1400 Miles...

[LakeOneSkier]

I'm getting ready to tow the boat to it's new home 1400 miles away. Other than the basic common sense type stuff (checking tire pressure and wear, tie downs, proper safety chains to tow vehicle, etc), I'm wondering how often I should put more grease in the wheel bearings, if at all.

Planning on a two day drive, is it enough to just check it at the mid-way point?

[apexeon]

I'm getting ready to tow the boat to it's new home 1400 miles away. Other than the basic common sense type stuff (checking tire pressure and wear, tie downs, proper safety chains to tow vehicle, etc), I'm wondering how often I should put more grease in the wheel bearings, if at all.

Planning on a two day drive, is it enough to just check it at the mid-way point?

I wouldn't think you would need grease for a while. I repack my bearings once a year and give them a squirt of grease every month or so. We have a 6 month season, ski an average of once a week and each trip is 25 miles round trip.

The main problem is getting water inside the hub. When you put a warm hub in cold water is cools rapidly and creates a suction which draws water in the hub. The hub needs to be full of grease to prevent the intrusion of water. This is even more important if you boat in salt or brackish water.

Before you start your trip jack up each wheel. Put your hands at the 12 and 6 o-clock positions on the tire and try to tilt the wheel. You should be able to tilt the wheel just slightly. Next spin the wheel. If the bearings make a loud roaring sound replace the bearings and the races. Checks your brakes while you've got the wheel jacked up and adjust if necessary.

Drive Safe

[jgouveia3]

i towed from WPB, FL to RI and back a couple times without having to do anything with adding grease during the trip (1350 miles).

[uk_exile]

ignoring water entering just pretend they are the front wheel bearings on any car, how often do you re-grease those ?

just check before the trip & go, no need to check part way

Edited May 18, 2006 by uk_exile

[Lakenut]

Does the trailer have Bearing Buddies? Bearing Buddies keep the water out and are supposed to be maintence free (other than greasing, which they calim you can't do too much) for 100k miles.

We have had them on 3 boats and only had 1 problem. That boat had sat unused for long periods of time with the previous owner and we lost a bearing on the way back from a 300 mile trip. Not fun. The guy that fixed the trailer said that the bearing most likely failed from lack of lubrication/rust protection from a lack of use. The advice about testing for "play" and noise is a very good one.

[TJP]

Take the trailer on a half hour road test a few days before you leave. Right after you get back home, put your hand on the hubs. Anything more than slightly warm and you may have a bearing problem.

I only do about one long trip a season (400 miles). I have always carried a spare set of bearings in the glove box of the tow vehicle, as well as an extra kotter pin and some grease. The bearing will fail well before anything else hub-related and is the second most common failure after blowing a tire. And there's nothing worse than sitting on the side of highway with a split bearing with not parts stores nearby or even open for that matter.

[LakeOneSkier]

Thanks for the replies/advice.

1500 total miles and no issues whatsoever, except for a flying rock cracking the Tahoe windshield. Hit a little rain on the way but the Rankin cover kept the inside completely dry and clean.

The 'bu is now hanging on her lift ready to go skiing!

[Malibudude]

Clay,

Great to here you're finally there.