Wheel bearing grease

[Manxman]

Today I stripped out the wheel bearings of my boat trailer, and will replace them.
The grease had deterioated somewhat, being a bit milky in appearance.
After each submersion I have always given the bearings two or three strokes with a grease gun.
Can anyone recommend a really good underwater grease that will stay in place?

 

[ex-Gladys]

...waterproof grease.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[VicS]

Castrol "Heavy"
From the label on the tin:- A heavy consistency lime based grease having excellent stability and water resistance. Particularly suitable for boating applications such as stern tubes and boat trailer wheel bearings.
You wont find it in Halfords though. I get mine from a small independent car spares shop who keep it because members of the local sailing club use it.

I would bear in mind any recomendations from the trailer manufacturer though.

You don't say what size of boat you have or what sort of distances you trail. If you trail a heavy boat long distances at high speed it may be more sensible to use a high melting point grease such as Casrol LM, taking what ever steps you can to limit water ingress and regular replacement of the grease.

At the end of the day you must realise that road trailer bearings and water just don't go happily together. If you only dunk the trailer at the beginning and end of the season the sensible thing to do is repack the bearings each time, peferably before towing.

 

[MarkV]

I use a standard trailer grease, have you considered using bearing savers that keep the grease under a sprung loaded pressure, in thory anywhere water can get in there should be grease trying to get out.

 

[oldharry]

My last trailer sailor I used Duckhams Keenol, and fitted the bearings with 'Bearing savers' which kept the grease under pressure. Always allow the bearings to cool down before immersing them even with savers fitted. If the hubs are warm, any air pockets in the grease will contract suddenly on contact with cold water, and suck water in. I checked the bearings before selling the boat on, and they were as good as new.

 

[TrueBlue]

Morris oils do a Calcium based grease - lyophobic; water repellant - do a Google, and find their nearest dealer. Not widely available, but not impossible. Could try agricultural mercants 'cos they do specialist lubricant of all types.

 

[khc1970]

If you look in Yellow pages under engineering supplies, most of them stock a 'water-proof' grease, they use it for underwater pump. However, nor sure if they are high or low melting point, i.e., for long distance towing.