Trailer bearings

[Hogdog]

Hoping someone can give me honest advice and experience rather than the stock answer. I feel like the idiot asking the car repair shop for advise on something I have no idea about and assuming that he's probably taking advantage of me...

How often should I really have them fully repacked? I hear once a year but I figure it's more dependent upon miles driven and how often it goes in the water. I have a dhm tandem with four disk brakes (surge) for a 2006 nautique 206. It has buddy bearings and I inject a few pumps of the blue marine grease twice a year.

Two different local places say because it has 4 disk brakes it will be $450 to repack all 4 bearings! That's a lot for annual maintenance just on the trailer if I really need to do it every year.

I trailer it 1500 miles per year for about 12-15 trips, so 12-15 in/outs of the water per year.

I live in nor cal so no freezing and don't trailer in the rain if that matters.

Thanks for any advice!!

[bkhallpass]

I live in Norcal as well. 10 years old boat/trailer. Bearings have been repacked twice.

BKH

[AirTool]

........It has buddy bearings and I inject a few pumps of the blue marine grease twice a year......

What makes you decide to pump grease in?

[Hogdog]

Trailer bearings

Just thought I was supposed to. Isn't that the purpose of the buddy bearing with the built in grease port?

[AirTool]

Just thought I was supposed to. Isn't that the purpose of the buddy bearing with the built in grease port?

The true bearing buddy with the spring is there to keep positive pressure on the grease so water can't get in when you submerge it. If the spring is relaxed, it deserves a pump or two before launching. Otherwise, you don't add grease as a routine. The grease will generally leak out the weep hole or the inner seal over time and the pressure subsides.

If you need to update or replace the grease, it is best to tear it all apart or knock off the BB and pump through the spindle grease fitting if there is one.

[Rick]

Bearing Buddy instructions

Here is the home of the bearing buddy http://www.ufpnet.com The instructions are posted. The bearing buddies have a blue plastic ring that is visible when there is enough grease to put the units under positive pressure ( keeping water out) I've had my trailer for 5 years and just had them inspected. There was no water intrusion so I didn't repack them. Make sure you don't overfill them as it will blow grease out the rear seal. If that happens you need to replace the rear seal and if your doing that you might as well repack the bearings. By the way, I live in San Diego and tow to Tahoe once a year with 5-10 80 mile trips in between.