trailer hubs

[oddos2525]

i have a boatmate trailer with the oil in the hub. What fluid should be used and what is the procedure for adding it? There is hardly any fluid in them and was not sure if I just dump it in the cap and push it on or what. Thanks.

[Mikey]

The fluid is in the trailer manual,i believe straight 50wt oil.check this.To add or remove,or flush ,on the hub there is a allan screw . To drain remove screw and turn wheel with screw down and drain ,then reverse to fill. Oil should be changed periodically anyways ,as per manual. A real small funnel or squirt bottle helps for filling. draining is slow and messy. Took about 1hr to do both.

[viking]

Aren't the new Boatmate trailers equiped with Maintenence free bearings and boat buddies? Mine's an -07 and I think equipped. I'll have to go check!

[mmandley]

I know the 08 on up trailers are run to fail axles. It says no maintenance is required.

[jeffrogge]

Yeah mine is an 07 and it has maintenance free bearings.

[zegm]

Yeah mine is an 07 and it has maintenance free bearings.

I sort of like the oil hubs but I know that wheel bearing seals do wear out and when these go you aren't just going to have a little grease coming out like a normal hub, you are going to have a wet oily mess. Maybe not at first but slowly and maybe you won't really know it and then there is nothing left on the bearings. When this happens you might find yourself on the side of the road. And if you are supposed to check and fill them from time to time and you keep filling them then they are NOT maintenance free and the seals are going.
I guess I will see how long they last before I pass my final judgement.

[Mikey]

I have an 07 boat /trailer and i was told at watertest to watch,oil level through clearglass and if it got milky to change. I assume i have a small leak or whatever as they were slightly low and slightly milky. Maybe i put them into water,hot after pulling and not cooling enough. I always try to give them a chance to cool first,but who knows. Otherwise just keep an eye on the level of oil inside.
Coming from a smaller outboard boat with greese nipple bearing buddy's etc i'm just used to servicing bearings yearly anyways, ,so maybe thats where i got the habit from.
Better safe than sorry, and not that much trouble anyways ,just messy.

[zegm]

I have an 07 boat /trailer and i was told at watertest to watch,oil level through clearglass and if it got milky to change. I assume i have a small leak or whatever as they were slightly low and slightly milky. Maybe i put them into water,hot after pulling and not cooling enough. I always try to give them a chance to cool first,but who knows. Otherwise just keep an eye on the level of oil inside.
Coming from a smaller outboard boat with greese nipple bearing buddy's etc i'm just used to servicing bearings yearly anyways, ,so maybe thats where i got the habit from.
Better safe than sorry, and not that much trouble anyways ,just messy.

Well I think they are a cool idea, but I am not sure what drove the design, what are the advantages? The typical trailer hub has grease, my big boat trailer has grease hubs. I think the thing that worries me the most is that if a seal fails on a grease hub it is not a catastrophic failure as you will always have some grease in there. It will fail but you will be able to get home. If one of these oil hubs fail are you going to be able to get home?

[mmandley]

Z man, not sure on the getting home but i was told if you have a tandem trailer the way the axles are designed if one wheel fails, or its flat to remove the tire, then use a strap and tie it up to the frame of the trailer. This will allow you to make it home safely.

Has something to do with the torsion axles the boats have. Course if you have a single axle your F-ed.

[viking]

OK,
So after reading this post I went and checked my trailer and manuals. My 07 boatmate has the GOLD Series (Genuine Oil Lubrication Design) Trailer Buddy axles. It says to change the oil every 2 years or if it becomes milky. I bought my boat used last year and am sure the dealer didn't change it so I'm going to change it out with 50W motor oil as recommended in the manual.

My question is..........I have oil sitting in the boat buddy bra's that I put on last year. It seems to be leaking out near or around the inspection window. Is that normal or are the seal o-rings likely bad? I put them on because the wheel would get some of the dust and grime and thought they might help. How much are they supposed to leak??

I hate to drain all the oil out and replace if there is a bigger issue I need to be dealing with while I'm servicing?

Thanks to those that might know more about them?