Got it. Will find some Bearing Buddies. I presume they come in different sizes. One more thing...did Pacific Trailers ever make a double axle trailer custom for the M-17? We had a bit of a riotous lesson in why you should change your trailer tires every three years, whether you need to or not. :) Involved my ex-husband and his wife, two blow-outs, a nice small town tire guy who stayed at work until 7 PM on a Saturday night, and a delicious small town restaurant dinner with said ex-husband and wife. And a reinforcement that, when they say to change those tires, they mean it. After that, I am thinking a bit more fail safe system with two axles would be awfully nice. Gail On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 8:54 PM, Conbert Benneck <chbenneck@gmail.com> wrote:
On 9/29/2016 8:45 PM, Gail Russell wrote:
Hi Gail,
Buy some "Bearing Buddies". They fit over the wheel bearing;have a grease nipple on the end. When you add grease, to the "Bearing Buddies" you build up pressure in the bearing cavity. This serves to keep water out of your wheel bearings when you launch or retrieve you boat.
The position of the "Bearing Buddies" tells you when you have to add more grease.
They are a necessity for the trailer, and are available at most auto parts supply stores.
Connie
Clarification please. I just asked husband (who gets to do all the boat
work around here, but is not a vehicle mechanic) if there is a zerk fitting on the wheel bearings. Apparently not.. You have to repack the bearings to grease them. Did you really mean to repack the bearings every time one launches in salt water?
Gail
Yes, yes, yes. Your M-17 needs protection from saltwater! Best option is
to get your hull painted with the spendy paint that is needed to protest your hull and galvanize the aluminum. It is much less expensive to pressure wash thoroughly, your trailer too, and grease the trailer wheel bearings every time you outhaul, if you plan to leave you M-17 in saltwater, outhaul it and wash it at least every month. Steve M-15 # 335 South Puget Sound