Grease!

MXer478

MXer478

New Member
Oct 10, 2007
281
San Diego, CA
Ok, I really haven't been keeping up with my trailor maintenance as I should have....so I decided to take a look at her!

Now, my manual speaks of repacking bearings, etc....but it really isnt very clear about what it's talking about. So, I pulled my little dust caps and I see a clean area in there. Is this supposed to be greased up?? If so, I'll throw some in there. Or is that nipple in the middle a fitting for a grease gun????

Here's a few photos of what I have under my dust caps....I'm rolling with a Shorelander two axle trailor BTW.

Thanks!
CIMG1495.jpg

CIMG1493.jpg
 
Yes. It's called a zerk fitting. Make sure you follow the advice on the correct grease.
 
MXER -

Maybe you can document the whole process with pictures for other members.

Wesley
 
You know, thats a great idea Wesley.....however, I wont be doing it right now....I called MM and asked if this had been included in my 100 hour service and it had been. So, no need to do it. But my plan had been to just buy a grease gun and do it myself. Can't be too hard, right?!

But thats a great idea, As a matter of fact, I'm going to do a post on a PerfectPass issue that I just figured out. Maybe it could help someone later!

J
 
MXer478 said:
You know, thats a great idea Wesley.....however, I wont be doing it right now....I called MM and asked if this had been included in my 100 hour service and it had been. So, no need to do it. But my plan had been to just buy a grease gun and do it myself. Can't be too hard, right?!

But thats a great idea, As a matter of fact, I'm going to do a post on a PerfectPass issue that I just figured out. Maybe it could help someone later!

J
Click to expand...

That's funny, I asked my MM about the trailer when I did my service and they told me they don't service trailers only boats and I said "You sold the me the trailer didn't you" and the service guy just shrugged. Consider yourself lucky :smt009
 
MXer478 said:
You know, thats a great idea Wesley.....however, I wont be doing it right now....I called MM and asked if this had been included in my 100 hour service and it had been. So, no need to do it. But my plan had been to just buy a grease gun and do it myself. Can't be too hard, right?!

But thats a great idea, As a matter of fact, I'm going to do a post on a PerfectPass issue that I just figured out. Maybe it could help someone later!

J
Click to expand...

I pray I am never behind your boat and trailer when you blow the bearings. You should repack your bearings every 24 months, period. It shouldn't, no it doesn't, have anything to do with the hours on your boat!!!!!!

Every time you get home check the heat on the axal, if there is heat, repack the bearings. (Also when going around corners and you see excessive play it's time to repack) Pump enough grease to push the water out of the bearings being careful not to over pump or you will blow the back bearing out. Do this each time you soak your trailer. Get the big grease gun tomorrow and use the marine trailer bearing grease.

PS There are other signs of wear such as play in the wheel but I have never been able to see it unless the boat is off the trailer. You can check it after you launch the boat. Try to move the tire back and forth and see if you have any play. I think this is hard to do for most people.

Rule #1 Don't ever believe anything MM tells you when it comes to maintaining your boat.

Good Luck.
 
If your 100 hr service was recent as in within the last few months, you were lied to. No mechanic would take the time to wipe the grease off of the zerks, and in your pics they are spotless. Get yourself a grease gun for 20 bucks and the correct grease and do it yourself. Shooting grease through the zerk is not repacking though, you should still do that every year or so. SB
 
you know, that doesn't surprise me, sadly. The service was very recent. So how do I know when to stop pumping the grease in? I don't want to mess this up.

Thanks
 
MXer478 said:
you know, that doesn't surprise me, sadly. The service was very recent. So how do I know when to stop pumping the grease in? I don't want to mess this up.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Pump slowly to let the grease work itself in. As you pump the grease the spring coils will compress. I pump until they just start to press together. If you over fill them, thus the reason for pumping slowly, grease will squirt out around the outer edge of the bearing buddy. Once fresh grease starts coming out you have gone far enough even if you haven't compressed the spring coils.

Water should be forced out of the bearing buddy edge as you pump in grease. The grease mixed with water comes out as a blue watery goop. I keep a lot of paper towels handy and wipe up as I go along.

In your picture there is a fairly wide gap between each spring coil. These should be much closer together if you have plenty of grease. Every year or two repack the bearings and make your life easy. Good Luck.
 
Ok, so I got the gun and some Marine grease. Serviced my bearings up, although when I pumped in the new grease, no old grease and a VERY tiny amount of water (maybe none at all) came out. I pumped until the sleeve in the middle almost made it's way to the edge. I figured I'd stop there because I dont want to put too much in, right?

Opened the jack stand cap and I see there is new looking (red) grease in there. I guess this was done during the 100 hour service.

So, other than the bearings, jack stand (top), hitch ball and a few hinges around the front of the trailer, is there anywhere else that I should lube up?!?! This is kind of fun!
 
MXer478 said:
Ok, so I got the gun and some Marine grease. Serviced my bearings up, although when I pumped in the new grease, no old grease and a VERY tiny amount of water (maybe none at all) came out. I pumped until the sleeve in the middle almost made it's way to the edge. I figured I'd stop there because I dont want to put too much in, right?

Opened the jack stand cap and I see there is new looking (red) grease in there. I guess this was done during the 100 hour service.

So, other than the bearings, jack stand (top), hitch ball and a few hinges around the front of the trailer, is there anywhere else that I should lube up?!?! This is kind of fun!
Click to expand...

Lube up the admiral and tell her to NEVER hang the blinds from your boat again!:lol:
 
I put some grease on the piece that holds the clamp on the ball. Use some electrical water displacing grease on the electrical connection between your truck and the trailer connection. Also make sure you check the fluid on your brake piston. Also I like to spray some tri flow on the bolts and areas that like to rust. :smt038

Still LauCo be careful with the lube. The incorrect lube used around the admiral and you may cause a fire. Good luck. :wow:
 
Fishnut said:
I put some grease on the piece that holds the clamp on the ball. Use some electrical water displacing grease on the electrical connection between your truck and the trailer connection. Also make sure you check the fluid on your brake piston. Also I like to spray some tri flow on the bolts and areas that like to rust. :smt038

Still LauCo be careful with the lube. The incorrect lube used around the admiral and you may cause a fire. Good luck. :wow:
Click to expand...

Should you put any grease on the ball? Been wondering this since mine is getting all scraped up and rusted looking now.
 
Still LauCo said:
Lube up the admiral and tell her to NEVER hang the blinds from your boat again!:lol:
Click to expand...

BEER ALL OVER MY SCREEN!!! Good one! :smt043:smt043


Thanks Fishnut, I'm all over it.

Morpheus, I lubed my hitch ball up. Just a fine coat, I dont see why it would hurt.
 
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Gents/Ladies,

My neighbor rolls with the Boston Whaler, the topic of greasing the trailer came up. He told me that the gentlemen that sold him this boat said not to worry about it. That his hubs are sealed. Looking at his hub (below) it has a rubber piece that just doesnt seem to want to come off. The middle nipple on that is soft.

Any ideas here? Is this thing sealed or should he be greasing his hubs? And if so, how?

Thanks!

CIMG1543.jpg
 
The rubber cap comes off and inside is the grease zerk. And just like yours, they do need to be greased. His spindle is a good design IMO, when you pump grease in, it flows from the back of the spindle through the rear bearing and out the front bearing. Pushs old grease and water out. SB
 
Hi Newbie,

Ok, so just to be sure we're talking about the same thing. This is a picture of the front of the wheel. Your description of the grease flowing makes me think you are under the opinion that this is the back of the wheel.
 
Those devices are called 'Bearing Buddies'. In the past trailers had just a dust cap covering the axle nut and cotter pin. These go in place of the dust cap. When you pump grease into the bearing buddy, the spring continously forces grease into the bearing to constantly keep them lubricated. Since there is constant grease pressure being exerted, this avoids the scenario when running a dust cap, the axle gets hot, you back the trailer into water, rapid cooling of the bearing cavity/axle causes a vacuum to form, and thus water is sucked into the bearings. Not a good situation.

Doug
 
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