7 replies to this topic

[Tony Maxwell]

Guys,

Does anyone know how to remove the grease seals without distroying them, or do you just put in new ones each year???

[powerworm]

new ones should be less than 5.00 per seal at the auto parts stores and i just replace them every other year along with the bearings whether they need it or not

[jdr418]

Many boat trailers use a special grease seal that it designed to not pull water into the hub when the trailer is backed into the water. The seal is a double lip design. if you replace seals be sure and get this type. You can purchase a tool to remove the grease seal. It looks like a sort of hammer with a special shaped claw to pull the seal from the hub. In some instances you can remove the spindle nut and the front bearing, then replace the nut on the spindle and slide the hub over the nut until to contacts the rear bearing, then gently pop the bearing against the nut while rotating the hub and the bearing will pop the seal out of the hub. Be sure and use a water proof grease to pack the bearing after cleaning them.

[Tony Maxwell]

Thanks for the replies. Will try the replace nut and gently pop off seal.

[Braided Line]

jdr418, on 30 September 2011 - 10:52 PM, said:

Many boat trailers use a special grease seal that it designed to not pull water into the hub when the trailer is backed into the water. The seal is a double lip design. if you replace seals be sure and get this type. You can purchase a tool to remove the grease seal. It looks like a sort of hammer with a special shaped claw to pull the seal from the hub. In some instances you can remove the spindle nut and the front bearing, then replace the nut on the spindle and slide the hub over the nut until to contacts the rear bearing, then gently pop the bearing against the nut while rotating the hub and the bearing will pop the seal out of the hub. Be sure and use a water proof grease to pack the bearing after cleaning them.

What he said.....................

[BobP]

I've never "gently popped off a seal" without distorting it beyond re-use. Grease seals are a couple of bucks. I buy several (yeah, the double lipped kind!) so they're on hand for re-packing the bearing yearly. I keep a pre-greased bearing, seal, grease gun and a few tools in the truck when I take the boat more than a few miles from home.

One thing you see is guys blowing out the rear grease seals by shooting grease into the hub too fast with a grease gun. Go slow!

[crankpaint]

if you really would like to reuse them (not a good thing really)most of the time when you knock out the inside bearing the seal will come out with it becouse the outside of the bearing is the same size as the outside of the seal,i made a tool shaped like an L to knock out the bearings just tap your way around it just make sure it can drop out of the hub by lifting the hub up a few inchs i spent 30 years fixing boat/motors trailers 20 in the coast guard!!! so i know of what i speak..lol best thing to do is buy a new one as its cheap insurance and get bearing buddys for the hubs to help keep the water out and when you put the bearing buddys on and fill them with grease don't over fill them or you will push out the seal you just installed, just fill them till the spring you see on the inside starts to compress about a 3rd you just want to keep a little pressure on the grease not alot...hope this helps

[RiverMan]

If you go youtube.com and search on "trailer bearings" you will find a long list of videos that show you how to do about any kind of maintenance. I did my own for years but this last spring I took the boat to a local service shop and after seeing them do them so fast and so professionally I won't ever do them by msyelf again. It was about $120 for both wheels.

RM