Question

Boat Trailering Guys:,

Hello. I will be trailering my 16' Carolina Skiff to Florida - a distance of some 1,000. A few days ago, I replaced the old bearings, the races, and the rear seal. I tried to be sure to pack the bearings well with marine grease. I then drove the trailer (without the boat) for about 20 miles at 60 MPH. When, I got back home and put my hand on the hub, both hubs were warm. Question: Is it normal for the bearings to heat up somewhat in this short distance, or do I have a problem (maybe too tight? - though if I unscrew the axle bolt one knotch so that the cotter pin fits, the hub seems too loose). Another question: With bearing buddies on the hub, how can I determine the proper amount of grease being put in without damaging the rear seal? Thanks, Richard

Richard

Answered on: 3/2007

It is normal for the hub to get warm after driving the distance that you have stated, however I will go over the procedure for tightening the castle nut so that you can be sure you have properly tightened the hub. As the hub assembly is installed, you should spin the hub and hand tighten the nut until you feel the hub bind. Grab the hub, rock it side to side and give it a push and a pull. Spin it again and tighten until it starts to bind. Now you want to back off the nut one notch and spin again. If it is spinning smoothly that is the spot to insert the cotter pin. If it is still binding back off one more notch until you get a smooth spin. Grab the hub again, push and pull to make sure that there is not any play. The bearing buddies have a spring-loaded piston. Pump the grease so that you push the piston out off the base but not so much that it moves out all the way to the outer lip. You want to leave space so that the grease has room to expand when it heats up. When taking a long trip I always carry spares: a complete bearing set (bearings/races/seal), a grease gun, tools and a tire. Have a great trip!

Boat Trailering Guys:Mike