Do Bearing Buddies work?

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

you didn't learn wrong for that application.... except for them telling you bb's worked the same way

 

[Russ Preves]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

I've used 'em for 30 years...and they do work to keep water out....if you use the stainless "spindo seals" as the rear seal....(salt especially will corrode the stock rear seal surface)

BUT.....like most folks, I overfill them...and more than once I've ruined the brakes as the drum fills with the extra grease I put in...

.....but I never had a trailer bearing bind up and toss the boat off the trailer....

 

[SS Flasher]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Bearing buddies have a spring allowing expansion.

.

Not if the BB is over filled and the little hole in the BB that is designed to release excess grease is plugged. New grease follows the path of least resistance passing older grease pockets that may go hard and sometimes plug this hole.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

huh. I guess I learned stuff all wrong.

When I was a "mechanic" at Mount Mansfield, the Bombardier rep told us the bearing hub greasers were designed to bleed out grease.

These Bombardiers groomers are expensive, hydrostatic, 600HP diesel-engined trail groomers that run on tracks which travel on solid rubber tires, and the bearings take a huge load beating every night.

We were instructed to install the lip of the grease seal to point towards the inner side of the hub so that the daily grease-gun routine would always be squirting out old grease- the lip would not pressurize the hub. Described to us as "the same way that bearing buddies work".

Anyway, I like bearing buddies. And I like fresh grease.

Doesn't the seal get tighter on the spindle if the seal lip is towards the hub?
Installing the seal with the spindle lip away from the hub would allow grease to escape easier, yes?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Doesn't the seal get tighter on the spindle if the seal lip is towards the hub? Installing the seal with the spindle lip away from the hub would allow grease to escape easier, yes?

That is what we did- put the lip facing towards the inner side of the hub (inboard), not facing the nut/cap/outside/towards-you side of the hub. Semantics.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

got ya, I read it the wrong way.

 

[tboltmike]

Re: Do Bearing Buddies work?

Not if the BB is over filled and the little hole in the BB that is designed to release excess grease is plugged. New grease follows the path of least resistance passing older grease pockets that may go hard and sometimes plug this hole.

Flasher, I think your the only one to mention the relief port. If the BB piston is forced too far, the port uncovers to bleed grease and prevent the seal from blowing out. My BB's usually have bleeding grease. Thank goodness for the bra's

Your point about the port being plugged is well taken and maybe probed with a toothpick to clear.

Seems I read where the BB's piston was to be normally in to allow for heat expansion, but given a shot or two from a grease gun prior to launching. I use to carry a small gun to do this, but got to be too much of a pain.