Hey Skein - Practice what you preach!

[skein]

You know how I alway preach about taking care of your trailers and how the journey to the fishing grounds doesn't start at Southbeach, it starts at home? Well....

I burned up a bearing on the trailer Saturday night, and spent the last 24 hours trying to find the parts I needed to limp it home. Not much open Saturday night or Sunday.

Thanks to a couple friends who seem to have everything (kinda like Keta) I was able to get it back together and get it home about 5:30 this afternoon. Put a spindle, hub, and bearings on my backup list. :o

I was lucky that I had a place to pull off the road, and that the folks whose driveway I took up were very nice and totally understanding while I chased parts and tore it down and put it back together.

But the bottom line is IF I HAD GIVEN THE BEARING A SHOT OF GREASE, like I always do (except after the halibut trip in May) I wouldn't have had this to go through. It was a good, but humbling, learing experience.

For want of a nail, a shoe was lost. For want of a shoe a horse was lost....

Skein

[Bait O' Eggs]

Why do you think the bearing went south?

Sounds like you think a shot of grease might have saved the day Do your bearings have the les schwab look with only grease packed in the bearing, or do you pack the bearing and entire hub full of grease?

With my entire hub full of grease I cant imagine any salt water ever getting to the bearing.

Trying to figure out what went wrong with your bearing so I dont have the same misfortune. Glad you back on your wheels again.

[goodkarma]

bearing buddies or even having your entire hub full of grease isn't any insurance that your bearings are well lubricated. I thought so for a long time.....I know better now.:shocked: Seriously, it only takes an hour or so to pull them apart once a year and make sure the bearings are good and to re-grease them. I won't ever let a year go buy without it now, even with good bearing buddies.

[Deepslayer]

Actually the bearings heat up & expand when you drive down. Then when you back them into the cold water they cool off and contract sucking in some water. There's really no way to stop this action completely, but a good shot of grease helps flush out the water.
,Ed

[stlhdr]

After burning up a bearing on my trailer I went with oil bath hubs. If there is water in the hub you can see it through the clear cap. Bearing buddies really only grease the outside of the bearing. This lesson cost me a thousand bucks.

[Hunt'nFish]

Sorry to hear about the troubles and glad all turned out fine in the end.
Always good to have a spare bearing and seal kit on hand.
I have a habit of feeling the hubs at every stop while I do the trailer walk about to make sure boat is secure, tie down straps and kicker still there.
Hunt'nFish

[Pilar]

Jim .. I saw Irish Wake in some guys driveway just west of the Marys river lumber mill just west of Philomath.

Didn't know it was your girl until this post.

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Potter Webster can set you up with all the spares and in stock anything trailer you need. I carry bearings and seals and so far .. knock on wood have not needed them.

John, whose trailer wheels are black from excessive greasing of the wheels.

[RODACTION]

Sorry about your bearing skein.


as a note,

If you dunk your trailer alot, bearing maintenance sould be a regular practice, inspections can save a guy alot of headaches. Bearings get hot and the grease disapates, some trailers that may have a slight over load are more likely to heat up.

Also be careful not to pump to much grease in as will push the seals out, then let water in, and hot grease run out. It you run with bearing buddy rubber dust covers, if some water is to get into your bearings these dust covers will actually hold the water in, causing rust on the bearings and more fricktion, thus heat.

Checking bearings twice a year is pretty good insurance.

[Threemuch]

Carry a set of bearings, spindles and all the tools to do a roadside swap and they will never fail again.

Been there, done that. I think the main problem is that after a few dunks in the salt, the spindle gets some surface rust, and then the the rear seal is quickly trashed, and the grease you add doesn't stay with the bearing long. That's why you need a new squirt or two every time you go.

You live on for a while, pumping grease through your bearings, until you fail or do the PM.

I just kept all the parts with me every time I towed, and shoot the bearing up every time, then repack once a year, replace the rear seal after polishing up the surface it rides on.

I haven't messed with the oil bath bearings, but they sure look like they have to be better. They cost more, right?

[Moldy45]

it happens! I am still waiting on my new Axel from ezloader to arrive at les schwab in Newport.
schwab called me and told me they could not find a replacement Kodiak hub anywhere ! they said everyone wanted to sell a complete axle set of brakes.
I went over to the valley and found a place in wilsonville called quality trailer parts and they broke open a full set to take out a hub to sell me,they get all my business from now on. oh Potter webster couldnt help me ether

[retaliate]

Stuff happens, I wouldn't beat yourself up too much, been there done that myself, Glad you got it fixed, & back in business.

[skein]

Yeah, Huntnfish, that's part of my drill too. Every stop gets a walk-around, and I touch each hub with the back of my hand to check for heat. But I guess nothing is foolproof, especially when you're hanging around the salt chuck.

Rodaction, yeah, they have those little rubber covers, and they do tend to hold water in. I may relegate those to the trash bin.

I haven't decided to go with the oil bath yet, but in many ways that seems like a good bet.

I guess one bearing in 40 years of boating isn't bad, but it's still frustrating.

Skein

[CATCH AND EAT]

Thats a bummer Jim. Get some good quality parts from potter webster like John said. You missed a great day out there bro.