Wheel bearings (Thank you Firehawk198 for the suggestion)
Anything that sits still and has wheels on it is suspect, to my way of thinking.
Bearings are normally tapered rollers, with a grease seal, and the nut must be set to allow for heat expansion (turn until snug, back off slightly, insert cotter pin).
But then we have marine trailers, that get immersed in water (SALT water is the worst!).
If you combine water with grease - you get rusty bearings no matter what grease is in them. Boat trailers need a higher rate of bearing inspection than any other trailer.
When I do a bearing - I FEEL the grease to see if I can detect any grit or metal in it. I look at it, to see if it is discolored. The high-temp grease I use is blue or red in color, even if it is lithium based. If it's brown - something is going on, and all the grease needs to be cleaned out of the axle and bearings.
If I see water droplets - THE SEAL IS SHOT!
DITTO rust.
Rust is instant grounds for bearing replacement WITH seals all the way around.
If you don't have time for it - think how many times you've seen a boat trailer beside the road with a missing wheel...
BUDDY BEARINGS are a possible conversion - you can pack them with a grease gun so that they are solidly filled with grease inside. You shoot grease in until you see the expansion plate come towards you in the hub. These maintain a positive pressure inside that forces water or other substances out by means of a spring-packed cylinder and piston. I highly recommend them for all trailers!
You still should take them down once in a while to look at the color of the grease inside though. Discoloration of grease happens because of contaminants including both water and metal shavings. Some discoloration will occur from normal wear. Metal will turn grease grey. Carbon from grease breakdown turns it black, rust causes brown, etc.
There is also one other thing that can kill bearings, -sitting still under load. Vibration transmitted thru the ground causes fretting corrosion, repeated small "hammering" that pounds thru the grease film and beats very hard parts against each other. If a trailer sits still, put it up on blocks and spin the wheels when you pass by.
The biggest problem with bearing buddies is people think that if you have them you never have to service the bearings, big mistake. I have them on my boat trailer but still check them regularly. All the rest of my trailers have Easy-Lube or Never Lub bearings so bearing buddies aren't needed.
Denny
__________________
2000 F350 Lariat SC DRW V10 4.30 Gears BrakeSmart
Air Lifts 4X2
2003 HH Premier 35 FKTG
BSEG started 4/15/2000
Avon Park Fl for the winter 09-10
arent the easy lube types the ones filled with oil?
__________________ Pimpin Gas Piper
99 F250 EX Cab, 4X4,
Sirius Radio,Blackbird GPS/NAV
Kargo Master Pro II Rack
Cobra 75, Lariat trim
yokohama space saver tires
Hunting the elusive XR
original Crown Society Member
arent the easy lube types the ones filled with oil?
They are the ones that have a grease fitting in the end of the axle.
Denny
__________________
2000 F350 Lariat SC DRW V10 4.30 Gears BrakeSmart
Air Lifts 4X2
2003 HH Premier 35 FKTG
BSEG started 4/15/2000
Avon Park Fl for the winter 09-10
They are the ones that have a grease fitting in the end of the axle.
Denny
You gotta watch those and make sure the seal doesn't leak. I bought my trailer used with these and 2 of the 6 wheels had greese all over the shoes. I don't know what the secret is to keep this from happening but manual says to greese them untill the greese comes out around the nipple. Is there a trick to using these type ?
__________________
05 F-250 CC SRW LB 4x4 6.0 Tow Command Lariat Remote Start All Stock 01 Alfa 40' Toyhouse for all the toys.
I'm doing my part to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and clean up the environment; my truck runs on 100% biodiesel made from soybean oil grown by U.S. farmers. What are you doing?
You gotta watch those and make sure the seal doesn't leak. I bought my trailer used with these and 2 of the 6 wheels had greese all over the shoes. I don't know what the secret is to keep this from happening but manual says to greese them untill the greese comes out around the nipple. Is there a trick to using these type ?
You have to pump the grease in slow, I have heard of the seal coming right out if you get carried away.
Denny
__________________
2000 F350 Lariat SC DRW V10 4.30 Gears BrakeSmart
Air Lifts 4X2
2003 HH Premier 35 FKTG
BSEG started 4/15/2000
Avon Park Fl for the winter 09-10
You don't want to keep on pumping until the sliding plate stops.
YOU DANG SURE DON'T want to keep pumping AFTER it stops. Grease is like water in a piston cylinder. It is NOT compressible - something must give!
It WILL blow out the seals, and you're done right there...
Replace the seals.
But rightly used, buddy bearings (or the like) will keep crud out of a bearing set, and once a year at the beginning of the travel season take them all the way down just to check up on everything and be sure.
An RV relies on it's wheels just as much as it does on keeping water out elsewhere.
You have to pump the grease in slow, I have heard of the seal coming right out if you get carried away.
Denny
I think I can explain why the grease comes thru the grease seal and smears the brake shoes on my trailer Laredo. When the temperature rises inside the axle AND the rubber cap is smeared with grease which causes it to keep the pressure in then this inside pressure pushes the grease through the back seal. The cure : with a sharp pointed exacto knife just pierce the rubber cap to let the inside pressure relief. When no presure, the lips keep the dust out. And when greasing just give two pumps of grease gun,then keep the inside of the rubber cap free of grease so not to seal the slit.
It's better to be aware that the grease boot should never be completely inflated. Leave room for heat expansion.
Grease expands in volume when it heats just like anything else!
Go halfway, not to the max. Else you'll pop a seal.
Greywolf,my trailer doesn't have springs to pressure grease,and I leave a lot space for expansion but just the rise of temperature of the air in the grease compartment is sufficient to push the grea se through the axle seal. By puncturing the rubber cap this pressure exits and the grease stays in the bearings, not on the brakes
From what I know about grease, it will luquidfy and any hole in a seal will allow grease to escape onto brake shoes (turned a wrench for a coulpe of years), as the bearing rotates and flings the grease to the outside. Mind you I might be wrong, but that is my opinion.
Last edited by Gary_56; 06-25-2008 at 04:40 PM.
Reason: brain-fart
Buddy Seals are likely the best - they're the ones used on boat trailers a lot, and I've seen a lot of RV's modded to them.
I can't recommend punching the boots, it lets water in as well as letting pressure off. Bearings need to be sealed to prevent contamination and grease loss. If you put holes in your boots - it was a bad mistake.
This forum is owned and operated by Internet Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation. It is not authorized or endorsed by the Ford Motor Company and is not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company or its related companies in any way. FordŽ is a registered trademark of the Ford Motor Company.
Pimpin Gas Piper 
01 Alfa 40' Toyhouse for all the toys.
