Trailer tongue weight and other ?'s..

[def90]

OK, I know bearing buddies are not a replacement for regular maintenance. What I've read though is that it doesn't hurt to use them on these cheap trailers with small wheels.

[Great-Kazoo]

OK, I know bearing buddies are not a replacement for regular maintenance. What I've read though is that it doesn't hurt to use them on these cheap trailers with small wheels.

All the more reason to Inspect them. IMO (again) it's a matter of keeping up on maintenance. Better to know in you driveway the bearings are not up to snuff, than on Guanella Pass.

[SideShow Bob]

All the more reason to Inspect them. IMO (again) it's a matter of keeping up on maintenance. Better to know in you driveway the bearings are not up to snuff, than on Guanella Pass.

This, I have a co-worker that had to take an extra week of vacation due to lack of maintenance on his RV, friction welded a rear axle bearing solid to the housing.
He is back now, but his RV is still in Kentucky...........

[Great-Kazoo]

This, I have a co-worker that had to take an extra week of vacation due to lack of maintenance on his RV, friction welded a rear axle bearing solid to the housing.
He is back now, but his RV is still in Kentucky...........

Is that the one thread going on arfcom?

[brutal]

IMO Bearing Buddies are for lazy people who are not mechanical. Going on a trip, time to lube the bearings, EVERY TIME THEY LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY!! One can and so often Over Lube. It does more damage than good (campers & trailers with brakes) especially.
If you're serious about maintenance you pull the hub, clean the bearings & race. Inspect them for pitting , discoloration etc. You also check the spindle. Then Hand or Mechanically repack them. New wheel seals, reinstall, tighten spindle nut to spec, slap a cotter pin through nut, pop the dust cover back and away you go.

You're entitled to your opinion. I agree with the rest of what you're saying, but not this. See below.

Bearing buddies are for trailers that go in the water to launch a water craft. They're completely wasted on any other trailer and like kazoo said lead to damage by forcing too much grease and overflowing thru the rear hub seal.

Agree WRT watercraft trailers or any trailer that might get submerged. However, proper bearing buddies are designed that excess grease comes out the weep assuming it's clear, not forced through the seals. They are designed to keep positive pressure on the grease inside and keep water out. SOME people tend to, like GK says, over-use them and that can, and will, lead to issues with anything running brakes. Like everything else, you need to know how to properly maintain and use your gear. My trailer axles, bearing, brakes get inspected/repacked yearly. The boat trailer (jetski trailer for 17 years) with bearing buddies gets enough fill to create that positive pressure then I keep an eye on it. Never back a hot trailer in the water...

OK, I know bearing buddies are not a replacement for regular maintenance. What I've read though is that it doesn't hurt to use them on these cheap trailers with small wheels.

...and carry a spare set of bearings...