North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Just wondering what people can recommend for trailer bearings and where to get them from. Also going to set up a separate hub on the spare as I've got a big trip in the offing so any advice on this would be welcome. I'm more quality orientated then price orientated.

Cheers in advance.

Hey mate buy Japanese made bearings not Chinese cr.p
And the best grease by far is moreys Bigfoot I have increased the life of my bearings by 6 months no joke

Japan bearings and I prefer to use castrol HTB2 grease. My trailer bearings haven't been touched for 3 years and they still run coolish and don't have excess movement.
It would have done at least 50000km since they were last re packed.

Check out dura hubs

Just on this one boys, i have a new trialer that has bearing buddies, how do you tell if they need more grease? do you give them a pump every now and then to be sure?

A_Nomad wrote:Just on this one boys, i have a new trialer that has bearing buddies, how do you tell if they need more grease? do you give them a pump every now and then to be sure?

Just slip off the dust cap. If the plate that the grease nipple is on is sitting back 10mm or more from the lip pump some grease in. Pump it up till it is almost touching the front lip but don't over do it as you will unseat the seal at the rear of the hub.

Just on that "running coolish" comment by sheps, I replaced my axle and hubs about 18 months ago and I assume the bearings that came with the hub are cheap Chinese rubbish. To me they seem to generate a lot more heat than I like. Not burning , but you notice it when you touch it, same on both sides. But when I check them they run smooth, remain nice and firm and the grease not showing signs of decay. I was thinking maybe a single axle with a 5.2 m and 90 hp 4 stroke is getting a bit heavy and generates a bit more heat. Do cheap bearings run hotter or just more prone to wear and failure. I guess heat is the killer of anything mechanical. Would decent Jap bearings drop the temperature.

50000 km Far out no offense but you towing a 12 footer?

Mine is 2.5 ton and I'm stoked at 12 months and replace them wether they need it or not

trevor schultz wrote:50000 km Far out no offense but you towing a 12 footer?

Mine is 2.5 ton and I'm stoked at 12 months and replace them wether they need it or not

5m hornet. I check the bearings every couple of trips but there is no point getting up to ya elbows in
grease for no reason. I don't wet the hubs when launching or retrieving the boat. If the bearings last for
100000+ km in a car I can't see why they wouldn't on a trailer if set up correctly.


I will let you in on a trick. Don't set bearing preload with a hammer or by guessing. I toque mine to 50flb then back off to 0flb then set at 10flb and they last for a very long time.

Just on the greasing bit, you can buy bearing buddies with a relief hole so as the plate gets nearthe outer limiit
the grease exits via hole so as you donot pop your seal or in some cases loosen the bearing buddy.
ther are some specific greases for bearings that are in or near water. i think bell ray make a good one or used too.

Cheers

Thanks for the info boys

trevor schultz wrote:50000 km Far out no offense but you towing a 12 footer?

Mine is 2.5 ton and I'm stoked at 12 months and replace them wether they need it or not

I'm with you on the japanese bearings and moreys grease is that the dark purple one. I will see your 2.5 tonne and raise you 1 tonne so also with you on throwing em over your left shoulder every 12 months.

Ensure you dont over tighten the lock nut on the bearings if they are generating heat before the time. This is a major cause of excessive wear and heat.

Temp guns are cheap as chips these days give you peace of mind can even do your car when you stop for a coldie

fff1964 wrote:Temp guns are cheap as chips these days give you peace of mind can even do your car when you stop for a coldie

Good idea, never thought of that. Got one sitting in my shed. My fingers are usually my temp guns.