Bearing buddy problem

[black white face]

How easy can it be??? I keep losing one bearing buddy on my trailer- I pound it in with a rubber malet and about 10 miles down the road, the SOB is gone... any ideas what it causing this?? it goes in tight and cannot figure out why I lose it.

[Hot Runr Guy]

are your trailer tires & wheels balanced? I've found that an un-balanced wheel will lead to that, provided the BB fit is tight in the hub.

HRG

[black white face]

well, the fit is tight- I did not know trailer tires needed balancing- that one is new to me.

[perchjerker]

Originally Posted by black white face

well, the fit is tight- I did not know trailer tires needed balancing- that one is new to me.

why wouldn't they? its no different than a car tire/wheel assembly

also check to make sure the wheel isnt bent and that the wheel bearing isnt loose

my bet is your hub is bell mouthed and its not gripping the bearing buddy cap tight enough


very common problem with them

[black white face]

Can't comment about the hub, the bearing is tight as it was just re greased/packed...

the only way to know is to take it in and have the wheels spun to see what kind of vibration it has...

if the wheels are that far off, you would certainly see bad tire wear or a trailer vibration in the rear view. To have it fly off in 10 miles is nothing short of "crazy".... I thought maybe that i had too much grease build up along the inside of the hub or something and just lubrication and speed made it fling out. I now cleaned it up good and replaced with another... i will see what happens again now.

[jokerjim]

Common problem:the opening that the bearing buddy fits in has become larger (bell mouthed) from knocking(rocking) the bearing buddy to get it off the hub. Take a large hammer and slowly work your way around the outside diameter of the hub close to the outside edge. The hub is made from a soft steel and it won't take much hammer work to slighlty close up the opening where the buddy fits in. Some guys apply lock tite around the outside of the bearing buddy before they install them.

[black white face]

Originally Posted by jokerjim

Common problem:the opening that the bearing buddy fits in has become larger (bell mouthed) from knocking(rocking) the bearing buddy to get it off the hub. Take a large hammer and slowly work your way around the outside diameter of the hub close to the outside edge. The hub is made from a soft steel and it won't take much hammer work to slighlty close up the opening where the buddy fits in. Some guys apply lock tite around the outside of the bearing buddy before they install them.

makes complete sense- I will do that tonight--- will the locktite work in the area that has grease in it though? I hate to use a solvent of some sort to really clean up the inside of the hub..

[T Mac]

If your axle is tweaked out on the end of it, so that the tire and wheel wobble...it will throw the bearing buddies. I have had this happen myself.
What caused mine was a really nasty pothole that bent the axle backward a bit, at the wheel.

Or another scenario: If the tire is terribly out of balance so the wheel hops... same result..

[black white face]

if this axle is tweeked out on the end- wouldnt the bearing buddy pound in real easy? it pounds in pretty darn tight- no different than the other side... and I cannot imagine wheel hop with 1600 lbs riding on the axle.

PS. I did have the axle re straightened 2 weeks ago-

[perchjerker]

Originally Posted by black white face

if this axle is tweeked out on the end- wouldnt the bearing buddy pound in real easy? it pounds in pretty darn tight- no different than the other side... and I cannot imagine wheel hop with 1600 lbs riding on the axle.

PS. I did have the axle re straightened 2 weeks ago-

like I said

check for a bent wheel

I would take that wheel off and take it to a tire shop and have them spin balance it. they will be able to tell if you cant.

might as well do the other one too while you are at it