Bearings set for 2000 Nitro 175 Sport trailer (single axle)

[mike daniels]

What are good replacement bearings for a 2000 trailer that comes with a Nitro 175 sport boat?



I just got one and the previous owner never changed them. They feel fine but I want to change them just to reset the clock on them.



Also, tell me about bearing buddies? do they really improve bearing reliability vs a plain cap?



I'll frequently pull the boat on 300 mile trips so I want to be sure the bearings are as good as they cen be.



thanks

 

[Dan J.]

Your trailer should have the factory installed flo-thru hubs. The zirc on the hub actually packs the grease from behind, forcing the old grease/debris out the front. I wouldn't replace or repack them unless necessary. Just pump new grease through the zirc until you see the old grease out and new grease starting to come with it. Good luck!

 

[Bob G.]

Ditto what Dan said. My 2000 Nitro has the flo-thru hubs and I just run new grease through them.

 

[mike daniels]

Thanks,



But for future reference I would still like to get the part numbers for replacement bearings.



Also how do the flow through hubs work with bearing buddies? or do they?

 

[Jim B]

The flow thru and bearing buddies are two different systems. Persoanlly i like the flow thru system a lot better, they really work well.



As far as the parts go. Any good auto parts store(read not advance or auto zone) should be able to cross refrence whats in there if you bring them down the bearings and a seal. They are just standard automotove parts in use, there is nothign special or "marine" about them for sure. Its not a bad idea to repack whats in there and put a new seal in if there is any sign of leakage at the rear seal. I agree with the guys tht there is no need to replace them unless there is something specifically wrong with thats in there. Clean, inspect and repack should be all you need. If you do ever need to replace them you need to drive in new races at the same time or else the new bearings wont rear properly.



Here is a link to the maint book for the axles you have.
http://ufpnet.com/Portals/0/PDFs/Bearing Lube Axle Maintenance.pdf

 

[Dan J.]

They don't and won't work with bearing buddies. If you put bearing buddies over the hub with the flo-thru zirc you will have closed off the only way to get fresh lube circulated throughout the bearings. The flo-thru hub works via a drilled axle channel that pushes the grease from behind the bearings, through them and out the front. I don't know the part numbers off hand. Maybe someone else has been down that road and has the numbers handy.

 

[mike daniels]

OK



So just put the grease gun on there and pump away until clean grease comes out the front and thats it?





When you say repack the earings do you mean to take pumping in the grease with a gun or disassembling the hub and pushing grease in the bearing itself with your fingers.



For inspection, Do I take off the hub or just jack up the trailer and check the play on the wheel and smoothness of rotation?



thanks

 

[Jim in VA]

So just put the grease gun on there and pump away until clean grease comes out the front and thats it?

Yes. You'll see old grease coming out the front of the bearing around the zerk fitting as you pump more in. Keep an eye on the rear seal as well. If the grease is really old and has solidified or if gunk is clogging the passages, you could blow out the rear seal. In fact, probably a good idea to have spare rear seals available just in case.

When you say repack the earings (sic) do you mean to take pumping in the grease with a gun or disassembling the hub and pushing grease in the bearing itself with your fingers.

Disassemble the hub, remove the bearings, clean off the old grease thoroughly, inspect for wear or gouges in the races, inspect the axle for gouges, if no problems, repack grease into clean parts and reassemble. Better step-by-step instructions can be found here: http://users.westco.net/~tandjlm/berring.htm

For inspection, Do I take off the hub or just jack up the trailer and check the play on the wheel and smoothness of rotation?

Either. But for a thorough inspection, jack up and take off the wheel then hub and disassemble. While in there, clean and regrease everything (see above). Once you do, you'll have peace of mind on condition.

 

[mike daniels]

Thanks

 

[TROY WAINRIGHT3]

I would suggest going to napa for the bearings.Replaced my bearings on a tandom axle and found auto zone and discount sale cheap brands.Napa had the same bearings that came original on the trailer.Big difference in the metalbetween the china and korea bearings.

 

[firedog978]

Timely information on this one guys. I have the exact same boat/trailer (mine is a 2001). I couldn't find mention in my original papers on the maintenance for the bearings. I was able to estimate the mileage on my trailer since I owned it from the time it was new. And have always used high quality grease with a proper schedule of adding it. Most of my trips are @ 50 miles or less to one of my favorite fishing spots. Hence, not much mileage on the trailer. However, I am about to take the rig to Dale Hollow soon (300 mi. each way), and was wondering about the bearings. The maintenance link above was exactly what I was looking for. And, with it saying an average of 50,000 miles on the bearings is likely, I can relax a bit. I am no where near that! Have (grease) gun, will travel!

 

[mike daniels]

I know this is personal preference but whas is a good grease to use. All walmart had was Spertech anti corrosion marine trailer bearing grease. Its light brown in color instead of bluegreen I'm used to seeing.



is that OK to use?

 

[Jim B]

Its most likley ok but if you would prefer the blue green stuff you can get lubrimatic at autozone and it works well.



I actually switched the type of grease i has been using the the past completly. I now use lucas red and tacky in mine. They say its a good marine grease as well as good for wheel bearings. One thing i have noticed for sure is the hubs dont get nearly as hot as they used to in the past on my trailer and i had to tow once with no cap for over 100 miles last year and it didnt fling everywhwre like regular grease would have. It stayed in the hub and did its job, i got home no problem. Lucas also makes a HD grease thats also good for wheel bearings and it "washout proof". Someone i trust told me to make the switch after he ran it for a while the red lucas and so far so good for me.