wheel bearing grease?
 

I have been dilengently using water proof "sta lube grease" for many years. Boating in west michigan "freash water" all the time. Last yr I replaced all the bearing with american made "timkins" cause the crap chineses one rusted to the point i did not trust them any longer. I did not change out the chinese made races for they were in good shape. To the point! I am going to have to replace three big end bearing and races for rust again! Water proof grease does not seem to be doing much for protecting bearing and races. As a mechanic, we use red n tacky grease on everything on a big truck. why can't i use it on trailer wheel bearings?

The hubs should not be letting water in. You need to check the seals more often. I don't care for Chinese beaings or seals. Timkin has Chinese also. When I buy i try to find USA, Poland and other high quality locations. It's not worth the few dollars breaking down on doing it more often imo.

red and tacky is what i have always used

most use red and tacky.... I do....

Any other suggestions on wheel bearing grease? In the past is have used the red OMC stuff, I bet it’s still available on what’s left of bombardier stuff... any suggestions?

:thumbs
And it’s rated as a wheel bearing grease. :) lol . Yup, tons of peeps use it.

Mercruiser 2-4-c is rated for wheel bearings too. Shhhh, i use it in my snowmobile track wheel bearings. Lol.

The newer Mercruiser Extreme Grease is also wheel bearing rated.
”Mercury High Performance Extreme Grease-14oz

Mercury High Performance Extreme Grease is a calcium suflonate-based grease featuring excellent rust and corrosion protection. This grease is formulated for high temperature and high load applications.

• Compatible with lithium-based greases

For use on: steering systems/cable linkages, throttle and shift cables, drive shaft splines, gimbal bearings, u-joints, suspension systems, chassis, ball joints, disc breaks and ABS applications, and trailer wheel bearings.”

I have been using Mobil1 syn red grease in mine. Used black syn moly grease before that and worked well. The Mobil1 made me a believer when we picked up a buddy's new(used) boat in Vermont, with less than stellar condition trailer, and road tripped it all the way back to Michigan at 75 mph. When we picked boat up, I found a rusty loose bearing with full of water. Purged it with about 3/4 a tube of the Mobil1 until was pretty clean grease coming out the end. That bearing made it all the way home and was barely warmer than the other 3 every time we stopped. Pretty sure had I not done that, I would have been chasing a tire down a mountain somewhere in upstate NY.

Amsoil for me, wouldn't think of using anything else. I keep my boat on the trailer and I'm in and out a lot. I never leave it in the water overnight. I have one launch that is 2 miles away and another that is 20. My bearings are 11 years old and still like new.

I had the same issue on a recent trailer and installed sleeves because of wear.

speedi-sleeves | McMaster-Carr

I usually pick up the marine grease from Farm and Fleet .

https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...cartridge.html


https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...se-grease.html

I've sold Amsoil for over 15 years. From a Die-hard Amsoil user I use Schaeffers 219 Waterproof grease. They designed this stuff specifically for trailer wheel bearings, it is aluminum complex so it is 100% waterproof. Most of your red and tacky's and other "wheel bearing" grease is Lithium based which is by definition a "soap" thickener that isn't waterproof. The 219 is also reversible which means it will retract to counteract the centrifugal force slinging it outward within the bearing.

^^ great info..

Which bearing companies aren't chinese assembled?

I use the Sta lube marine ...(Alum complex)..

That's gonna be hit or miss even with US based companies..... Timkin has facilities in the US and most of the hub bearings I've installed on trucks were all made in the USA.....wheel bearings like for trailers I've seen them labeled both ways, USA or China. If you have a good parts counter guy or go into the store when its dead and have them pull a handfull off the shelf to go through you can probably find one made in the USA. I know there's a company in MI called MI Bearings, i think in Lansing, that makes bearings here in the US...but if you go onto their website they list others like Timkin and Federal Mogul as well....And I'm pretty sure Federal is mostly China stuff now....at least all the ones I've come across in the past 5yrs. :(

This. Mercury went out of it's way to make One Grease to rule them all. previously they said to use various on multiple parts. so you'd need 10 grease types to own a boat... now one covers your splines, cables, bearings, etc.