Bearing Buddies

[JHornsby3]

When we brought the boat home back in November, I removed the rubber caps from the hubs. One was black and looked like it had thrown all the grease out at some point in it's life. So I took the caps off of them all and cleaned everything up real good, added the grease as per the instructions and put the caps back on. So while going over all the wiring on the trailer, I stopped and was thinking about where I was and the next steps. I pulled one of the rubber caps off and water came out.

So sometime over the wonderful wet winter we had this year, water has made it behind the caps and just keeps condisating. The caps were on real good as we have had some good heat off and on. I pumped grease into them again as they were all at the add level again. Boat hasn't moved since we brought it home. When I greased today, no water came out, just the high temp red grease, and not very much.

Should I be worried?

 

[hughespat57]

You mention rubber cap, these real bearing buddies with the slip over caps?
If water was just inside the big slip over cap (bearing bra) that is just to catch grease that may squeeze out.
Water in there means nothing.

Did you tow it at all this spring before you found the water?
If not and you cleaned out the cap end likely ok.
But if you ran it may have mixed any water in with the grease. Now I mean if the water was INSIDE the bearing buddy.

I worry about a lot of things given the size/weight of boats we trailer.

 

[JHornsby3]

Yes they are the real ones with the slip over rubber cap.

The trailer has not moved. Truck is still down with injector issues.

When I removed the caps, they were "glued" on meaning they were sealed by the heat of rubber to the metal hub. When I removed them in the fall, they would easily slip off. Now that the heat and sun has heated up the caps, they sealed on and the moisture just kept doing it's thing.

I know it's condensation because rain water sitting has that rank odor and this smelled and looked fresh. Also everything around here grows mold in a matter of hours. People in the PNW don't tan, they rust.