# re-pack bearings?



## ohiou_98 (Mar 19, 2007)

Last year I bought a '97 Ranger boat with the Ranger trail trailer. I haven't done anything with the bearings, but with a big trip coming up (St. Clair) I figured I better take a look at them. 

I called Ranger and spoke to one of their trailer guys (which I still think is awesome you can speak to the folks who work on these things). Here's what the guy told me:

He said, lift the trailer, if the wheel doesn't have any play in it, just repack the bearings. He stressed this, "If there is no play, do not "tear it down" because you're likely to do more damage than good." 

He tried to describe a special tool that I will need to apply grease, because he said there is a nipple type fitting, something about a ball bearing in the fitting.

I was just so happy I got to speak to someone, I didn't want to take much more of their time. But, I do have some questions:

1. What did he mean by "dont tear it down"? I'm thinking he meant, don't mess with new seals, races, etc. (He said something about if there's no play, the bearings are where they should be, and are fine) But, to pack new grease in the hub, I thought I had to do that. 

2. He described the nipple where I apply the grease. I'm assuming this looks just like the nipple on the bearing buddy? (How do I apply new grease without tearing the hub apart to get the old grease out??)

By the way, my trailer is a '97 (If that helps any). Thanks guys for any advice... I'm just trying to get to MI and back safely!


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## Workdog (Jan 10, 2007)

Have you had the bearing buddys/grease caps off of the hubs to look at the condition of the grease? If the grease is whitish colored, water has been in them and your bearings and races will eventually rust. Rear seals do wear out. Be careful how much grease you put into your hubs with a grease gun. If you over grease them, grease will come out the rear seals and may kill your trailer breaking ability. I pull my trailer an average of 500-700 miles a year and repack every 3 years.


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## ohiou_98 (Mar 19, 2007)

Well, I haven't got that far yet. (I haven't been able to remove the dome / roundish cap from the end of the hub) After I remove the caps, I'm not sure what to expect in there. 

But, good point, if I see whitish grease.... I know I'm in for some work


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

i have bearing buddy,s on my trailer. there is a small hole in the side of it. all i have ever done is just put grease in real slow. the grease will come out that hole. i keep putting grease in until im getting new clean grease coming out the hole. i do this every spring. i,ve been doing this now on this trailer for about 10 yrs. towed it to florida several times. i,ve never had a bearing problem. its my understanding thats what the bearing buddy,s are made for. i think thats what the tech was talking about when he said dont tear it down. theres just no reason to. i do top my bearings off a couple of times during the season.
sherman


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Ranger trailers dont have bearing buddys, They way they are designed they are not needed.
Some have oil filled hubs, the older ones have grease.
The oil filled hubs have a clear plastice cover on the end of the hub.

The following is for grease filled
Check the back of the hubs, if gease has leaked out of the seals they need replaced and need to do a total tear down, replace seals ,clean and inspect bearings. If there is no grease leaked out do the following:
Pull the wheel and remove the metal cap that is covering the end of the hub. Get a big flat screw driver, tap it with a hammer, prying all the way around until you can remove it.
In the center of the hub is a small hole with a detent( not a normal grease zert). It takes a special pointed fitting on the end of you grease gun.
Push the fitting into the hole and pump grease. The new grease will work out from the rear of the spindle pushing out the old grease. (lay a pice of carboard etc under hub to catch it) Keep pumping until all old grease is out and you see new gease. (new grease will be a slightly different color)
I put a very small amount of gasket sealer on cap then tap in back on. Have one work it around the edges, dont hit it in the middle or it will dent.
Replace wheel ,you are done


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## COmmodore 64 (Jun 24, 2006)

^^ Wow, good thing they are designed not to need a bearing buddy! That process seems so much easier than hooking up a grease gun (with a standard fitting) and topping off the grease pack!


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

IMO it is a better system as the hole in the center of the spindle runs to the front and rear bearing and actually pumps grease "into" the center of each bearing. This way fresh grease can get to the bearings and not just around it as in other systems with a bearing buddy


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

Orlando said:


> IMO it is a better system as the hole in the center of the spindle runs to the front and rear bearing and actually pumps grease "into" the center of each bearing. This way fresh grease can get to the bearings and not just around it as in other systems with a bearing buddy


im kinda new on here, and seems like every day i like this forum more and more. it seems like there is somebody on here that can answer most problems. you guys are great. and this system does seem better than the bearing buddy,s. and i,ve been using bearing buddy,s for alot of years, and i have never pulled and repacked bearings since i first started using them and knock on wood but i havent had not one bearing failure since i started using bearing buddy,s
sherman


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

You may also want to remove caps and get a little grease from hub on youre hand,rub grease between fingers and look for silvery flakes(brgs starting to brk down) if you find this you will need to rnr brgs replace as needed and repack.Good luck.


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

IMO since its a used boat and you dont know how well the hubs have been serviced in the past I would do a complete tear down and inspection. Heck bearings/races and seals are cheap,I would replace them. To me it would be a piece of mind before taking off on a long trip


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## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

If it's a RangerTrail, shouldn't it have the oil-bath hubs?


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Dan44149 said:


> If it's a RangerTrail, shouldn't it have the oil-bath hubs?


Not sure what year they started oil hubs. My 1996 trailer has grease
To the OP:
Heres what the needle adapter looks like that I told you about earlier
http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/part_detail.jsp?PART_HDR_ID=30931
There are differnt styles of them but you get the idea


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## greendragon (Sep 20, 2007)

Your trailer takes a special tool for zerk fitting Ranger will sell you one or go to your local auto parts store. The fitting goes on the end of your grease gun just a couple pumps


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Reading through the post is quite interesting. I have a 2008 Trailmaster Trailer and it has the "through the spindle" greasing system. This uses a standard Zirk fitting with a relief spring system that allows you to pump through from rear to front with excess grease escaping around a sealing disc similar to Buddy Bearings relief. Like previously stated, I pump until clean grease comes out at the end of the yer and then usually a few pumps every third trip during the summer season.


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## dinkcatcher (Jul 4, 2009)

I know a guy from a trailer repair shop and he says that people get a false sense if security with bearing buddies. You should absolutely repack all grease type trailer bearings once a year preferably at the beginning of the season and always replace the seals. He says you can't see the little bit they're worn and they are fairly inexpensive. In his words it's cheap insurance. The zirk fitting on bearing buddies just helps keep pressure on the seals that's how bearing buddies work. Hope this helps


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## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

Bearing Buddies = Bearing Killers....

I had them on my 1987 StratosTrail.... I had to change my bearings every year because they would blow my rear seal out.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

We have had bearing buddy's on our trailer for about 12 yrs now without any problems at all. We just pump in new grease a few time a yr.
Bobby


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Dan44149 said:


> Bearing Buddies = Bearing Killers....
> 
> I had them on my 1987 StratosTrail.... I had to change my bearings every year because they would blow my rear seal out.


While I am not a fan of BB if you were blowing out the seal you were not properly adding grease.
You are only supposed to add grease until the piston or cap starts to move then stop. Any more and you run the risk of blowing out the seal


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