towing and bearings question

[James Brant]

recently towed my small boat from CR to Fair Harbour, which was the most i've towed by far. put together a tire change kit and took all the precautions. a bit of extra grease in the buddies, tire pressure, etc.

when i got home i noticed some grease splatters on the boat. is this normal after a long haul? i had never seen this before but also only towed to Browns as the furthest. i'd like to think grease never escapes once in there but i guess it's not the case.

i'll be towing the boat all the way to hwy 24, the trout hwy in a couple weeks to go kokanee fishing and hoping for smooth towing there and back.

 

[Offshore]

The spindle seal is leaking if there is grease on the trailer side of the tire. Putting too much grease in the buddies can cause this to happen. I would jack up the trailer, clean up the grease, check the bearings, and if the buddy still has grease in it everything could be OK.

 

[tubber]

I've had the same issue in the past, but I wouldn't say it's normal or expected. I believe it is from overfilling the bearing buddy, creating too much pressure on the rear seal.
I just repacked mine and put in a new double lipped seal. It's not hard, just messy. Many YouTube vids on the topic.

 

[brutus]

recently towed my small boat from CR to Fair Harbour, which was the most i've towed by far. put together a tire change kit and took all the precautions. a bit of extra grease in the buddies, tire pressure, etc.

when i got home i noticed some grease splatters on the boat. is this normal after a long haul? i had never seen this before but also only towed to Browns as the furthest. i'd like to think grease never escapes once in there but i guess it's not the case.

i'll be towing the boat all the way to hwy 24, the trout hwy in a couple weeks to go kokanee fishing and hoping for smooth towing there and back.

Too much grease

 

[A-a-Ron]

A very well timed thread, as I’ve been having the same issue. Didn’t realize too much grease was an issue. So once you do this, the seals are shot and you have to replace them?

 

[brutus]

A very well timed thread, as I’ve been having the same issue. Didn’t realize too much grease was an issue. So once you do this, the seals are shot and you have to replace them?

No, depends where it coming out, BB If you over grease it comes out around the seal, if you spraying on the trailer side then the seal might be fried

 

[Samnjoe]

If the grease is on the outside of the wheel then it's leaking from the cap and is probably fine.
I have the EZ lube system on mine and my wheels always have some grease splatter. It doesn't help that I use black moly grease. That stuff stains your skin like Tattoo ink but considering I still have the original 06 bearings I would never use anything else.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Take it apart and repack it. You overpacked it and your lucky backseal didn't blow out.

 

[Max123]

My understanding is that bearing buddies have a built-in pressure release valve to release excess grease. The entire fill assembly is spring loaded and keep the grease under slight pressure. You feel the bearing buddy start to lift/push out as you fill and then if you wiggle it back and forth it will release excess grease out the sides on the front.

That said, I think its easy for the pressure release mechanisms to fail - and people seem to really like to over-fill their bearing buddies. I only fill mine until I can feel it just start to lift/float - then I wiggle it back and forth.

Sounds like OP just overfilled and pressure was released out through the rear seal. Bearings are likely fine, but seal needs to be replaced.

 

[easydoesit]

My understanding is that bearing buddies have a built-in pressure release valve to release excess grease. The entire fill assembly is spring loaded and keep the grease under slight pressure. You feel the bearing buddy start to lift/push out as you fill and then if you wiggle it back and forth it will release excess grease out the sides on the front.

That said, I think its easy for the pressure release mechanisms to fail - and people seem to really like to over-fill their bearing buddies. I only fill mine until I can feel it just start to lift/float - then I wiggle it back and forth.

Sounds like OP just overfilled and pressure was released out through the rear seal. Bearings are likely fine, but seal needs to be replaced.

Same advice I was given by Highliner Trailer people, not to overfill using Bearing Buddies.

 

[agentaqua]

An important, critical bit of experience to relay here - saltwater & freshwater have very different effects on equipment, including bearings. The recommended greasing for buddy bearings works well on freshwater launched/retrieved boats/trailers. Not so well for saltwater boaters. If you don't ensure that saltwater is squished out of the bearings after use (or rinsed in FW) - you will have a bearing failure at the most inopportune time on the highway. You may loose you wheel. Happened to me once. Just a couple squirts when after pulling the boat generally works. Also, pull over after 15-20min of highway travel and check bearings for heat, straps, etc. These 2 protocols will save you money, time, & risks.