Carry extra trailer bearings and grease

Mike Cork · September 30, 2019, 11:13:54 AM

With 50 years of bass fishing under my belt, I've learned that certain mechanical breakdowns will ruin a trip. My father always carried extra trailer bearings. While we repacked them twice a year, a blown seal that went undetected meant a shelled bearing.

I carry mine in vacuum packs. Makes for easy under seat storage and keeps them moisture free. I do the same with the grease. Word of caution, lower your vacuum setting if you can before you seal the grease, or just don't vacuum it down. Don't want to suck a bunch of grease into mother's kitchen appliance...

To get way ahead of the game, pack the bearings and then seal them up. I used to do this but that's how I got grease in the seal-a-meal the first time

No I figure I'm going to get dirty to do the job, may as well so it separate. Plus, if a friend at the ramp just needs some grease, I can hook them up.

Lee Smith · September 30, 2019, 11:15:29 AM

I keep a hub, seals and bearings in the truck at all times for the boat trailer, used them once,,,,made a bad day better!

Mike Cork · September 30, 2019, 11:17:43 AM

A whole hub ready to go would make it plug and play

I just don't have the space for all that nor a way to keep it from getting my purdy Dodge dirty.

I also carry a spare set of brake pads the same way. I pads literally turn to dust about two hours from home one time and had to wire everything up and limp home... Won't do that again either.

Bud Kennedy · September 30, 2019, 11:34:50 AM

i carry a complete hub and spindle system as part of my spare tire set up. The trailer has a 6000# torsion axle and it all sits on 10 ply trailer tires. Gotta love some of the goodies you get with a custom trailer. I wanted a trailer that was a road warrior and offered as much safety and security as possibe.

Princeton_Man · September 30, 2019, 11:40:17 AM

I don't go as far as carrying a new spindle but, I carry a complete hub with the seal and packed bearings. I also carry a grease gun fully loaded.

It makes for a quick pit stop if it's necessary.

Mike Cork · September 30, 2019, 12:15:07 PM

I need to get bearing buddy covers for all my hubs but they always leak and I hate getting grease slung on my tires. Not for the looks, but because the grease always ends up on my pants... But grease-able hub caps make it very easy to make sure they stay full.

TNDiver · September 30, 2019, 04:23:43 PM

I need to do this with mine. Since I bought my boat, I haven't looked at it and it does worry me. How do you know what bearings, etc you would need?

Mike Cork · September 30, 2019, 04:45:01 PM

I called the trailer manufacture, but come to find out most all trailers less than 10 years old are using the same stuff.

You can contact etrailer as well, they have the best prices and won't steer you wrong.

Oldfart9999 · October 01, 2019, 06:47:03 AM

A hub with bearings and seals can be carried in a zip lock bag, gallon size, same with a small grease gun. A box of nitril gloves is about 10$ for a hundred, throw several pair in a small zip lock bag. Bearing buddies are nice but you have to be careful you don't over fill them or you can pop a seal, of course it's always be the seal on the inside of the hub where you can't see it.
Rodney

Deadeye · October 01, 2019, 08:41:47 AM

While all of this has been Good Advise, most of the newer Boat Trailers do not have the Older Grease Style Hubs anymore.

Most have converted to Oil Bath Hubs.

Some (read most now) are the Vort Hibs and have a 10 year warranty. Mine is the older Ranger Cool Hubs that also hold Oil. Once the seal goes all oil dumps out. But that is a rare occurrence.

I have had seals develope a leak and you can tell by the Oil changing to a Milky Tea color after launching or loading. Only takes 1-2 drops of water to turn the oil though, so even when it turns you have some time to get it fixed as long as the Window is still full.

Thornback · October 01, 2019, 08:59:23 AM

I respect people who prepare for problems -- just like the Boy Scouts. Same thing with your PFD, wear it. I would like to point out that lubricating grease is oil with a thickener. Over time the thickener and oil will separate. One way to check lubricating grease is by looks and smell. If you carry lubricating grease then I would think it might go bad in 4 to 6 years. Same with the grease cartridge in your grease gun kept in your garage. Grease is relatively cheap.

TNDiver · October 01, 2019, 09:19:19 AM

I wonder if it is difficult to convert to the Oil Bath hubs?

Mike Cork · October 01, 2019, 09:31:27 AM

Quote from: TNDiver on October 01, 2019, 09:19:19 AM
I wonder if it is difficult to convert to the Oil Bath hubs?

Not at all.

I actually went the other way. I had vault hubs, which are a form of oil bath (hybrid oil/grease), and pulled the bearings and put grease on them. I'm old school and like to tear stuff apart to just make sure. I was brought up greasing bearings and enjoy taking a day and checking everything out.

If you have oil bath hubs, carrying a spare bearing set or hub, with regular grease can at least get you home

Oil Bath is a great way to go, my only concern with them is once they go, you're done. I had it happen twice with a hybrid version, won't happen again. I like old school grease because it will hang in there for a while and not sling off the bearings in a mile or two. I have to say, with the hybrid versions it's harder to tell if there is a problem. True oil bath is easier to tell through the cap.

Deadeye · October 01, 2019, 09:54:20 AM

Your Right Mike, although I had no experience with the Hybrids from what I have read they were a pain, good idea with bad execution.

Lots of guys have done the Early Oil back to Grease Conversions. Really pretty simple just drain to oil and replace with grease.

Not sure about the other way. Oil Hubs have a Drain/Fill Plug made into the hub neck and a sight window. I suppose you could chance Grease to Oil IF you were willing to buy new Oil Style Hubs or willing to Drill and Tap the ones you have. You would need a Sight Glass style end cap that seals tight as well.

Capt. BassinLou · October 01, 2019, 10:06:58 AM

My new boat trailer has the Vault hubs. I will be ok for a while, (fingers crossed) but this is something I will need to look into and know how to deal with in the event an emergency happens.

Mike Cork · October 01, 2019, 10:08:27 AM

Your good for a couple years. Just keep an eye on the rear seal with a mirror.

jonboy · October 01, 2019, 01:28:01 PM

You can get a hub that has the seal and pregreased bearings already installed, set of lug nuts, spindle nut, carter key and dust cap all in one package for 50 bucks. True enough, its not top quality but with a pair of pliers and a dirty sock, you can be off the side of the road in 5 min and they are certainly good for a thousand miles or two.

I agree with mike, no way should you leave out on a trip without a backup plan for bearings.

Thornback · October 01, 2019, 03:36:39 PM

Certainly doesn't hurt to "carry a spare". I once checked the inner wheels of my trailer and to my dismay saw the tell-tell sign of slung grease on the inner side of one wheel. Closer inspection revealed fishing line neatly wrapped around the axle and up against the hub. Then I remembered one day when heading home I had a rod that the hook had broken off the line. I just fastened the rod down in the boat and drove off. When I got home all the line on the reel was gone. I now have a hunch where it went.

3crows · October 05, 2019, 01:19:55 AM

Our center console Boston Whaler is not used as a bass boat. But we have made many long trips over the years to coastal areas. I always carry a spare axle, two spare tires, a hub assembly and bearings. My trailer is not tandem but it has large wheels but still, at least tow spares and sometimes a third up on top of the Toyota rack is a good idea. Nights and weekends are not good is there is a flat.

Deadeye · October 05, 2019, 06:28:59 AM

Quote from: Bassinlou on October 01, 2019, 10:06:58 AM
My new boat trailer has the Vault hubs. I will be ok for a while, (fingers crossed) but this is something I will need to look into and know how to deal with in the event an emergency happens.

Lou when I was looking at buying a New Boat with Trailers that had the new Vault Hubs, I'm pretty sure they had a 10 Year Warranty of No Touch Maintenance. You should be good for quite some time.

TNDiver · October 07, 2019, 06:47:47 AM

Well it happened! Mike's rear seal blew on the way to Guntersville and he put on a clinic on how to change one out! After seeing the process, I think I will be buying a whole hub

Also explained the difference of the different hubs. Need to do some more research, but might stick with the older style. While a 10 year warranty is nice, it is all about quality control, and if it isn't great, then the warranty isn't worth the paper its written on. I think Mike's hub still had a few more years left before it should have gone, but there is no warranty for Señor Murphy!

Oldfart9999 · October 07, 2019, 07:14:40 AM

The oil bath hubs have decades of use with very few problems. 18 wheelers and larger straight jobs have been using them, they are highly reliable. If the oil changes color or the level starts dropping you check them and repair as needed, it's part of regular maintenance. As far as a 10 year warranty I would never seals that long, every 2 or 3 years the hub should be torn down and the bearings checked, seals are cheap and easy to change and new oil is clean empty of metal bits and dirt.
Rodney

Capt. BassinLou · October 07, 2019, 07:46:10 AM

Quote from: TNDiver on October 07, 2019, 06:47:47 AM
Well it happened! Mike's rear seal blew on the way to Guntersville and he put on a clinic on how to change one out! After seeing the process, I think I will be buying a whole hub

Also explained the difference of the different hubs. Need to do some more research, but might stick with the older style. While a 10 year warranty is nice, it is all about quality control, and if it isn't great, then the warranty isn't worth the paper its written on. I think Mike's hub still had a few more years left before it should have gone, but there is no warranty for Señor Murphy!

@ TNDiver, that was a heck of clinic Mike put on for us.

@ Mike, thank you for all the information you shared with us while fixing your hub. we learned a very valuable lesson on the importance of being ready when Mr. Murphy decides to show up.

Mike Cork · October 09, 2019, 02:52:01 PM

No problem guys, worked out that I was able to show you what at Vault was, a regular grease job is, and the oil baths are self explanatory.

Thankfully I was able to bring it into G-Ville and fix it there instead of on the side of the road. That's what grease does for you, versus oil. If an oil hub goes down, it's only a couple miles and you have to do something. With a vault or grease hub you can go a couple hundred miles if you don't mind the mess...

Donald Garner · October 09, 2019, 07:39:40 PM

Mike tks for sharing this posting with us. I really like my Vault Hubs on my Stratos trailer. I have regular oil base hubs on my G3 trailer. Although I don't travel as much as most of you guys do I still get all of the bearing checked on a yearly basis.