Repacking wheel bearings

Hey folks, I was hoping someone could shed some light on this for me. I took my wheel hubs apart on the boat trailer to inspect the bearings and spindle. Everything checked out bearings still seemed like new. My question is when re packing do you fill the cavity inside the wheel hub between the two bearings with grease or am i fine just packing the bearings themselves, slapping the buddy back on and pumping in some grease? I know the buddy holds the grease up against the outer bearing but i am not sure about the inner bearing?

watisituya wrote:

My question is when re packing do you fill the cavity inside the wheel hub between the two bearings with grease or am i fine just packing the bearings themselves…

I’ve never filled the cavity between the inner and outer bearings. I just replace the seals, pack the bearings, and call it good. I’ve never had a problem. Filling that cavity would take a considerable amount of grease.

Thanks Ralph!

I’ve always have packed the whole hub as full as possible, on the theory that it can’t fill up with water if it’s already full of grease. Grease is cheap.

S.R.

I fill the hub. The seal and cap only prevent the grease from migrating in those directions while nothing prevent the grease from moving into an empty hub and away from where the grease is wanted.

So I guess I’m in the minority.

I have a 2008 trailer and it has some kind of bearing buddys. How hard it it to take apart and clean then repack?

Thanks

You do not need to fill the hub. Grease will not Migrate unless it is heated. If you pack the bearing and put a little extra on both sides that is plenty. Bearing buddy’s will actually fill the whole cavity by pushing grease thru the bearing. If you put too much in it will actually come out of the seal. Completely full hubs actually run hotter than normally packed bearings. Filling the whole hub so water can’t get in won’t work as the water will have to come in thru the bearing and thus contaminating the grease anyway.

bigcrappie wrote:

I have a 2008 trailer and it has some kind of bearing buddys. How hard it it to take apart and clean then repack?

Hard – No
Messy – Yes

I’m sure there are plenty of tutorial videos out there on Youtube. Do yourself a favor and buy a box of latex gloves, and have a lot of paper towels on hand before you begin.

x2 on the gloves and paper towels.

“Completely full hubs actually run hotter than normally packed bearings”

Why would that be?

Several years ago I replaced my axle. The new axle is made by an outfit called Dexter. There’s a grease fitting right on the end of the spindle, which leads to ports that come out between the inner seal and the inner bearing. I jack up the trailer, start pumping grease while I spin the wheel, and push all the old grease out through the front. I’ve haven’t ever seen any water comes out, and the whole hub is packed full of new grease when I’m done. Checking the hubs when I’ve been out on the road, like at a rest stop, the hubs have been cool to the touch.

S.R.