Question on inner bearing grease seals

[plasticmaster]

When replacing the inner bearing grease seals, does it matter what brand the seal is? The reason I ask is because I bought National brand seals today at my local parts store for almost $12 each and now I'm finding seals online for less than $3 each. That's a substantial difference. Is the expensive one really any better. This is for my boat trailer, but this question would apply to my travel trailer as well since they both use double lip grease seals. Thanks.

[JRscooby]

spoon059 wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
I don't understand the "Decide good day to pack bearings, run to store"
I have a single axle trailer. I always have at least bearings and seal for one wheel in camper. When I pack my bearings, if that is all the spares I have, I order more.

Cool. Some people aren't like you.

I have a list of things that are likely to keep me from towing my trailer home.
1)Tire. Spare wheel and tire, and on a long trip another unmounted tire. (Have used the spare twice. Once mounted the other tire so would have a spare)
2)Lights. Extra bulbs and wire/tools to repair.Have changed couple of bulbs.
3)Bearings. Carry tools, grease and parts. Have never had to work on my trailer except at home. When I put brakes on I carried the old hubs. IFAIK, they are still running on separate boat trailers, so somebody else could get their thing home.
4)Brakes. Carry a spare magnet and used springs. Never needed.
5)Wreck. All I can do there is carry insurance.
If you do your own work, and plan to keep the rig, IMHO it is better to buy maintenance parts, like filters and seals, when you can shop for discounts on good parts

[kellem]

plasticmaster wrote:

kellem wrote:
What's funny is (1) they don't need as much attention as you think

(2) it's very simple, my wife did the bearings the last time while I was at work.

Wow! This is awesome! I'll be sharing this post with my wife! Maybe she can start doing the bearings.

Lol, I wasn't completely truthful.
She finished them up but I had trailer jacked up and wheels pulled before it got dark.
She must have took a lot of breaks, she used half a box of latex gloves.

[plasticmaster]

kellem wrote:
What's funny is (1) they don't need as much attention as you think

(2) it's very simple, my wife did the bearings the last time while I was at work.

Wow! This is awesome! I'll be sharing this post with my wife! Maybe she can start doing the bearings.

[OleManOleCan]

opnspaces wrote:
Agreed on the quality for a trailer that is going to dunk the warm bearings under water.

If your trailer has the bearing buddy caps then the more expensive seals are hopefully double lip seals which are required. The cheaper seal might be only a single lip seal which will leak with the bearing buddy system.

I even use the Bearing Buddy caps even on my Utility trailer. I have towed my last trailer across a couple of shallow creeks, and thru many places of standing water.
I use Bearing Buddies on all trailers.

[kellem]

What's funny is (1) they don't need as much attention as you think

(2) it's very simple, my wife did the bearings the last time while I was at work.

[spoon059]

JRscooby wrote:
I don't understand the "Decide good day to pack bearings, run to store"
I have a single axle trailer. I always have at least bearings and seal for one wheel in camper. When I pack my bearings, if that is all the spares I have, I order more.

Cool. Some people aren't like you.

[JRscooby]

I don't understand the "Decide good day to pack bearings, run to store"
I have a single axle trailer. I always have at least bearings and seal for one wheel in camper. When I pack my bearings, if that is all the spares I have, I order more.

[spoon059]

I'm willing to bet that you are paying for the convenience of going to your local store and buying them. Its quite rare that people know ahead of time the size of their grease seal, rather they pry it out and take it to their local store and ask for a replacement.

Its like buying milk at 7-11 at 2 in the morning for $8, as opposed to waiting until the supermarket opens at 7 and buying it for $3.

I had every intention of finding my axle info ahead of time and ordering seals... but I forgot and one Saturday the weather was nice and I had time. Luckily my bearings were in superb condition, my grease was clean and red and I didn't have to take off the back seal to pack them... cause I didn't buy new seals on line and would have had to run to Napa and pay 4x the cost to buy off the shelf.

[kellem]

I always get double lip seals,Amazon.

Believe it or not,everytime I pull a bearing to re-pack using EZ lube they need no maintenance. Jack the frame and spin the wheels when greasing.....I'm done pulling them.

[CavemanCharlie]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Take the National part number and look it up on Amazon and Rock Auto. You will be surprised at the price.

What he said.

I get a lot of parts from Rock Auto. They often will ship and drop them at my door cheaper then what I can get them at the local parts store. I've even had the parts store guys tell me that the part is no longer available only to go home and look it up at Rock Auto and it's still available there.

[JCR-1]

I used the cheapies with good success..just make sure they are double lipped and spring loaded.

[richardcoxid]

For your boat and TT insist on “double lip seals with the garter spring” regardless of which good old USA brand they are the best!

[plasticmaster]

YamaDooed wrote:
For the marine application you want to make sure its a double lip seal not a single lip seal.

The cheap ones and more expensive ones I'm looking at for boat trailer are both double lip seals. I believe the seals on my travel trailer are double lip as well, if I remember correctly.

[YamaDooed]

For the marine application you want to make sure its a double lip seal not a single lip seal.