Bearing grease- How much?

[gspig]

I did a search first, but didn't find an answer. I replaced and packed the bearings on my trailer. My question is - should the hubs be packed with grease or just the bearings?

 

[gspig]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

Is this a question that starts a fight? Purists- bearings only: Heavy greasers- fill the cavity full.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

If you do "NOT" have bearing buddys, you should grease just like you would a cars wheel bearings, basically just fill the bearing. If you have bearing buddys (With a grease fitting and a spring on the outside of your carrier), you need to completly fill the hub with grease, run it awhile and top off, keep doing this untill all the air is out. You will know this when the spring is closer to the outside of the hub.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

I second LubeDude on what he recommends. It depends on what kind of hubs/bearings you have. Standard grease caps, there's no need to fill the hubs. But with Bearing Buddies or the other type of EZ lube system that grease through a tube drilled inside the hub, you have to fill the hubs completely with grease AND bleed all the air out, or they won't function as they're designed.

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

I fyou use marine grade grease it should be compatible with a fully lubed hub. The reason for greasing just the bearing is to prevent heat build up as the bearings are constantly pumping grease out of their way in a full lubed hub. But with marine grade grease formulated for fully lubed hubs you can do either. And a filled hub will not allow water intrusion as easily as just the bearings being greased.

 

[jeff_nicholas]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

Just returning from a 14,000 mile trip from SC to Alaska.<br />I use the WalMart grease that says, "Marine" and pack the hubs full (on both trailers).<br />Absolutely no problems with bearings or hubs for me (disc/Posi-Lube) or the Trophy (drum/BearingBuddy).<br /><br />

<br /><br />

 

[BF]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

Nice pict's....<br /><br />I'm also a fan of packing the hub full. (and of course packing the bearings themselves too.. I don't buy the idea that extra grease make things run hotter. I think that if your bearings/hubs warm up (from friction), the extra grease would also warm up and then flow a bit to the bearings (which should be a good thing)... Anyway, keeping them greased, and touching every hub on the trailer every time I stop for gas/food/potty etc. has always worked well. If hub feels any hotter than just warm, I know somethin's up. On my rigs hubs are never any warmer than the tires themselves.

 

[gspig]

Re: Bearing grease- How much?

I do see the reasoning behind packing the hub cavity, that is the purpose of bearing buddies as discussed at length in such threads. The previous owner had semi-packed the hubs, when I removed the dust cap on 3 wheels, water ran out. I think that there may not be a benefit to packing the hub unless a pressurizing dust cap is used. Unless the hub is solidly packed and kept that way, any loss of grease creates a void that can hold water. I guess the true solution is use a pressurized system or more frequent bearing checks.