JHZR2
Staff member
Curious about packing bearings. Im familiar with my old Mercedes cars - the grease to be used is to be measured by mass, with a fraction in the inner and outer bearing, and the rest in the cap. Very specific.
I know that if those are overpacked above the intended mass, the oils tend to seep our past the friction-fit grease cap, and onto the wheel.
So enter today's case. Severe use on tropical roads with extreme grades and turns, including somewhat off-road use. This was just before the launch point, at a transition point from road to gravel, which probably had a 3-4" drop.
This bearing was a year old, and probably saw 25 full submersions in tropical salt water.
Obviously no bearing buddy is in use. Grease seals must have failed. Planning on installing bearing buddies. But the facts of my car's bearings come to mind. Granted this trailer never goes faster than 25mph or further than 5 miles. There's no such thing as a highway where it is. But the trailer and boat are fairly heavy, and terrain severe.
So, a bearing buddy packs the inner and outer bearings, and all the intermediate space with grease, right? And then intent is to have a bit of over pressure so the water can't enter. But isn't that precisely over greasing? Won't the grease and bearing get overheated? It's exactly what one is supposed to not do on my Mercedes. So what gives? Does this over pressure that would get worse as the bearing and grease heat up, just seep out the rear grease seal? Do they drop grease all over as a result?
Perhaps compared to what I showed, life is extended even if overheated... but in ideal conditions are bearing buddies and all that extra grease actually good for anything?
I know that if those are overpacked above the intended mass, the oils tend to seep our past the friction-fit grease cap, and onto the wheel.
So enter today's case. Severe use on tropical roads with extreme grades and turns, including somewhat off-road use. This was just before the launch point, at a transition point from road to gravel, which probably had a 3-4" drop.
This bearing was a year old, and probably saw 25 full submersions in tropical salt water.
Obviously no bearing buddy is in use. Grease seals must have failed. Planning on installing bearing buddies. But the facts of my car's bearings come to mind. Granted this trailer never goes faster than 25mph or further than 5 miles. There's no such thing as a highway where it is. But the trailer and boat are fairly heavy, and terrain severe.
So, a bearing buddy packs the inner and outer bearings, and all the intermediate space with grease, right? And then intent is to have a bit of over pressure so the water can't enter. But isn't that precisely over greasing? Won't the grease and bearing get overheated? It's exactly what one is supposed to not do on my Mercedes. So what gives? Does this over pressure that would get worse as the bearing and grease heat up, just seep out the rear grease seal? Do they drop grease all over as a result?
Perhaps compared to what I showed, life is extended even if overheated... but in ideal conditions are bearing buddies and all that extra grease actually good for anything?