Bearing Buddy dust cap "bra" coming off 1 hub while trailering

[ryno1234]

I have Bearing Buddies on my trailer. 1 of them keeps blowing the dust cap (called a Bearing Buddy Bra) off.

This is only happening on 1 of my 4 trailer hubs. This first happened last year and it blew grease all over my wheel. I didn't have a replacement cap so I just cleaned things up and continued to trailer throughout the year last year and wrote it off as the Bearing Buddy was just likely overfilled with grease.

This year, I decided to get a new BB Bra / dust cap. I put it on and by the time I made it to the ramp to launch the boat on the first time out, it had already blown off and I had some grease on the wheel again.

I also noticed that prior to putting the dust cap on, when I had towed it a week prior, the grease around the bearing buddy was bubbling some like pressure was coming out. The bearing buddy was very warm / hot, but perhaps that part is normal after trailering many miles.

Any ideas on what would cause this?

 

[youmansjason]

I have Bearing Buddies on my trailer. 1 of them keeps blowing the dust cap (called a Bearing Buddy Bra) off.

This is only happening on 1 of my 4 trailer hubs. This first happened last year and it blew grease all over my wheel. I didn't have a replacement cap so I just cleaned things up and continued to trailer throughout the year last year and wrote it off as the Bearing Buddy was just likely overfilled with grease.

This year, I decided to get a new BB Bra / dust cap. I put it on and by the time I made it to the ramp to launch the boat on the first time out, it had already blown off and I had some grease on the wheel again.

I also noticed that prior to putting the dust cap on, when I had towed it a week prior, the grease around the bearing buddy was bubbling some like pressure was coming out. The bearing buddy was very warm / hot, but perhaps that part is normal after trailering many miles.

Any ideas on what would cause this?

If you see the grease bubbling and it was very hot, you likely have water intrusion into the hub. You need to take the hub apart and clean it and put fresh grease back in.

 

[mike_i]

Are there brakes on that wheel? Nothing should be hot if working right. When was the last time you pulled everything apart and looked at the bearings?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Maybe overfilling the BB with grease?

 

[flashback]

Maybe try a hose clamp.

 

[airshot]

Over my years with those, I have found how they are put on can make a difference. The bra should be a little snug, sometimes they can run big, when I get those, I return them, often even the same size will have looser or tighter fits. When I install them I push from the center of the bra which creates a small vacuum and helps hold them on. Can't say this is your issue, but something to consider.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

^^^ What Airshot said. Captured air in there expands as it heats during operation and will push them off.

 

[Horigan]

Zip tie?

 

[airshot]

^^^ What Airshot said. Captured air in there expands as it heats during operation and will push them off.

In my experience, just the opposite if a vacuum is created. It sort of sucks the bra onto the hub. However, if you can't create that vacuum, then I could see expansion blowing it off. Years back I had a set of bras that were really tight...difficult to get them on, so tight no vacuum could be created so they came off a few times. Ended up putting a little slit in the center with my pocket knife and no more lost bras....pressure building and blowing them off

 

[mike_i]

I'll ask again.
Are there brakes on that wheel? Nothing should be hot if working right. When was the last time you pulled everything apart and looked at the bearings?
Am I missing something? Why isn't the hub being hot a number one issue? Grease should not be bubbling.

 

[ryno1234]

Are there brakes on that wheel? Nothing should be hot if working right. When was the last time you pulled everything apart and looked at the bearings?

Yes, I have disc brakes.

I had Les Schwab tires repack my bearings in late 2022.

Sorry for the delay, all. I didn't get notifications that anyone replied.

 

[airshot]

Yes, I have disc brakes.

I had Les Schwab tires repack my bearings in late 2022.

Sorry for the delay, all. I didn't get notifications that anyone replied.

Every time I tow my trailer, the first thing I do when I stop is to check the hub for heat !! Anything more than "warm" needs a close look at when I get home. Also at the start and a couple times thru the season, I jack up each wheel and spin it, be sure all is smooth and quiet then add a shot of grease while spinning the wheel. Easy safety steps to be sure all is well. In my 60 yrs of boating only lost a wheel twice, no fun, easier to maintain than to fix a major mishap.

 

[mike_i]

This is exactly what I do too.

Every time I tow my trailer, the first thing I do when I stop is to check the hub for heat !! Anything more than "warm" needs a close look at when I get home. Also at the start and a couple times thru the season, I jack up each wheel and spin it, be sure all is smooth and quiet then add a shot of grease while spinning the wheel. Easy safety steps to be sure all is well. In my 60 yrs of boating only lost a wheel twice, no fun, easier to maintain than to fix a major mishap.