bearing buddy question

[JR19]

Over the winter I took my boat trailer to a shop to get some brake work done and wheel bearings replaced. When I picked up my boat they mentioned one of my bearing buddies was lose and did not want to seat properly so they replaced it. The thing that caught me off guard was the mechanic made the comment that the style bearing buddy he attached had a weep hole and he said don't be surprised if I see a little grease sling out the hole. Since getting the new bearing buddy I have trailer my boat 6-7 times and every time it has slung grease. Most of the time it was a very small amount that I could easily wipe off in a few seconds but today for some reason it was a mess. All of the grease is coming from the weep hole in the bearing buddy.

I have never seen a set up like this so I wonder what is the purpose of the weep hole? The weep hole is located about 3/4 the way out towards the outer lip. I took electrical tape and wrapped around the bearing buddy. Doing this closed off the weep hole. Should I just buy a "normal" bearing buddy? I can post a picture if needed.

[Coach185]

I have installed quite a few bearing buddies and have never seen one with a weeping hole??
Something not right. Is it the1.980?

[Coach185]

Just Googled this
There is a little weep hole on the side of the bearing buddies. If you over fill them grease will come out of this hole and make a mess. Hole is there to keep you from over pressurizing the hub and blowing the seal out the back.Jul 27, 2009

[JR19]

I have installed quite a few bearing buddies and have never seen one with a weeping hole??
Something not right. Is it the1.980?

1st time I ever saw this as well.

Just Googled this
There is a little weep hole on the side of the bearing buddies. If you over fill them grease will come out of this hole and make a mess. Hole is there to keep you from over pressurizing the hub and blowing the seal out the back.Jul 27, 2009

I done some google research as well and found the same thing you mentioned about why there is a weep hole.

I understand the concept but don't care for the mess. I have been pulling boat trailers for 30+ years with the non weep hole design and have had zero issues. If fact the bearings that were replaced over the winter on my current trailer are the ones that came on the trailer in 1999. I don't know how many miles they had on them but it was enough that I am on my 4th set of tires if my memory is correct. I use nothing but Amsoil water resistant wheel bearing grease. I add a little when I see the zerk is getting flush with the housing. Adding grease is one of those deals where less is better than more. I only re-pack them when a set of tires are worn out. I have ran the non weep hole style for the last 30 or so years so I see no reason to change my method. I just don't like the grease slinging. For now I have electrical tape wrapped around the hole so it can't sling grease.

[CatFan]

I don’t buy it. The whole idea of Bearing Buddies is to create a small positive pressure on the hub so when the hub cools in the water it doesn’t pull water in. The weep hole is not supposed to leak grease unless the hub is over-filled.

[Coach185]

The Javelin 379 i just picked up had a bearing buddy that was spitting out grease due to it being defective but still the grease coming out was driving me nuts. Had a new BB in my trailer tool box that was the right size. Problem solved.
I'll bet a beer that BB of yours won't be long for this world. Or if you have a trailer tool box, it will be added as a emergency backup

[fishnfireman]

I don’t buy it. The whole idea of Bearing Buddies is to create a small positive pressure on the hub so when the hub cools in the water it doesn’t pull water in. The weep hole is not supposed to leak grease unless the hub is over-filled.

Or it's already pulling water in and when it gets hot from towing it's expanding !!!!
From OP description it's getting worse. Sounds to me like a seal is letting water in..

[Casey V.]

What was the ambient temperature change from trip to trip? Were the days it spit more on hot days? They will do this in the summer when they get warmed up or going down grades and using trailer brakes hence heating the hubs and thinning the viscosity of the grease making it easier to escape/leak a little, common. Fill it to operating level again and clean her up and move on. Normal, happening on cold days it is most likely over filled and purging excess as you trail.

[Coach185]

Well Gene I may owe you that beer. I installed a new bearing buddy on the kids Javelin last month. Added grease yesterday before I took the boat out and probably over greased it. That bearing buddy came off before I ever got to a major road. I think if it would have had the weep hole it would have bled out before coming loose.
Ordered a new set yesterday and they say they have "auto check" feature so maybe they have the weep holes? Find out when they get here.

[JR19]

What was the ambient temperature change from trip to trip? Were the days it spit more on hot days? They will do this in the summer when they get warmed up or going down grades and using trailer brakes hence heating the hubs and thinning the viscosity of the grease making it easier to escape/leak a little, common. Fill it to operating level again and clean her up and move on. Normal, happening on cold days it is most likely over filled and purging excess as you trail.

It was installed on a cold winter day and the first few tows were 20 miles or less. The one that puked the most was 75* weather and 90-100 mile round trip. Your statement about air temp makes sense. Plus there is a long steep hill on my last pull that I am sure heated up the brakes.

Well Gene I may owe you that beer. I installed a new bearing buddy on the kids Javelin last month. Added grease yesterday before I took the boat out and probably over greased it. That bearing buddy came off before I ever got to a major road. I think if it would have had the weep hole it would have bled out before coming loose.
Ordered a new set yesterday and they say they have "auto check" feature so maybe they have the weep holes? Find out when they get here.

I am on the fence about the weep hole. I understand the principal and think it will work BUT I am very anal about keeping my stuff clean so slinging grease drives me nuts.

[Crappie Bob]

Never had any holes in any BB I ever owned. If you watch the zerk fitting in the spring loaded plate as you put in the grease and stop when it reaches the outer edge it is fine. The spring keeps a constant pressure on the grease so it doesn't vacuum in water, the "weep hole" seems to me to defeat the purpose of the things entirely. JMO

I guess in retrospect, they put in the hole to try and idiot proof the product.....

[billnorman1]

I'm not into BB's. I used to use them but I figure the simpler the installation the better. I just use the pound on cap, grease them once and spin the wheel every couple of months to see if the bearing is quiet, and if it is I leave them alone.

[Menacer]

Well Gene I may owe you that beer. I installed a new bearing buddy on the kids Javelin last month. Added grease yesterday before I took the boat out and probably over greased it. That bearing buddy came off before I ever got to a major road. I think if it would have had the weep hole it would have bled out before coming loose.
Ordered a new set yesterday and they say they have "auto check" feature so maybe they have the weep holes? Find out when they get here.

I have had a few do this. Some hubs are not exactly to spec and the press fit is not tight enough. Also if a tire is out of balance this can happen too.

I started putting them over my hitch ball and giving them a few hits with a maul and block of wood. It help spread them out a little and make them fit tighter. Go slow as they can spread too much. Ask me how I know lol.

Some guys will hit from the inside of the BB with a punch or nail set instead of using the hitch.

[JR19]

I have had a few do this. Some hubs are not exactly to spec and the press fit is not tight enough. Also if a tire is out of balance this can happen too.

I started putting them over my hitch ball and giving them a few hits with a maul and block of wood. It help spread them out a little and make them fit tighter. Go slow as they can spread too much. Ask me how I know lol.

Some guys will hit from the inside of the BB with a punch or nail set instead of using the hitch.

^this...I drop buy a friends house one day and as I was walking up to his garage he had his bearing buddy laid on his hitch ball and was tapping it with a rubber mallet. I ask what he was doing and he said it fit lose so he was trying stretch/deform/change the oval shape so it had a more snug fit. It took a few whacks but he did get it to fit more snug.

[Coach185]

On problem bearing buddies has anyone used loctite or permatex cylinder sealant? Maybe even permatex aviation sealant

[billnorman1]

A bearing Buddy is a fairly heavy item (dense) for its size. If the fit isn't tight it will fly off. If it's egg shaped the odds for it leaking go up. Sealant will help seal it as long as the grease doesn't dissolve the sealant, plus sealants always say use on a clean oil free surface.

[fishnfireman]

On problem bearing buddies has anyone used loctite or permatex cylinder sealant? Maybe even permatex aviation sealant

I've had good luck with running a bead of the red Hi-temp silicone around them after seating.. be sure to clean the surfaces.

[Alex from GA]

Drill and tap the hub for a 1/4-20 set screw. No more losing bearing buddys.

[jtracc]

I swapped over from vault cap to traditional bearing grease and a bearing buddy style cap and it has a small vent hole. I filled it until some grease started to come out of vent hole and then stopped. Some grease vented out for a few minutes then stopped. I'm sure some will vent out as I use it.

[Coach185]

Drill and tap the hub for a 1/4-20 set screw. No more losing bearing buddys.

I had another trailer (dual axle) years ago that kept throwing one BB. I ended up drilling and tapping a 10/32 Allen set screw into the hub and punched a dimple into the BB. Before I installed it I brushed it with aviation gasket sealer
Worked great, but thats a last resort. I don't remember ever removing that BB to check the bearings