Dodged a bullet

[Dave-R]

On our new to us 1999 Four Winns 180 Horizion, I had wanted to take her fishing very bad. The wife was working on a new bow cover, so I thought what the heck I may just as well repack the hubs. The starboard side when felt hard to turn when taking it off. I thought maybe the brake shoes were grabbing a little until I got the bearings out and took a look at them. The inner bearing could hardly rotate, and the same for the outer bearing. The races on both were pitted and discolored. The paint on the hub was also burned slightly. I found about a tablespoon of water in each bearing, and tons of water resistant grease in the bearings. I felt lucky we made the 100 mile trip from buying the boat, without a disaster. This is the first time I actually repacked any ones that were totaled, and I have done a lot of them. I ordered new bearings and races for both sides. I always tell the wife when we pass a boat trailer jacked up on the road, that's why I have to check them often. The axel is a six lug 6000 lb. with a grease fitting out on the end. The grease comes out back by the seal. The cap has a rubber grommet that you pull to get to the grease sert. I guess I won't be able to use bearing buddies, and will keep these full. I plan on setting the hubs on my wood burning stove, and then install the freezer fresh races. I am going to grind the old races a little, and use them to drive the new ones in. Does this sound like the plan? Dave-R.

 

[bruceb58]

I have a set of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piec...set-95853.html

Makes it very easy. I do the freezer trick too with the races but never heat the hubs.

I have trailers with the ez-lube axles like you have and one with bearing buddies. The only ones I have had bearing problems with is the one with ez-lubes.

Make sure you check the surface on the axle where the seal runs to make sure it isn't pitted and obviously replace the seals.

 

[bobsquatch]

Nice Dave that is good to hear it rarely goes in a positive direction like that. This is how it usually goes I am early fastidious when it comes to vehicle maintenance including my trailers my buddy is not I had an occasion to borrow his trailer which had not been greased since he owned it towing my heavy boat it was a triple axle trailer and I greased every hub bearing buddy when I picked it up empty drove 250 miles greased every bearing buddy again before I put it in the water loaded my boat greased every bearing buddy again as soon as I got it out of the water and made it about 75 miles towards home before I lost a bearing. That is how it usually goes.

 

[gm280]

Well it sounds like a plan, but I have never had to heat up the hubs or freeze the races to install them ever. I usually just tap the old races out and install the new one via a seal and race installation tool. And I never had any problems doing that. You can easily use the old race to install the new ones, but they also sell a set of tools very cheaply to do such jobs without any grinding the old race to keep it from sticking. Just a thought. Glad you did find that absolute problem before it left you on the side of the road... Some times it is good to be lucky then smart!

 

[bruceb58]

The only problem with Bearing Buddies is the guy that thinks adding a shot of grease every once and awhile is a good thing. Once the hub is full and the Bearing Buddy piston/spring is slightly pushed outwards, you never have to add any grease.