Ultra Tow hubs?

[BobGlover]

Does anyone use Ultra Tow hubs on their small boat trailer? They've got a grease zerk in the back of the hub that lets you (so they say) repack the hubs without removing them. The grease runs through both bearings and out the front. If it works it would be easier than taking the hubs & bearings off. Don't have experience with them myself, but have thought of trying them out. Opinions????

 

[roscoe]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

I know nothing about "ultra hubs", except that they sell them at northern tool. And apparently nowhere else according to google.


A SURE - LUBE hub is similar, tried and true.

Grease enters the front/outside of the spindle, travels thru the spindle, then is forced into the rear bearing, pushing the old grease out thru the front bearing, and out onto the ground.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

I have EZ Lube hubs on my barge trailer. They work the same way and I really like them, but I don't think I'd change out the hubs just for that (I have two other trailers with Bearing Buddy type setups). If you need new hubs any way then go for it. Otherwise I don't think the effort and expense would be worth it. YMMV

 

[Snowfish]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

EZ Lube, Sure Lube, Ultra Lube, Buddy Systems, etc..................All need to be hand packed sooner or later. Hopefully more soon than later. If you're That Guy who "has never hand packed for X number of years", you're living on borrowed time.

Those systems are good for "in season" touch up if used properly. But should not be used as a crutch.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

From what I see the ultra hubs would be a very good hub it allows you to have the ease of repacking and flushing a hub like a sure lube or a Dexter has on a standard axle.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

EZ Lube, Sure Lube, Ultra Lube, Buddy Systems, etc..................All need to be hand packed sooner or later. Hopefully more soon than later. If you're That Guy who "has never hand packed for X number of years", you're living on borrowed time.

Those systems are good for "in season" touch up if used properly. But should not be used as a crutch.

+1 with comment.
The bearings need to be looked at eventually, can't see the bearings through a zirk. IMHO

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

EZ Lube, Sure Lube, Ultra Lube, Buddy Systems, etc..................All need to be hand packed sooner or later. Hopefully more soon than later. If you're That Guy who "has never hand packed for X number of years", you're living on borrowed time.

Oldest trailer that I currently have with ez lube hubs is going on 10+ years and probably 10,000 miles, without ever touching the hubs... I don't see the need to remove them and hand pack when forcing grease through the hub, and then THROUGH the bearings does a better job than hand packing...

The ONLY trailers that I've ever burnt down a hub on were hand packed, non bearing-buddy hubs.

 

[90stingray]

Re: Ultra Tow hubs?

I think those hubs would be a good investment if you need new hubs. They can be had for about $50-70 for the pair depending on your size. Sometimes Northern runs them on sale. I guess you could buy and use them now before yours are too far gone... and keep the originals as spares if you have one crap out on the highway. Lets hope that never happens...

 

[gsh]

I put a set on my trailer when the old hubs failed. Believe it or not, the old hubs were made of stamped steel. When they failed, they failed rather spectacularly and I'm lucky my boat and trailer didn't flip over when the hub came apart.

I inspected the spindles and they were fine, So I got a set of the Ultra-Pack hubs from Northern Tool and put them on right there in the street. They camp pre-packed, but I packed them with Marine grease anyway during assembly.

Once they were assembled I hooked up the grease gun and put grease in until the grease was coming out around the castle nut. Then I wiped up the excess, put on the rubber cover and called it good.

The next trip to the lake I stopped and checked the hubs a few times with a Klein Infrared Thermometer and they stayed nice and cool.

The Ultra Pack hubs were a major step up no matter how you looked at it.

Ideally I would have preferred to have new E-Z Lube Spindles, but that would have meant somehow getting the trailer or the axle to a welding shop to get the new spindles put on. It was just easier to get the Ultra-Pack hubs.