Which wheel bearing grease???
- Thread starter Fields_mj
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Fallon
Super Member
Bearing buddies are spring loaded replacement dust covers. They take a lot of grease & keep positive pressure on the grease inside. Pressure is more likely to keep water out, but more likely to blow out seals or cause leaks.
EZ-lube is a hole in the center of the axle & a cross hole exiting between the inner & outer bearing. There is no longterm pressure inside the bearing housing. You are suppose to jack the axle off the ground & slowly rotate the tire when pumping grease in. Failure to do that can cause a short term pressure buildup between the inner bearing & the seal. That has a habit of blowing the seal out & coating your brakes in grease. I had that happen on a previous cargo trailer before I knew about the jacking & spinning bit. Under normal conditions this puts quite a lot of extra grease around the axle in the bearing housing you don't get greasing bearings by hand.
Lots of people don't use the EZ-lube function on EZ-lube axles. They think classic hand packing is better. It uses less grease, forces you to inspect the bearings, won't blow out seals & decreases heat due to the bearings not having to force all that extra grease out of the way.
Personally I've done hand packing & EZ-lube. Not convinced either side is wrong. Past few times I've just had my local mechanic service the axle & brakes. They hand pack as the mess is easier for them than the extra grease.
OP
Fields_mj
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I understand what EZ-Lube axles and Bearing Buddies are, but thanks anyway for the information. I'm just saying that the axles, or more specifically the spindles are not EZ-Lube axles (they likely pre-date the EZ-Lube design), and I am not currently using Bearing Buddies, but I am considering adding them with the full knowledge that over packing them will blow my seals out. Main reason for the bearing buddies is convenience of adding the grease. Between work, raising teenagers, trying to keep the vehicles running, remodeling the house one room at a time, the annual firewood chores, tending to the garden, fixing everything else that breaks, and deer season, I can't manage to find time to go fishing let alone repack my trailer bearings annually.
I ended up going with Mobile 1 because it checks the right boxes. It's rated for heavy loads, has a high drop point, and is available just about everywhere including Walmart. I'm not sure if its really considered "Marine Grade" or not, but I'm not intentionally submersing the axles in the water, just crossing a 30' wide creek (normally less than 6" deep, but max of 12", any deeper and there's no need to be driving anything across just to later set the truck's axles on the ground) when I go back and pick up a load of logs for firewood. At less than $10, it's also "affordable" for whatever that's worth. Compared to the cost of a new axle ($670), the cost of the grease is insignificant.
I ended up going with Mobile 1 because it checks the right boxes. It's rated for heavy loads, has a high drop point, and is available just about everywhere including Walmart. I'm not sure if its really considered "Marine Grade" or not, but I'm not intentionally submersing the axles in the water, just crossing a 30' wide creek (normally less than 6" deep, but max of 12", any deeper and there's no need to be driving anything across just to later set the truck's axles on the ground) when I go back and pick up a load of logs for firewood. At less than $10, it's also "affordable" for whatever that's worth. Compared to the cost of a new axle ($670), the cost of the grease is insignificant.
Last edited:
gstrom99
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I have, but don't trust, bearing buddies on my fishing boat. Mixture of regular and EZ Lube bearings on the rest of my trailers. I do the manual re-packing (admittedly not every year...). ANY new grease is better that old/no grease.
Slowpoke Slim
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Sorry, just a joke. My wife is an engineer, and I know how "you people" are...*
*Just kidding again.
Your grease selection would be just fine in my opinion. Also, I see no need for you to repack those bearings every year. With your limited use, and a synthetic grease, would be a waste of time to repack annually.
I have always packed my bearings by hand. Never understood the fascination with "bearing buddies" or other such things. Even on boat trailers, etc. Been doing them that way 50 years now, and I can't recall ever losing a bearing on a trailer or a vehicle, ever.
Other opinions will vary, I'm sure.
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Fields_mj
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No offence taken (and guilty as charged...).
Full disclosure, the full reason that I'm going through this exercise is that I lost a wheel a couple of weeks ago (ie destroyed the spindle and wore the nut completely OFF). Thankfully, I live at the end of a 1/4 mile dead end road, and the wheel came off the axle as I turned onto my road (at the end of a 102 mile round trip hauling my 4,000 lb tractor). I haven't messed with the other spindle on the old axle yet, but I repacked everything on the remaining old axle, and installed the new axle this weekend (and packed its bearings as well). The other spindles were not in terrible shape, but one of the seals was blown out. I replaced the bearings in that wheel, and replaced the inner bearing on the other side because I dropped it in the dirt, along with replacing the seals on both. With my limited use, I think a couple of squirts of grease into a bearing buddy every year would go a long way into keeping everything in good working order. It won't replace the need to pull the hubs and check on things periodically, but it will make annual maintenance easier.
Full disclosure, the full reason that I'm going through this exercise is that I lost a wheel a couple of weeks ago (ie destroyed the spindle and wore the nut completely OFF). Thankfully, I live at the end of a 1/4 mile dead end road, and the wheel came off the axle as I turned onto my road (at the end of a 102 mile round trip hauling my 4,000 lb tractor). I haven't messed with the other spindle on the old axle yet, but I repacked everything on the remaining old axle, and installed the new axle this weekend (and packed its bearings as well). The other spindles were not in terrible shape, but one of the seals was blown out. I replaced the bearings in that wheel, and replaced the inner bearing on the other side because I dropped it in the dirt, along with replacing the seals on both. With my limited use, I think a couple of squirts of grease into a bearing buddy every year would go a long way into keeping everything in good working order. It won't replace the need to pull the hubs and check on things periodically, but it will make annual maintenance easier.
gsganzer
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If you look on etrailer.com, you'll see that almost all the bearing greases they offer is NLGI #2, red lithium-complex.
I've always used Mystik JT-6 on all my wheel bearings and mower spindles. In fact, I use it on everything including PTO shafts/universals, Auto drive shafts and universals, chassis lube and front end loader etc. There might be better options for loaders and chassis, but I just stick with one grease that's mainly tailored for bearings.
My mower deck is 20 years without needing bearings and my 4runner has 230K miles and the drive shaft has no play.
I've always used Mystik JT-6 on all my wheel bearings and mower spindles. In fact, I use it on everything including PTO shafts/universals, Auto drive shafts and universals, chassis lube and front end loader etc. There might be better options for loaders and chassis, but I just stick with one grease that's mainly tailored for bearings.
My mower deck is 20 years without needing bearings and my 4runner has 230K miles and the drive shaft has no play.
Just picked up 5X Shell Rotella HD grease at Rural King for my tractor and trailer. Another option for the OP.
Quickster2
Silver Member
I use Lucas Marine in everything (5 trailers, tractor, implements, mowers, etc). Been a good grease for more than a decade.