You may wonder, “Do you need Bearing Buddies on your travel trailer?” After all, they do not change the need to inspect and repack your bearings. But, they do prevent you from jamming more grease into your bearings or from removing old grease. Even better, you won’t have to worry about leaking grease into the brake drum, which can ruin your brake linings.
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Are Bearing Buddies necessary?
The best way to avoid bearing issues is to prevent them, and the best way to do that is to keep them well-greased. Bearing buddies are caps you can put on your trailer’s axles and work by pumping grease into them. This grease helps keep them clean, and it helps keep water out of the bearings, as well. One of the downsides of Bearing Buddies is that they’re messy. While they used to be popular, they aren’t used as often these days.
You should also keep a spare set of seals and brake-Kleen in the trailer so that you can replace them if necessary. This way, you can prevent damaging your wheels. While the bearing buddies are handy, they’re not necessary to keep your wheels turning. They might damage them. They can also damage your brake shoes, which are also crucial.
Most small trailers don’t travel that far and don’t need bearing buddies. The reason is that a bearing buddy could cause more damage than good. The bearings in a travel trailer are similarly to those in a 2wd truck’s front wheel. It’s essential to clean and replace bearings and seals every ten to twelve thousand miles, but most small trailers don’t go that far in a lifetime.
When you buy a used trailer, make sure to inspect the tires thoroughly. If the tires are underinflated, they can cause strange wear, especially when the trailer isn’t loaded. Check the packing hubs carefully, too. They should be sealed with grease and have a plastic or metal cap that fits the flat end on the outside. If you want to prevent this problem, then a Bearing Buddy is an excellent investment.
How often should wheel bearings be repacked?
Travel trailer wheel bearings need routine lubrication to ensure smooth operation. Routine lubrication helps reduce friction between the wheels and axle, preventing wear and damage. Friction also contributes to a number of safety hazards. Proper lubrication also prevents bearings from overheating and breaking, resulting in catastrophic failures.
The best practice is to repack wheel bearings once a year or 10,000 miles. However, the time period may vary from one travel trailer to another. To be safe, inspect wheel bearings at least once a season to determine whether they need to be repacked. If they look tarnished or pitted, they should be replaced. If you’re not comfortable repacking wheel bearings, you can always have someone else do it for you. This is an easy way to save money and time over the life of your travel trailer. However, having someone check your bearings when they’re done is essential.
If your trailer’s wheels are making screeching noises, it’s a sign that something is wrong. While hearing these sounds when the vehicle moves is difficult, listen closely for any irregularities. In particular, listen for abnormalities when you slow down your trailer or tow it.
Wheel bearings on travel trailers need regular lubrication because they will be in contact with water. Without lubrication, they can fail prematurely. It’s also important to repack bearings after you’ve driven through water. A failed bearing will leave you stranded and cost you money in repairs. Depending on the size and weight of your travel trailer, you should grease your wheels every season or every two thousand miles. Generally, small trailers and smaller tires require more frequent greasing. This is because the smaller wheels spin more quickly and stress the wheel bearings more.
You should also repack your trailer’s wheel bearings when you repack your RV. Depending on how much you drive and where you park it, you should check for deteriorated wheel bearings and replace them as needed. If you don’t have the time or money to visit a mechanic, you can easily perform this maintenance yourself.
Repack bearings with Bearing Buddies?
Repacking bearings on a travel trailer requires some work. There are a number of steps that must be performed and you must ensure that you have all the necessary tools. You should also check the wheel bearings regularly to ensure they are running correctly. While Bearing Buddies are a great addition, they aren’t a panacea. They still require annual inspection and repacking.
First, you should know that Bearing Buddies are not compatible with axles with EZ Lube systems. EZ Lube’s zerk fitting does not allow for the use of the Bearing Buddy, which would prevent it from reaching the bearings. Additionally, over-greasing the bearings would leak grease on the wheel brakes. Another common problem is overpacking the wheel bearings. This can result in disintegration of the bearing. The best solution for lubrication is a special grease such as Bel-Ray Salt Water Proof wheel bearing grease. To avoid over-packing the bearings, check them after driving in water. It is also a good idea to check for excessive friction.
When you are ready to repack the wheel bearings, read the owner’s manual before starting the job. This procedure will save you from having to repair or replace the wheels of your travel trailer. Moreover, it’s a quick and easy task.
The wheels of your travel trailer are made up of many components that need lubrication to function properly. You should use grease specifically designed for wheel bearings and never use any other kind. Keep in mind, though, that the grease won’t last forever. It will need to be repacked with grease every now and then as you travel more. The best practice is to check these parts at least once a season.
How often should you grease bearings on a trailer?
Greasing the bearing buddies on your travel trailer is a key maintenance task. They are responsible for keeping the wheels spinning smoothly and are essential to the stability of your travel trailer. As a result, grease should be applied at least every 10,000 to 12,000 miles. This mileage figure isn’t exact; the rule of thumb may not apply to your travel trailer if it sits through a season or has extreme temperature changes.
The best way to grease your bearing buddies is to use a grease scoop and apply grease to the bearing by hand. Then, rotate the wheel bearing to work the grease into the bearing. Repeat this process on the other side. Make sure to apply enough grease to cover the bearing completely. Greasing is an important step to prevent damage and premature wear. Applying grease to wheel bearings at least once every 3,000 miles is recommended, but you can also choose to replace them more often. However, the frequency of wheel bearing checks will depend on the size of your trailer, the places you visit and the number of trips you make each year.
Advise about Bearings
It’s advisable to replace the bearings if they become too worn or have lost their lubrication. Purchasing new bearings isn’t expensive, but will prevent you from many headaches in the future. You can also clean old grease from your trailer by using paper towels. However, avoid using strong chemicals because they can damage the inner seal.
Although bearing buddies are useful, they’re not a substitute for regular maintenance. When you repack your bearings, you should check whether they’re rusted or not and if they’ve lost lubrication. This can be difficult, especially if the trailer is prone to extreme temperatures. It’s also important to check your trailer’s bearings for unusual noises.
If your travel trailer’s axle shaft is deeply scored or pitted, it’s time to replace it. In addition to cleaning your trailer’s axles, it’s important to keep grease levels consistent and grease the bearing buddies regularly. A good trailer service shop can provide you with a grease gun that’s specifically designed to keep the trailer’s wheels lubricated.
