I installed on. So far so good! Looks like they are staying on with no issues now.

Still not sure exactly why I had that issue with the Bearing Buddies, as I know many people have used them with no issues. I'm going to stick to a different brand for these hubs.