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View Full Version : Sealed Oil Bath Trailer Bearings.....leaking.



RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 07:53 AM
My Extreme trailer has another leaking oil bearing. Theses are the "never leak" sealed bearings.
Anyone know how these things work, and if it's a fairly simple fix to refill and seal them?
My wheel it off, and there is an allen head screw into the side of them. Is to fill them, or take then apart? They just take 80/90 gear oil correct?
I know I could take it to Extreme and Tony would handle it.....it's the two trips to Riverside I'm trying to avoid.
Thanks!
RTJas :D

boatnam2
03-13-2007, 08:00 AM
My Extreme trailer has another leaking oil bearing. Theses are the "never leak" sealed bearings.
Anyone know how these things work, and if it's a fairly simple fix to refill and seal them?
My wheel it off, and there is an allen head screw into the side of them. Is to fill them, or take then apart? They just take 80/90 gear oil correct?
I know I could take it to Extreme and Tony would handle it.....it's the two trips to Riverside I'm trying to avoid.
Thanks!
RTJas :D
i know how your feeling even though i live in norco,still tough to get the boat over there.

jbtrailerjim
03-13-2007, 08:06 AM
Get rid of the oil bath and go with grease packed. Grease packed don't leak nearly as often. Pack them with a high temp synthetic grease.

RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 08:07 AM
Hey Jim! I know, I found a small chip in the bottom, and might have hit Lavey before my first trip too. How've you been??? Still rollin' the Party Prowler?
......Here's what I got, if it helps anyone.....
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/3730bearing1.jpg
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/3730bearing2.jpg
Notice the front is shiny from the oil leaking!
Thanks again,
RTJas :D

RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 08:08 AM
Get rid of the oil bath and go with grease packed. Grease packed don't leak nearly as often. Pack them with a high temp synthetic grease.
What kind of a job is it to replace them? All new hubs right?
RTJas :D

shockwaveharry
03-13-2007, 08:52 AM
Hey Jason! I haven't done it on a boat trailer but I can't imagine it being very difficult. Should be an o-ring that seals the chrome unit to the hub, and a seal around the spindle at the rear bearing. I would think the o-ring is leaking, or maybe the allen plug? I bet Extreme would give you some pointers over the phone on the exact service procedure, which is probably very simple.
I know there's alot of debates over oil bath/bearing buddies thing... I boiled the grease out of my bearings once comming down the mountain and swore I was going to switch to the oil bath system... Haven't done it yet but I will.

jbtrailerjim
03-13-2007, 09:00 AM
What kind of a job is it to replace them? All new hubs right?
RTJas :D
No, you don't have to change out the hubs. You'll need new inner seals, and a couple sets of bearing buddies. I don't know if you get out to Ontario very often but these guys http://www.arrowtrailer.net/ will have everything you need.

HOTPURSUIT
03-13-2007, 09:18 AM
Oil bath bearings are not for boat trailers. They potentially can cause so many problems. And there are not any great advantages over grease.
For the trucking industry they are great, but not for boat trailers that sit most of the year.

Beer-30
03-13-2007, 09:59 AM
No, you don't have to change out the hubs. You'll need new inner seals, and a couple sets of bearing buddies. I don't know if you get out to Ontario very often but these guys http://www.arrowtrailer.net/ will have everything you need.
You don't need anything other than new inner seals (always replace them when you take things apart), and a full set of bearing buddies.
Just take the bearings out, clean them, and pack them - by hand - with a real good grease. I use Mobil-1 synthetic as it is impervious to water and the hubs are always cool to the touch during travel.
We had oil hubs on a 4 car-carrier trailer, and they kept puking. We just repacked them with grease, and had no problems for the next 250,000 miles.
Bearings don't care what they have as lube, they just have to have one or the other.

THOR
03-13-2007, 10:17 AM
Mine do the same thing Jason. I will be taking mine to Extreme and dealing with is that way. The drive sucks, but I will have some peace of mind rolling to the river. I talked to Tony Ramirez at the boat show and he told me to bring it in.

Mrs. Bordsmnj
03-13-2007, 10:18 AM
Jason, I am not sure who you think you are posting a boating related thread. :D
3 spankings for you! ;)

RiverDave
03-13-2007, 10:41 AM
Jason, I had oil baths on that little 10' trailer I had.. They were bitchen at first, but one of them started leaking about 6 months down the road. I took it over to UFP (people that make them are right down the street) and they fixed it on the spot in 5 minutes. Problem is I went to the bathroom and by the time I came back it was fixed so I couldn't tell ya what they did.
I can tell you though that the allen screw on the hub is for filling the oil baths up again. I have to talk to some guys over at UFP today and I'll hit them up about what you can do, and what they would suggest. I'd keep the oil baths if it were me and just fix it..
RD

RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 01:36 PM
Good info, thanks Everyone!
Harry - You are welcome to come over and drink my beer while shouting intructions anytime!!!
Linda - three spankings from you is exactly what I was lookin' for! ;)
Dave - thanks, I look forward to hearing what they say!
RTJas :D

beaverretriever
03-13-2007, 01:42 PM
I'm suprised nobody has metioned it, but do you let the bearings cool down before you back the trailer into the water? I have found if you don't let them cool, the severe temp change putthing the hot hubs in the cool water causes cracks in the plastic part of the hub and warps seals in turn causing leaks.
good luck.

Beer-30
03-13-2007, 01:54 PM
I'm suprised nobody has metioned it, but do you let the bearings cool down before you back the trailer into the water? I have found if you don't let them cool, the severe temp change putthing the hot hubs in the cool water causes cracks in the plastic part of the hub and warps seals in turn causing leaks.
good luck.
There is no reason they should be that hot. Pulling off of the road to gas up, I always feel the bearing area of the hubs. Mine are always ambient temp. Even with braking, that heat dissipates quickly and doesn't usually get to the hub. The hubs should ALWAYS be hand-touchable. If not, there is a lube problem or a brake hanging up.

RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 02:00 PM
Thanks for pointing that out. Tony @Extreme mentioned heat last time this happened. I don't think heat is my problem though. Usually I'm just towing on flat ground from storage to NMP (3 miles), or from the camp site to the ramp at 5mph. The ONLY time they got hot at all was going down that 15 mile downhill into Cottonwood. The brakes heated their respective hubs, but in this case, the one that is leaking is not on the brake axle.
RTJas :D

LAFD
03-13-2007, 02:05 PM
Jason, I am not sure who you think you are posting a boating related thread. :D
3 spankings for you! ;)
i volunteer to take these for jason if its coming from you linda.:D

beaverretriever
03-13-2007, 02:14 PM
There is no reason they should be that hot. Pulling off of the road to gas up, I always feel the bearing area of the hubs. Mine are always ambient temp. Even with braking, that heat dissipates quickly and doesn't usually get to the hub. The hubs should ALWAYS be hand-touchable. If not, there is a lube problem or a brake hanging up.
I am just passing on what my last trailer manufacture told me. I had a Boatmate for my wakeboard boat, and they said to always let it cool.

Beer-30
03-13-2007, 04:16 PM
I am just passing on what my last trailer manufacture told me. I had a Boatmate for my wakeboard boat, and they said to always let it cool.
I wouldn't doubt someone told you that. Just feel them sometime after driving around. Say when you get to the launch ramp from wherever. Just hop out and put your hand on the bearing buddy or the painted area around the hub - if your wheels allow for it. If you can't rest your hand on it, something is wrong.
I will often feel the area around the wheel studs, and down toward the center from there. As long as you can rest your hand on them, water won't hurt. Otherwise, we would all be avoiding puddles and water gutters while traveling.

dicudmore
03-13-2007, 05:33 PM
I had constant trouble with the oil baths on my last boat trailer...I wound up spending $1100 replacing axles, spindles and converting to bearing buddies

THOR
03-13-2007, 05:58 PM
Anyone know how much it would be just to convert to bearing buddies?

dicudmore
03-13-2007, 06:01 PM
Anyone know how much it would be just to convert to bearing buddies?
not much--its simple...mine was expensive because I waited until the bearings welded themselves to the axle shafts and had to buy complete spindles to get them off :mad: :devil: :sqeyes:

98 Vector 21
03-13-2007, 06:17 PM
not much--its simple...mine was expensive because I waited until the bearings welded themselves to the axle shafts and had to buy complete spindles to get them off :mad: :devil: :sqeyes:
Extreme Trailers = Bearing failure to the extreme! Ive even seen some welds break & rust set in less than a year old!

dicudmore
03-13-2007, 06:21 PM
Extreme Trailers = Bearing failure to the extreme! Ive even seen some welds break & rust set in less than a year old!
serious?? :eek: :)

Beer-30
03-13-2007, 06:23 PM
Anyone know how much it would be just to convert to bearing buddies?
New seals (maybe $8/ea?), the cost of however many buddies you need, and a small tub of whatever waterproof disc brake grease you like the most.
The bearings are the same - whether they are oiled or greased.
My previous post was about a 4 car trailer. The thing had two axles with regular 16' dually wheels. It kept spitting out oil after going over the Grapevine. Screwed up the brakes (oil) and just made a mess. Always caught it before it cooked, though.
We simply put on new seals, and packed the bearing by hand like a car/truck. Put it all back together and never lost a seal again. Same hubs, same caps, same bearings. It went another 250,000 miles without incident. Of course, we repacked them a few times during that mileage, but they ran perfect.

RiverToysJas
03-13-2007, 09:04 PM
Anyone know how much it would be just to convert to bearing buddies?
Shadow Trailers in Cypress told me ~$300 today to switch over my current set up to Bearing Buddies.
RTJas

shockwaveharry
03-13-2007, 09:27 PM
Shadow Trailers in Cypress told me ~$300 today to switch over my current set up to Bearing Buddies.
RTJas
I'll do it for $295 ;)