What color is your grease?

C

C-Val

Member
IMG_6319.sized.jpg

IMG_6314.jpg


I thought I was doing everything right. I bought a new trailer 2 years ago - just to be safe. I always power wash the trailer and hubs after coming back from the salt. I even used saltaway to help rinse brake area down.

This year I took the trailer our for a tow just to make sure everything is working (even though I couldn't use the boat due to snow). When I got home one wheel was almost off - the calipers were the only thing holding it on.
What was left of the bearing looked like shrapnel!

This is what the hub looked like when I took it off - lots of grease. Apparently that was not good enough. The bearing had seized and exploded. The only thing I can think of is water got past the seal and seized the bearing inspite of the grease.

Anyway 3k later with all new bearings and brakes I am good to go. The lesson for me is each fall all the wheels have to be pulled and new seals put in regardless of the age of the trailer or how much I have used it. Then all the grease will be replace with fresh grease.

Everytime I look at a trailer now I can't help ask myself

"I wonder what colour his grease is?"

I can't believe I am almost 60 and still learning lessons the hard way!
 
Great points: Actually I alternate grease colors--with one of the posi-lube systems, I basically change out the grease each time I grease it--with a different color.

One factor to consider is if you put a hot set of bearings in the water, it will be sucked in. Let the bearings cool before emersion. Always repack before a long trip--repack at least once a season. check the condition of the grease before you start the trip. At the time of the seasonal change, pull the bearings to see their and the race's condition.

I have found that greasing is so much more easily done with a air powered grease gun (Lincoln).
 
I've found the oil bath bearings to work much better. I've rarely seen my hubs go over 95 degrees F., and that's only if I'm doing a lot of braking! I have the clear plastic caps so I can see the condition of the oil by just looking at it. With the grease, my hubs ran around 135 degrees, and there was no way of knowing the condition of the grease without pulling the hubs. I also run electric brakes, and have had too many problems with the posi-lube systems blowing grease out the inner seal, onto the brake linings. I've also experienced the water in the grease when backing a hot hub into cold water. But with the oil, and double sealed quality seals, I have not had this problem. The only disadvantage is you have to be cognizant of the plastic bearing caps. Hit a curb or somebody bumps your trailer pulling out of a parking lot, and there goes the oil! Doesn't take long without oil to seize a bearing. Knock on wood, I've only had one broken oil cap, from a parking lot incident, and I saw the problem walking around before moving the trailer. I carry a spare cap and oil, so easy fix! Colby
 
I assume you started with the blue (marine) bearing grease..... but more than likely the bearings were installed too loose....too tight is not as bad as too loose... it really tears up the bearings... really fast... to get the bearing spot on is a good trick... somehow it never lines up with the cotter pin hole...so what I do is use Volkswagen king pin shims...they come as a pack of all sorts of thicknesses and are the perfect size to fit between the bearing and the nut...by playing around with the shims you can get the exact perfect adjustment...no play and not too tight...
 
Bearings should last a long, long, long time if adjusted correctly...I have some 1931 bearings on my Model A...original.... Yes marine environment is severe but with marine grease and a good adjustment they will outlast the trailer.
 
I don't know what your problem is exactly, but I'll make a few comments.

First, I'm older than you and still find out new things every day. It indicates both I'm not dead yet and the world is changing.

Second, speaking of the world changing, trailer bearings used to last a long time. Usually past the point where I got rid of the trailer. Now, the manufactures use Chinese bearings because they're cheap. And, by the way, they're cheap because they're made badly. So you check them every year or get Timken bearings. They seem to be made in the USA or Europe. I went the Timken route.

Same goes for seals, though I don't know where you'd get American seals. You can check the back of the hub and see if they're leaking. If you can't see evidence of leaking grease, they're probably good. When/if they wear a groove on the hub, I install SKF Speedi-Sleeves over the hub.

Wait until there's a discussion on trailer tires. There you'll see passion.

Boris
 
Thank you to each one of you for your insight into my trailer story.,
I will take seriously each one of your suggestions.

As each of you has said, the water somehow got in there from dipping hot wheels into the water. bearings being too loose or too tight from the factory, and them being cheap factory seals to begin with. From then on it was a ticking time bomb until they rusted and then blew apart.

As I look back on my own actions, I see my biggest mistake was in assuming everything was ok because the trailer was so new from the factory. The repair tech also told me all the brake fluid had been pushed out --loose connection from factory??

I don't know, but I do know I have a Honda civic 3x as old as my trailer and its brake fluid is not down a drop. Lesson learned, my mistake. I guess boat trailers are not the same as cars.

Thanks for helping me.
 
Boris, Unfortunately Timken bearings have been made in China for over 8 years (that I know of) German FAG are still made in Germany. Although NSK are thought to be make in Japan, I am suspicious, since many of the other NSK parts are not made in China...FAG may be the best for quality bearings...

I have not taken the time to research where the best seals are made--but many are Chinese. I would happily pay more for US made.
 
Bob, when I changed the bearings in Journey On's trailer in late '10, I ran all over the place to get Timken. When I got them "Made in USA" was stamped on the side except for the one stamped "Made in Poland". I leave you to figure out the Polish connection.

For the oil filled hubs, one needs a seal that is rubber coated on both sides. The only ones I could get were from the E-Z Loader factory marked "Made in Taiwan".

Wherever they were made, the seals and bearings have lasted unto today.

Your experience may vary.

Boris
 
Boris, I get my seals from a local bearing provider, Wisconsin Bearing. Actually, I think they have changed their name and are a national company now. Any major bearing provider should be able to get the seals. The seal is TCM 168255TC-BX. That is a rubber coated seal. However, you can use double lipped seal National 2146 or Timken 470460, and just place some sealer around the edge of the seal and hub. The TCM's are preferred however, and all I use. Colby
 
Back
Top