I have to do my annual packing of my trailer bearings for the boat trailer.
I always repack one year and then replace the next season.
Does anyone simply replace the bearings every season?
I do put alot of miles on my trailer.
Thoughts
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Does anyone simply replace the bearings every season?
15.00 is cheap for the insurance I get while driving to my favorite smallmouth haunts 
Ron
I repack mine every couple years but I have bearing buddies on mine also and make sure they have plenty of grease, would not be with out them. As for replacing bearings I haven’t done that in many years. As long as they are quality bearings and you take care of them they should last a long time. My other boat trailer I had did not have bearing buddies so when I repacked them I used the high temp grease and those bearings are going on 10 years old, I did repack them every year. 
If your bearings have no play in them, (tight in the bearing race), just repack, make sure your seals are good, and off you go. I too use bearing buddies and love them.
I also save an old bearing and seal, WD40 them down and put in an old margarine tub, and store some where in the boat. I have helped ‘save the day and the trip’ for several fellow anglers over the years that apparently haven’t done the maintenance were talking about here… 
It sounds like you have a good maintenence schedule for your trailer bearings. I inspect mine every spring and repack with new grease. As long as the bearings are in good shape, I don’t worry too much, unless they’re getting older. I look for signs of water getting in with the bearings. Water can break down the viscosity of the grease and create problems which will leave your trailer stranded, but that is usually the guy that you see on the side of the road with a busted trailer because he hasn’t maintained it in years 
I have always just jacked the trailer up and spun the wheel to check for any sounds of roughness that might indicate pitting of the bearing or play. If they sound bad or feel rough, the trailer gets new bearings, if they sound ok I just repack. It has worked for my father for 35 years.
If you are planning on making a 800 mile trip somewhere and haven’t done bearings in a few years, it might not be a bad plan to replace them. The middle of BFE is not the place to find out they were not good.
You can say that again. A few years back heading out of St Cloud for Mille lacs had a guy pull up along side me waving and pointing at the trailer. Thought he was a little nuts for second before noticing the smoke coming off the tire.
BEARING BUDDIES
If you know how the hub assembly goes togther ask yourself how BB possibly get grease through the outer bearing. Not to mention move all the grease in the center hub into the inner bearing.
Grease will blow out the front bb ring long before getting through the outer bearing.
IMHO fancy dust caps. That is all. I personally put no faith in them to do as they claim.
There is no substitute for this dirty job. Repack annualy. I like Fall then I know they can’t freeze and I’m good to go in the spring.
-Mark
Exactly why I went to Liqui-lube years ago.
Does everyone just use the cheap plastic manual packers or do you have a shop pack them?
DT
Hand packed was a sure thing when I had to.
I have the bearing buddy’s but I still go throught them every season.
One breakdown on the road could run a trip.
I do not use a packer to pack the bearings, I do it the old fashioned way and pack them in my hand.
The packer is more than likely better and for sure less mess.
bb keep about a 3psi load on the bearings, if kept full of grease, and rear seals are intact and not blowen out. palm of hand method for repacking works for me.
Another thing I like to do is have an extra hub with bearings and seal in place and ready to roll. That makes issues on the road real easy to fix and get you back up and running.
If you choose to not go that route, be sure to have extra bearings and seal along with a bearing tool kit. Bearing Tool Kit That’s the best money you’ll ever spend. Makes putting the seal in a 10 second jobs instead of a 10 minute job.
One thing to remember to have along if you change bearings or a hub on the road is some emery paper.
One should check the axle for marks and if it has some, clean them up with the emery paper.
I’ll keep using my BB and repack every other year.
My travels are most years, ones to LOTW’s for the Sturgeon Excursion, then it’s down to P4. Then the rest of the year it’s about a two block tow to the water until it’s time to put it away.
My question about BB’s is: Why do some people blow out the back seal by pumping in too much grease it they don’t get grease through the hub and back to the seal?
When I do repack mine, I manually fill that back area with grease just so I know for certain it’s filled, then finish of with the gun.
Liquid hubs are better…no disagreement there.
I also fill mine with a grease gun.
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BEARING BUDDIES
If you know how the hub assembly goes togther ask yourself how BB possibly get grease through the outer bearing. Not to mention move all the grease in the center hub into the inner bearing.
Grease will blow out the front bb ring long before getting through the outer bearing.
IMHO fancy dust caps. That is all. I personally put no faith in them to do as they claim.
There is no substitute for this dirty job. Repack annualy. I like Fall then I know they can’t freeze and I’m good to go in the spring.
-Mark
X2, fancy dust covers is all they really are. In real life, there great for blowing out your rear seal. You pump grease in the front and as the pressure builds up, it blows out the rear seal.
I’m glad someone else said it first but I could not agree more. IMHO, bearing buddies do nothing to help your trailers bearings.
I guess I have been very lucky then. I have had BB on all my trailers and I have never blown out a rear seal.
I do not know how much pressure they have with the spring but I have always had good looking bearings and no issues.
Maybe just that lucky.
Not one.
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IMHO fancy dust caps. That is all. I personally put no faith in them to do as they claim.
My opinion exactly.
-J.
Another vote for Bearing Buddies being a waste of money.
I own my grandfathers boat and trailer that was bought new in 1976 with bearing buddies on it. It has never had a blown out seal and we have only changed the bearings on this trailer once since being bought. This trailer has many miles on it. So I am a believer in bearing buddies. Used properly they are just another tool to keep your bearings in good shape. Just my expierence.
Help me understand.
If a BB doesn’t get grease to the back bearing (that’s what we’re talking about here) how do they blow the back seal?
Please type slowly for us handicapped.
Again, the liquid bath style can’t be beat in practice or theory.
I have used Liqua -Lube since 2005 without a problem and the maintenance can be done in your Sunday best clothes.
For those that travel a lot of miles and really dislike working with the grease I strongly recommend looking at Liqua-Lube or similar.
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If a BB doesn’t get grease to the back bearing (that’s what we’re talking about here) how do they blow the back seal?
The greese gets forced AROUND the bearing assembly. Rather than THROUGH the bearings. The pressure builds on the rear seal because there is no place for the greese to go and eventually blows out the rear seal letting water into the hub assembly.
There is absolutely no need for bearing buddies. Do the regular maintenance and you will not have any problems.
For you guys who say you trailer a LOT of miles. What is a lot to you? For me that is in the 10,000 mile range. I think most people are under 2000 a season.
-J.
Thanks Jon. Makes sense.
Anyone know the price for a set of Liqua-Lube’s or similar products?
Been there Wade. No prices. 
While on the subject..I own the grease baths on my trailer..how often they say to change them? Yet to do it myself just in the shop….
According to the website that was linked…annually. Just to get rid of the moisture it absorbs.
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