Trailer Bearings

[seahorse]

I would like to get expert opinions from forum members on trailer bearings. My first trip to Port Hardy this season leaving from Courtenay last Thursday and I blew a set of one year old bearings. Had to fix at roadside south of Campbell River 20 minutes from my house. I installed all new Titan rotors, bearings, calipers etc last February. Got back on the road with the help of my son in law and his mechanic and rolled into Port Hardy at 10:30 pm. Up at 5am, drive to the Bear Cove launch and blow another set of bearings and toast the rotor this time as well. Spent Friday afternoon replacing the rotor and bearings in the second axle. So just wandering what everyone else does for maintenance? Do you pull the rotors every spring religiously and repack? Or just pump more grease into the bearing buddies? Or only buy American or Canadian made bearings and boycott the Chinese crap? We did well fishing but the bearing issue really pissed me off and not sure what I should have done different. The trailer is a tandem axle 2013 Road Runner , I appreciate your insight, thanks, Don

 

[casper5280]

Speedy sleeves, double lip seals, and American made bearing if you can find them, inspect them every spring. Replace bearing and seals when needed. As long as water doesn't get in the bearings they are usually still good.
Sounds like something is not right if you blow them out over night.

 

[Macdeep]

Ya, I repack every fall if I remember, otherwise definitely repack ever spring, and replace anything that doesn’t look or sound darn near perfect.

On average I repack every year and end up replacing at least one set of bearings and races ever two years. Compared to everything else about boats, it’s probably the cheapest and least time consuming maintenance I do.

Bearing buddies only help so much.

Ive been told to give by bearing buddies a little shot of grease after the drive to the ramp, but before you hit the water. Apparently that can help a lot. I’ll see if I remember next time…

 

[spring fever]

Ya, I repack every fall if I remember, otherwise definitely repack ever spring, and replace anything that doesn’t look or sound darn near perfect.

On average I repack every year and end up replacing at least one set of bearings and races ever two years. Compared to everything else about boats, it’s probably the cheapest and least time consuming maintenance I do.

Bearing buddies only help so much.

Ive been told to give by bearing buddies a little shot of grease after the drive to the ramp, but before you hit the water. Apparently that can help a lot. I’ll see if I remember next time…

Road runner trailers use a plain steel spindle and so the surface that the rear seal rides on will pit--very easily-this lets the saltwater into the bearings causing failure in very short order--especially using Chinese or cheap bearings. Bearing buddies are useless to prevent this. Casper is correct install stainless speedi sleeves over the spindles which give the rear seal a smooth stainless surface to ride on. No leaks. Chicago rawhide is a good make. I went to an oil bath hub because I could see whether there was water on my bearings so if I put in at Port Hardy and could see milky oil-I'd drain and put fresh oil in for the trip home and change the seal. I went 8 years on the same sets of bearings after I did the complete fix. I was blowing bearings and axles every year before that. Just for info I had a dual axle road runner with a heavily loaded Orca for 17 years averaging 8000 km a year. It takes time and money to get where you want to be with a trailer. Invest in a infra red temp gun to check the hub temp. so you know when you have a problem starting!! Get it sorted!!

 

[SpringVelocity]

Twice a year I do mine. Races/Seals/Bearings. Once in spring and once in fall. I would never do long distance trip like Hardy without repacking them first.

I set of these is really cheap and it my sound like overkill but its the last thing I want to worry about when I am towing. Been there done that.

 

[doug78]

Speedi sleeves are great...my spindle seal surfaces where trashed. The speedi sleeves cost more than the bearings...

 

[seahorse]

Awesome thanks for the advice, I had a 542 Campion for 11 years on an Easy Loader trailer and pulled to Port Hardy for 10 years with zero problems. I will look into speedy sleeves as well as the Grady is a lot heavier even with the tandem axles, thanks again.

 

[doug78]

I just did all the bearings, seals and sleeves on my tandem under my seafarer. Im not happy with the seals that I got, but plan on popping them out and repacking, upgrading seals. Got everything from roadrunner in Richmond. Next time ill source my own bearings from a bearing shop, but there price was good enough and I had the boat in the water and a wobbly wheel on the trailer...need parts that week. Sleeve are a bit fragile and not fun to install, I had to modify the install tool they come with as it is not deep enough to fit over the spindle.

I haven't been a huge fan of the bearing buddies on my Jet ski trailer, seemed to always have a bit of water in the bearings...but the bearings seems to last as long as a keep them well greased. I popped the buddies off and put them on my flat deck. Its tempting to run them on the boat as i dont have easy lube (grease nipples) spindles. So the only way to do anything is to pull them apart. I did like the advice about giving them a pump before heading the water, maybe with a freshly pumped bearing buddy with a bit of pressure in it will keep water out better.

I thought about switching to Oil bath, my dads boat trailer has been awesome with that setup. But the roadrunner guy talked me out of it on older trailers, he said they didn't have much luck keeping the oil in on older boat trailers they converted.

These gradys are certainly heavier than the campions...

 

[spring fever]

Awesome thanks for the advice, I had a 542 Campion for 11 years on an Easy Loader trailer and pulled to Port Hardy for 10 years with zero problems. I will look into speedy sleeves as well as the Grady is a lot heavier even with the tandem axles, thanks again.

The reason you had no problems is the EZ loader has a stainless hub or at least where the seal rides is stainless. Just did a small 40 year old ez loader and the hub surface was as bright as a new penny-couldn't believe it-beautiful!!!

 

[adrian1991]

Sounds like you installed them incorrectly if they failed that fast

Can you provide us how you are installing them and are you checking for end play at all with a dial indicator

 

[Gordon]

The life of a boat trailer is one of the worst... They pretty much have a full load on them all the time and mostly are static; Then when it is finally moved it gets backed in the water (salt water in some cases). Like everyone says... it's all about the maintenance. Seals/bearings/wheels/rotors are doomed to fail (entropy) like everything else but mostly it happens enroute of course. For me a repack and tolerance check (jack up the axle and check "play" in the bearings) are important primary steps. Additionally every time I stop I check for heat on the wheels as a failed bearing precursor is heat in a lot of cases; Be careful though because it could be VERY hot and cause a burn depending on how much friction is present. Also make sure to use the proper torque specs on the hub to tire to keep the stresses equal on the hub for the sake of your rotors or drums and races. I also carry tools and spare bearings for my and many sized axles. I know that might be "overboard" but I know what it's like to be stuck on the side of the road... Pay it forward right? Oil bath axles/bearings are great too but I prefer grease simply because it is more forgiving if you lose a seal as the grease tends to be more tenacious and will hang around vs. the oil spilling out. The grease quality can vary as well. If your grease is specific to marine application I think it is likely better as it tends to lubricate in the presence of moisture (Teflon content). Another thing you can do if you're running a tandem trailer is carry a ratchet strap. As a last resort you can remove the tire (if still on the axle) and support the axle with the ratchet strap to the trailer rail (even if it lifts said axle an inch it helps prevent striking the road surface...) and then drive to the closest repair. You'll likely be over the axle rating on the one tire side but again it is better than sitting on the side of the road. You can also purchase hubs that are ready for installation without the re and re of seals/bearing and races. These can save huge time albeit they are cumbersome. Cheers

 

[Chuck]

It is possible to prevent a trailering bearing disaster. Pull the trailer for a bit stop and check wheel hub temperature. If you can’t keep your hand on it to the touch you’ve got an issue. When I first take off on a trip I stop a ways down the highway to check hub temp and every gas or pee stop for the remainder of the trip. Many boats are heavy and most dealers put garbage trailers under the heavy boat to keep the cost down. Then you pay for it on the highway. Not cool!!

 

[seahorse]

Hey guys, I was probably a little light on the details as my initial post was late after getting home from the trip. I installed all new Titan disc brakes, calipers and pads in February 2020 on my 2013 new to me dual axle Road Runner trailer to replace the pooched drum brakes. The trailer came with the Grady White 228G Seafarer that I bought. I installed a Tiedown kit years ago on my EZ Loader single axle trailer with zero issues. I realize the 542 Campion and the Grady are in 2 separate weight classes, I just refer to the EZ loader trailer and the new disc kit as having zero issues for the period I owned it. I had no previous issues with the new brakes, calipers and pads on the Road Runner trailer during the 2020 fishing season driving to both Port Hardy and Nootka towing from Courtenay. I left Courtenay last Thursday headed for Port Hardy and stopped after 15 minutes to feel the hubs and all seemed fine, the tires were warm but it was hot out and the truck tires were warm as well as I had my camper on my Silverado 3500HD, so I carry on and 5 minutes later my rearing bearing is smoking so I pull over but by that time it‘s toast. I gave all the bearing buddies at least 8 to 10 pumps of marine grease before I left so thought all was fine. I hope this explains things a little better. I believe the bearings that blew on the way to the ramp in Port Hardy in the morning we’re most likely already on their way out when I pulled into Port Hardy but it was wet and raining from Port McNeill which may have cooled the bearing enough to get me to Port Hardy, at least that’s my theory. This second set of blown bearings was on the other axle. I am pulling the wheels this weekend on the other side to thoroughly check them to see if the inner bearing seals are compromised and will install speedy sleeves where needed. Thanks for all the great advice.

 

[Samnjoe]

I have an 06 King triple axle trailer. I run it up to Hardy and back from Vancouver (sometimes Kamloops) a couple of times a year. I rarely flush the brakes but I do add a few pumps of grease in to each axle every spring.
Original bearings!!!!.
I use only Lubriplate Mo-Lith # 4 grease. True story.

 

[scott craven]

0

To replace your trailer bearing, you can begin the step by unplugging the rubbery cover on the hub axle. Then, using a grease gun, apply lubricant to the zerk until it is completely covered in new grease. To avoid damage, hardening or acidification, and separation, do not add oil or soap-based fillers. Beside that, overgreasing the bearings might cause the ball pieces to fall off the wheel assembly. So, maintain your lubricant in the hub and wipe any excess from the surface.

Sorry, but adding grease to your bearing buddy is not the same as replacing the bearing.
"ball pieces fall off wheel ? "

 

[Rayvon]

All good advise on here,but my problem is sourcing the best parts. Every time I go to buy quality bearings they turn out to be (Made in China) even Timkin.And I don't know who carries double lip seals.I installed speedi sleeves once and it was very hard to do and find them in Victoria.Keep in mind I'm no mechanic so don't go looking for parts often but do all my own maintenance if I can.

 

[Flashman]

I wouldn't be concerned about where bearings are made. If you're buying Timkin or another major manufacturer you're getting a quality product.

~70% of bearing failures are the result of some combination of installation error, contamination and lubrication problems. That's from industrial settings, where you have certified trades and often people who's sole job is to manage lubrication programs. Bearing life in good conditions is measured in tens of thousands of hours. Boat trailers only see hundreds of hours of use over the entire life of the trailer. It's all about install, sealing and grease.

Taper roller bearings are fairly sensitive to installation procedure. Get the preload wrong and you're set up for failure from day one. It's not complicated, but it is critical.

 

[Newf]

~70% of bearing failures are the result of some combination of installation error, contamination and lubrication problems. That's from industrial settings, where you have certified trades and often people who's sole job is to manage lubrication programs. Bearing life in good conditions is measured in tens of thousands of hours. Boat trailers only see hundreds of hours of use over the entire life of the trailer. It's all about install, sealing and grease.

Sorry for my long winded response but just adding my thoughts on an often overlooked item.

Totally agree with the assessment you provide for bearings in industrial settings. The bearings are sized for their intended use and are meant to be long life if properly installed. With boat trailers one thing that is quite often missed and I've mentioned this before, is how trailer loading affects bearing life. Often, the bearings installed in trailer axles barely meet the load requirement of the boats that we carry. How many of us have a trailer that can carry 30-50% more than we have on them? Not many would be my guess. How many are carrying loads that are within 10-20% of what the recommend load capacity of trailer is? Boat builders who supply trailers often supply trailers that are borderline with respect to carrying capacity. (I know as I have one) It's just a matter of cost. If we go and buy a trailer ourselves and we have a 2500-3000lb boat for example, most of us would get no more that a 5000lb axle. Add the weigh of the trailer, fill the boat with fuel and toss in all of our gear and you are at or near the capacity of the axle. Add in the fact that we submerge our trailer in water and then let it sit for weeks on end in some cases, poor installation or maintenance on our bearings/seal becomes a recipe for failures.