i have put the bearing buddies on my 93 5 yrs ago.i have also put a new set of bearings and races,and seals in it due to the fact the origionals had plastic cages.didnt like that!
the bearing buddies do keep the water out better than the rubber plug type.i have not had any water in the hubs since the buddies were put on.all i do at the end of every season is repack them without tearing them dow,check the end play on the bearings and thats it.during the season,if i use it heavy such as more than 3 times a week,ill pull the cap and give it a few shots of grease till it oozes out then wipe off what come out,put the cap back on,then put a little grease in the buddy.just enough to move the plate off its retainer.not too much to ooze out the relief holes.
use a good synthetic grease or a good water resistant grease.a synthetic grease is the best bet.lately ive been using the red grease.its a heavy duty high pressure grease used in over the road trucks.it works good.no problems.
if youre getting grease out the back,change the seals on it.what size axle is it?the 2000lb,or the 3500 lb axle.use the timkin seals,they have a heavy lip on them,ive been using them on all my vehicles with no problems.ive taken my hubs apart to check them without putting new seals on them,and havent had any leaks.when putting the new ones in,clean the spindle where the seal rides clean with sandpaper and brake clean,use the brake clean not to sparingly.flush the surface while sanding.get it clean as clean can be,nice and shiny.then you dont have to worry about the seals going out early.
ive put over 10,000 miles on the seals and no leaks yet.round trip to springfield and back from pa.trips to lake ontario,to plattsburg,and all the local runs.also if you can use radial tires.i believe in them 100% now.they ride better,pull easier,and dont make the boat bounce as much on the trailer.