Bearing Buddies

[Ramdave]

Just bought a used 2006 Crestliner with 115 Merc fourstroke and a Crestliner trailer (whoever makes those) Hubs have bearing Buddies, so I thought I would pull the bras and see what was going on. The zerk was laying in the bottom of the BB and I couldn't screw it back in, I knocked off the BB and there is a zerk in the end of the spindle. Never seen that before, can someone explain to me what is going on with my trailer and maybe who makes it?

 

[bruceb58]

You have an EZ lube axle that someone put a Bearing Buddy on. Typically you can't put Bearing Buddys on those since the Zerk would hit the backside of the Bearing Buddy piston.

 

[RMClark]

My boat trailer has bearing buddies, my utility trailer has the ez-lube axle. I much prefer ez-lube axles. If it was me, I'd pull the bearings on your trailer for inspection and cleaning, replacement if necessary.

You don't want to be "that guy" standing on the highway shoulder staring at smoking wheel hubs. The best way to prevent that is a full removal/inspection of the bearings.

Given that whomever owned the trailer in the past was obviously clueless about the hubs and spindles, you might find that the hubs or spindles should be replaced. Replacement hubs/spindles are not hard hard to come by. There are after-market vendors easily found online.

 

[Ramdave]

Thank you both for the input and no I don't want to be that guy. What kind of covers do you put on the hubs with the EZ lube axle and is EZ lube a brand name?

 

[dingbat]

Thank you both for the input and no I don't want to be that guy. What kind of covers do you put on the hubs with the EZ lube axle and is EZ lube a brand name?

E-Z Lube versus Buddy Bearings: What's the Difference?

E-Z Lube versus Buddy Bearings: What's the Difference?

www.trailersplus.com

 

[Stonehauler]

My boat trailer has bearing buddies, my utility trailer has the ez-lube axle. I much prefer ez-lube axles. If it was me, I'd pull the bearings on your trailer for inspection and cleaning, replacement if necessary.

You don't want to be "that guy" standing on the highway shoulder staring at smoking wheel hubs. The best way to prevent that is a full removal/inspection of the bearings.

Given that whomever owned the trailer in the past was obviously clueless about the hubs and spindles, you might find that the hubs or spindles should be replaced. Replacement hubs/spindles are not hard hard to come by. There are after-market vendors easily found online.

agree.

I have my bearings pulled and repacked for every season, no matter how far I am planning on towing that season or towed the season before.

Do not be the person that buys a 100k boat and then put the cheapest trailer you can underneath it, or even buys a good trailer, but then ignores all the maintenance on it. Even if you are only using it a few times a year, having a good trailer will let you put in it and take it out easier, will ensure good storage of the boat, and help keep you safe on the road. Maintaining your trailer is a great way to be sure that you make it to your destination instead of sitting on the side of the road.

 

[bruceb58]

Thank you both for the input and no I don't want to be that guy. What kind of covers do you put on the hubs with the EZ lube axle and is EZ lube a brand name?

Make sure you buy the correct size but these are the ones they use..

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bearings-Races-Seals-Caps/TruRyde/DC200L-DCRP.html?feed=npn&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20%7C%20Shop%20-%20Trailer%20Bearings%20Races%20Seals%20Caps&adgroupid=84944511806&campaignid=203075657&creative=404001548342&device=c&devicemodel=&feeditemid=&keyword=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9031153&matchtype=&network=g&placement=&position=&gclid=CjwKCAjw1JeJBhB9EiwAV612y_4oIJtMM6Kc6QhO7n1Fcg_HY-VDtEInNBc7Ie0xLitW5MbLjcdEXxoCxT8QAvD_BwE

BTW, I have LAZ-Lube axles, as I call them, on my travel trailer. I also repack every year but I take off the hub and don't use the zerk. Way to easy to blow out the seal and have grease all over your brakes.

This is a photo from someone on my travel trailer site after he greased his bearings using the zerk...and yes he jacked up the wheels and greased while turning...just like the instructions say to do.

I like the bearing buddy over the LAZ-Lube on a boat trailer as long as you don't pump them to high... just enough to put a positive pressure in the hub.

 

[RMClark]

Thank you both for the input and no I don't want to be that guy. What kind of covers do you put on the hubs with the EZ lube axle and is EZ lube a brand name?

The cover is just a slip-on plastic cover. Many bearing buddy sets have a plastic cover that slides right on. You might be able to reuse that.

 

[bruceb58]

The cover is just a slip-on plastic cover. Many bearing buddy sets have a plastic cover that slides right on. You might be able to reuse that.

it's not a slip on cover at all. It's an aluminum dust cap with a rubber plug that you have to engage in the center. The bearing buddy cap will not work

 

[444]

Just bought a used 2006 Crestliner with 115 Merc fourstroke and a Crestliner trailer (whoever makes those) Hubs have bearing Buddies, so I thought I would pull the bras and see what was going on. The zerk was laying in the bottom of the BB and I couldn't screw it back in, I knocked off the BB and there is a zerk in the end of the spindle. Never seen that before, can someone explain to me what is going on with my trailer and maybe who makes it?

Basically when someone put on those bearing buddies they should have removed that spindle grease zerk.

 

[Searay205]

properly greased hub (full) with bearing buddies will go 8-10 years and grease will still look new. Repacking bearing every year will eventually lead to an assembly mistake and creating an issue that didn't exist. make sure you use spring loaded lip seals in your hub, not the automotive type dust seals. That is the key.

 

[Lou C]

I used the spindle lube hubs on my 3500 lb axle from 2004-2021 and never had to replace the bearings all I had to do was grease them 2x a year and I replaced the grease seals when replacing the galvanized backing plates usually every 5 seasons. The bearings never had water in them. The key to keeping water out on the easy lube super lube or spindle lube systems is to pump it full (slowly, while rotating the wheel) and put a coating of grease in the groove of the rubber cap. Then smear more grease over where the rubber cap fits in the tin cover. Doing this I never once had water in these. A relative bought a new Venture trailer with the same design. After we launched the boat I suggested checking the grease caps and what we found was that Venture did not fill the caps fully and there was a small amount of water in there. So we completely re greased them as described above. If you have disc brakes you can obviously see if the hub seal leaks unlike drum brakes. Dexter sells an improved triple lip seal I got some for the 6,000 lb axle I just installed.

 

[Texasmark]

My 2002 Crestliner has a Heritage custom trailer and probably the company that rebranded with the Crestliner name to match the boat. I had never seen anything like what I saw at the end of the axle for a water proofing device. I always used after market Bearing Buddies on previous boat trailers...once I happened on them many years prior.

I apparently have the ez-lube axled (don't know if its the same brand/system that Ranger Boats uses on their trailers) and it has an aluminum cap that covers the workings....easily pries off with a screwdriver. Adding grease via zerk forces the spring loaded plunger out where it's length is visible (from the side) with the cap installed. i connect the grease gun and start pumping, watching the plunger extend as I pump. When it quits I quit and replace the cap. Having had the rig for going on 3 years now, I have had to add grease once.

As time and usage progresses, I can see the cap slowly move toward the axle and when it gets close enough, I add grease. I'm of the opinion that these are OEM parts that have not been replaced over the years and here it is 19 years later and when I periodically jack up the axle and spin the wheel....during winter storage, it still rolls and rolls and rolls free as a bird.

 

[Searay205]

put a coating of grease in the groove of the rubber cap. Then smear more grease over where the rubber cap fits in the tin cover.

with sure lube axles the aforementioned is critical. if not you will get water in they bearings, ask me how I know. I use buddy bearings now, use the zero to fill the hub 100% then remove if necessary and install buddy bearing.

 

[roscoe]

I apparently have the ez-lube axled (don't know if its the same brand/system that Ranger Boats uses on their trailers) and it has an aluminum cap that covers the workings....easily pries off with a screwdriver. Adding grease via zerk forces the spring loaded plunger out where it's length is visible (from the side) with the cap installed. i connect the grease gun and start pumping, watching the plunger extend as I pump. When it quits I quit and replace the cap. Having had the rig for going on 3 years now, I have had to add grease once.

That would NOT be a sure-lube or dexter E-Z lube.
They have no moving parts, no spring either.

TieDown Super Lube hubs have a zero on the back side of the hub.


Dexter E-Z Lube