How often do you grease trailer bearings?

[agallant80]

How often do you grease trailer bearings? I have Zurk fittings. How often should I give them a squirt or grease?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

You'll get all sorts of answers to this one. My answer - I repack the bearings once every 2 years and only use the through hub zirk to do the initial full pack of the hub - then I never touch it again.

 

[emilsr]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

Same here on greased bearings. Every 2 years, clean/repack the bearings and replace the seals. Every other maintenance cycle (or so) I went ahead and replaced the bearings, but they will last longer than that so long as they're cared for.

Oil bath hubs require an oil change about every 7 years and little else. Virtually no maintenance. I don't want to go back to using grease.

....just in case you were considering an "upgrade" :lol:

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

If your "Zerking", remember to jack up the tire and spin it while pumping,,,

 

[satanclause]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

I just grease when i change bearings, every 20 year or so.
The trick is to keep the Wheel center and bearings abowe the water

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

Once a year.

 

[JaseBosto]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

I never grease mine,,.....I have oil bath....:laugh:

 

[agallant80]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

So can someone tell me more about these oil bath things? My trailer goes between salt and fresh water.

 

[JaseBosto]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

So can someone tell me more about these oil bath things? My trailer goes between salt and fresh water.

essentially it is a cap that is where your greese fitting is. The cap is clear. There is oil in there lubricating the bearings. It has a plug to drain and fill it.

 

[colbyt]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

I just grease when i change bearings, every 20 year or so.
The trick is to keep the Wheel center and bearings abowe the water

You come on over here and show me how to do that on these shallow ramps we have.

 

[BobGinCO]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

Every fall.

 

[emilsr]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

So can someone tell me more about these oil bath things? My trailer goes between salt and fresh water.

There are a few different "flavors" of them. Here's what's on our trailer: VAULT HLS Maintenance Free Hybrid Oil Hubs by UFP Trailer Buddy

 

[dingbat]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

When they need it.
Bearing housings are "sealed" assemblies. If you need to add grease between bearing changes, you have seal issues that need addressed.

Oil hubs work well until.........your oil seal fails while you are at highway speed, you can have a total loss of lubricant very quickly, burn up your bearings, ruin the hub, the axle, or both. You probably will not notice you have a problem until you see smoke. If your luck is really bad you may have a hub/wheel assembly come off while going down the road.

.

 

[emilsr]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

Oil hubs work well until.........your oil seal fails while you are at highway speed, you can have a total loss of lubricant very quickly, burn up your bearings, ruin the hub, the axle, or both. You probably will not notice you have a problem until you see smoke. If your luck is really bad you may have a hub/wheel assembly come off while going down the road.

.

Sure, it could happen, in theory, but has it? Do you have any data you can share? Why would a seal all of a sudden fail?

Over the road trucks have been using these things for years. Usually I'm the LAST guy to buy into new technology (still don't own an ipod), but in this case I think it's an option worth considering.

 

[JimS123]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

You come on over here and show me how to do that on these shallow ramps we have.

Full roller tilt trailer. I check my bearings annually, but haven't packed them since 1986 (the year I bought it).

 

[SWD]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

ipod???? Whats one of those????

 

[Mel Taylor]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

ipod???? Whats one of those????

ipods are what ipeas come in.

 

[satanclause]

Re: How often do you grease trailer bearings?

You come on over here and show me how to do that on these shallow ramps we have.

Swedish Viking here, think my first task would be to show you how a proper trailer should be constructed.
With one of those you wont need to back the trailer down so you drown the bearings.
I have my boat on a standard trailer with flip. That works better then most US trailers i seen.
I have mounted 2 145x45 mm wodden beams with rollers between them, the rollers lie 10mm lower then the beams so the keel go between them. Then when boat is up on trailer i just lift the front and kick in 2 car tires,and strap the boat down. Easy as hell to launch and take out.

Just get me a plane ticket and somewere to sleep and a sixpack and i come over and get you into year 2013 ;-)


/Thomas