Bearing Buddy explanation & Greasable axle spindle

[@askip7]

I watched 3 or 4 other Bearing Buddy videos before I found yours. Your explanation is definitely the most helpful…thanks very much!

[@snowking55]

Thanks for watching!

[@jvermont1]

Thank you very much for the clear details and particularly about the details about how a bearing buddy works. I was actually looking for something that talked specifically about the grease getting pushed through to the other side. Great to hear your description of that. Thanks a lot.

[@mcombsemail]

A common misconception is that bearing buddies are designed to add grease to your bearings. They are designed to keep positive pressure in the cavity to prevent water intrusion which is essential on a boat trailer. Do not go to crazy filling them because you only need the spring to move a little and aggressive filling can lead to a seal blow out. Sure if you keep pumping hard it will replace the grease because it's blowing the old right out of the back LOL. ez-lube spindles truly do add and replace grease in the bearings. I personally have ez-lube on my travel trailer and bearing buddies on my boat trailer. Just make sure the bearing buddies spring has a bit of tension on it before the next dunking.

[@snowking55]

You are correct with the overfill blowing grease out the rear seal.

[@theusconstitution1776]

I have bearing buddies on my boat trailer and I know when I fill them fill them until that spring begins to move and then another one more pump so the spring is about halfway back if you put too much grease in them it will actually overpressurized the grease void while you’re driving to the boat launch and instead of blowing out the seal it will actually hydraulically press your brand new $40 bearing buddies out of the hub and you’ll donate them to someone along the side of the highway this video is the first time I’ve ever seen any brand of bearing buddies with that hole drilled in it and my bearing buddies are the original brand bearing buddy so now I’m gonna have to drill that hole in mine but I’m also wondering if there’s clearance to use the dexter easy lube AND THE BEARING BUDDY😳 Just thinking they both have their purpose and halfway through the sea fishing season you could pull the bearing buddy change all the grease in the hub which would then push out any traces of water or air and then put the bearing buddy back on and pressurize it I may try that in about a month I’ll keep you posted! Unless anyone here is crazy like me? Thanks for the video great explanation!

[@tomries3007]

Thank you, been looking for that explanation for a while!

[@snowking55]

No problem!

[@jerryq1000]

I have EZ lube axles on a boat trailer. My biggest issue, is the spindle washer with the tab...fairly easy to put it in place to keep the castle nut in place - NOT easy to remove the castle nut if you want to replace races, pack bearings or do any maintenance.

[@mattdarbro4830]

Great explanation of the differences and pro's and con's of bearing buddy!

[@snowking55]

Thanks, appreciate the comment.

[@bugkiller5293]

I see these greasing the outer bearing well, but in order to get to the inside bearing you would have to fill the entire hub full of grease

[@markemery49]

At 1:14 into the video, he shows the original hub cap. That cap is for EZLube or SureLube style spindles. These spindles are ported. The black rubber portion is to be removed in order to access the grease fitting at the exterior of the spindle. You want to lift the axle off the ground, spin the wheel as you pump new grease into it. This pushes new grease through the spindle, it then reverses direction, and comes back through each roller cage. By spinning the wheel, you ensure that the new grease makes an exchange of old for new. It would be a mistake to replace this cap with a Bearing Buddie. Bearing Buddies DO NOT add new grease to the roller cages. They simply add pressure to the hub. With BBs in place, you will have effectively blocked the system. Leave the original caps in place. Remove the rubber plug, and use your grease gun while the wheel is being spun. You will/should see the old grease exit around the outer bearing. Wipe it clean...…. replace the rubber plug...….... done!

[@zmanvideo1]

spot on comment, thank you for clarifying, there is a lot of confusion on what the difference between Bearing Buddies (BB) and the Dexter EZlube system are, as you correctly said, BB do not repack bearings they only apply slight pressure 2-3 lbs to the hub to minimize water entry in the hub for marine applications, in my opinion very good move by snowking55 to remove the BB and re-install the original zerk for the EZlube system, I would only use BB for marine applications

[@slalomking]

zmanvideo1 you two are correct. I would keep and use easy lube system for all applications not getting dipped in water. Bearing Buddies best for MARINE usage. Also Bearing Buddies rear seals are heavier use a stronger spring to keep grease from coming out the rear.

[@samplays4421]

Great job an explanation on the bearing device differences

[@snowking55]

Thanks, it's still better to periodically check your bearings to make sure everything is okay. Don't install bearing buddies and just keep adding grease, you'll have a failure. Thanks for watching.

[@markemery49]

I spent approximately 24 years providing AQ series Volvo Penta Marine Service and various boat trailer services, etc. The use of the Bearing Buddy is often misunderstood. The BB is use with Non-Ported axle spindles ONLY. They are NOT suitable to used with the EZ Lube, Super-Lube, Sure-Lube ported spindles. The intent of the BB is to mildly pressurize the hub (via the spring loaded piston w/ the zerk fitting in it) so that when a warm hub hits the cold water, the contracting action does not cause water to be pulled past the seal and into the bearing box. Please note that BBs DO NOT add grease to the wheel bearings because there is NO grease exit as with ported spindles! The hub cap shown at 4:53 into the video is for the EZ Lube, Super-Lube or Sure-Lube style spindles. This style spindles does allow new grease to enter the bearings because there is an EXIT. In order to properly use the EZ Lube, Super-Lube or Sure-Lube style spindles, we must spin the wheel as the new grease is being pumped in. Again, nothing against the BBs when they are fully understood and are used appropriately.

[@MBTUE]

I didn't know there was an overflow hole. I'm always afraid of blowing the seal out. I guess I don't have to worry. Just fill it up until grease comes out of the hole.

[@snowking55]

Yeah it's an air relief hole that allows you to put the grease in without blowing out your wheel seal. So when the grease comes out the hole you know it's full. Thanks for watching Mark.

[@markemery49]

Also..... do not mix grease types! Differences in chemistry may cause the grease to eventually loose viscosity. If you start out with one type, continue with that type!

[@mikereilly174]

If you want to change grease types, remove the hub and bearings, clean everything off with an appropriate solvent, and then reinstall with the new grease.

[@michaelwatson1980]

You should be fine if you have to mix greases, as long as the greases your mixing have the same base.

[@markemery49]

Michael, your comment regarding being of the same base has just confirmed what I had suggested regarding "DO NOT mix grease chemistry". Mixing greases of unlike chemistry will cause grease to loose it's viscosity.

[@turboleggy]

@@markemery49 that's probably not true. I'd imagine the greases to be pretty inert save coming into contact with some acid/base. Probably fine , just like mixing oil brands/weights to make a new weight oil - prob not perfect but it works.

[@markemery49]

@@turboleggy Harman, all due respect to you........ comparing mixing oils -vs- mixing grease chemistry is like comparing Apples to Artichokes. I can tell you first hand that I have personally seen Un-Like grease chemistry cause a reduction in viscosity. A reduction in grease viscosity can cause an issue.

[@PainterD54]

Don't fill the Bearing Buddy full that the spring is all the way out. You only need to add grease until the spring starts to move out then stop pumping. If you fill it full, it puts too much preasure against the rear seal and pushes it out and ruins the seal. Take a look at boat trailers at the dock and you'll notice grease all over the back of the wheel. That's because they filled the Bearing Buddy full.

[@johneasterling1092]

If you have dexter axles why would you add bearing buddies? Bearing buddies do not add grease to the bearings.

[@RustyGlovebox]

Those are good setups for boat trailers and other trailers.

[@snowking55]

They do work well I have them on all my trailers except for this one.

[@thewaterstore25]

Where do you buy the one with the rubber cap please?

[@davidheyden5976]

golden buzzer

[@300zxdriver]

I have bearing buddies on my boat trailer. I just greased them and had a very hard time to get the grease gun to release from the grease fitting. Any ideas why?

[@snowking55]

No not really. Maybe the grease fittings were a bit bigger than standard causing the gun nipple to fit tighter.

[@Bluelightbandit]

I had the same problem with the collet on my new gun. I bought a very cool attachment that eliminates that from ever happening again. Here's a video showing it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2fTdoWFrZZ5eMU

[@300zxdriver]

BlueLightBandit Thanks ..I’ll check it out.

[@TheKhjanzen]

How do bearing buddy’s work

[@choprpilot76]

I just looked at my bearing buddies and they don’t have that hole on the side like you showed on yours. So then on mine how do I know when it is full without damaging/blowing the seal?

[@snowking55]

There should be a big spring that will collapse when you add grease, just watch the plate with the grease zerk in until it moves all the way out, then it will be full.

[@mikereilly174]

If you see grease coming out the dust cover on the inboard bearing, you have gone too far (and probably need to reseat your dust cover)

[@megasonify4800]

Sounds like you're fk'd by the bearing buddy; I'd start with a new trailer and prolly a new boat also; be goodt excuse for wife. 10-4

[@jeffdeprey6279]

I wish you had shown the hole on the axle where the grease zerk is, I think my trailer is the same and made me always assume the Bearing Buddy system is not good for my trailer.

[@snowking55]

Sorry I guess I didn't do a follow up video. The hole in the axle is located in the middle of the axle stub. It's tapped which allows you to screw in a grease zerk, you then simply install the dust cover without the rubber cover and fill the hub with grease by means of that grease zerk until it fills the dust cap and then pop your rubber cover in place on the dust cover. Hope this helps.

[@jeffdeprey6279]

Yea, my Zerk is not in the center exactly, it on off center. But I assume I would not want to use Bearing Buddies at all then? I have thought about getting some, but they seem to not be made for these type of axles correct? Or if you use a Bearing Buddy it does not seem to help with getting the old grease out, so you would have to remove it.

[@snowking55]

Hi Jeff, your axle may not work with Bearing Buddies so go with the basic dust cover and grease your bearings through the grease zerk. Bearing Buddies does not force out the old grease, you have to pull out your bearings and inspect and clean them or replace them, clean out all the old grease in the hub, and then pack the bearings with new grease and re-assemble, followed by adding grease through the grease zerk.

[@jazmynowensby5495]

prettymuch

[@dannyjosevargas2109]

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