# Greasing Ramlin Trailer Hubs



## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

Hey all. Just bought a new-to-me (and basically new) East Cape Fury sitting on a Ramlin trailer. I went to go grease the hubs but my grease gun isn't fitting the zerk fitting. The zerk fitting on each hub is off center and recessed...so my grease gun tip is too big to fit in there. Is there a trick here? Or another grease gun attachment I need? Never has this problem before...sorry if I'm having a dumb moment here and missing something simple.


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Pictures please


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

Here you go! Both are the same.


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## Hardluk81 (Jan 3, 2016)

Go buy some hub caps with a bigger hole in the center.


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

Hardluk81 said:


> Go buy some hub caps with a bigger hole in the center.


That wouldn’t do me any good. The second picture is with the hub cap removed. I still can’t get my grease gun on the fitting.


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## Hardluk81 (Jan 3, 2016)

I was talking about something like this with a bigger hole for the grease fitting to be accessible.
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...t=1&w=250&h=240&hl=en&gsawvi=1&source=sh/x/im


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I think ramlin uses a hub called Kodiak. You might try searching by that. Or call them in the morning and ask.


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## Hardluk81 (Jan 3, 2016)

Ignore my post as I’m sure you already have. I was looking at the pics on my phone and thought I was looking at something different.


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## matauman (Nov 4, 2014)

I'm dealing with my Ramlin hubs as I type. Talked with Tito at Ramlin last week who's was really helpful. As El9surf said you have Kodiak cap and collar that are press fit into the wheel hub. It looks like yours is off center for some reason that you may want to understand.
You should be able to tap around the collar with a mallet to remove it from the hub. If you use a steel hammer protect the collar with wood or a rag.
I was checking my hubs, put the trailer on a jack and wiggled the wheels. One rocked a bit and I decided to replace all hubs with new, cheap insurance.
I plan to clean up the old ones with a rag, inspect, regrease and carry as spares. Tito did say that he gets calls from many who have loose hubs due to the fact that they hand tighten to castle nut and bend the lock washer tab. Once the wheel runs for a while they get loose as the grease works it way around. He suggested you use a wrench to tighten the hub with the wheel on and spinning to seat the bearings then bend the tab.
Tito at Ramlin was great, I sent them an email with my serial number and boat type and he called straight away. Great customer service!


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

matauman said:


> I'm dealing with my Ramlin hubs as I type. Talked with Tito at Ramlin last week who's was really helpful. As El9surf said you have Kodiak cap and collar that are press fit into the wheel hub. It looks like yours is off center for some reason that you may want to understand.
> You should be able to tap around the collar with a mallet to remove it from the hub. If you use a steel hammer protect the collar with wood or a rag.
> I was checking my hubs, put the trailer on a jack and wiggled the wheels. One rocked a bit and I decided to replace all hubs with new, cheap insurance.
> I plan to clean up the old ones with a rag, inspect, regrease and carry as spares. Tito did say that he gets calls from many who have loose hubs due to the fact that they hand tighten to castle nut and bend the lock washer tub. Once the wheel runs for a while they get loose as the grease works it way around. He suggested you use a wrench to tighten the hub with the wheel on and spinning to seat the bearings then bend the tab.
> Tito at Ramlin was great, I sent them an email with my serial number and boat type and he called straight away. Great customer service!


Yeah I'm dealing with Tim Snellings via email right now and he has been very helpful. I think in the meantime they may send me some traditional bearing buddies. I jacked up one side yesterday and nothing appeared loose, thankfully. We'll see how this plays out.

Keep the info coming. I absolutely love the trailer...just wish it was easier to shoot some grease in the hubs!


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

rkmurphy526 said:


> Yeah I'm dealing with Tim Snellings via email right now and he has been very helpful. I think in the meantime they may send me some traditional bearing buddies. I jacked up one side yesterday and nothing appeared loose, thankfully. We'll see how this plays out.
> 
> Keep the info coming. I absolutely love the trailer...just wish it was easier to shoot some grease in the hubs!


 I wouldn’t use Buddy Bearing caps on a thru spindle design. All you’re going to do is pump grease in until the inner bearing seal ruptures so you can see grease come out before you stop. Then the spring in the bearing buddy is going to push all the reserve grease out while you’re going down the highway coating your wheel, fender, trailer, boat with grease. If it were a utility trailer that wouldn’t matter. Jus Say’n.

Those Kodiak caps are actually designed for a oil bath system so you can see the oil level. The hole in the middle isn’t for pumping grease through.


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## SOswald (Mar 30, 2013)

For what its worth it is my understanding from Paul Payne at HB that the hubs that Ram-Lin uses should not have to be greased and are designed to just be replaced every 3 or 4 years. He said that everyone wants to pump grease in them (like I did) and then they end up blowing out the rear seal which then sends grease everywhere as MM indicated and allows water intrusion. The thought of not greasing the hubs is kind of counter intuitive but thats what I was told. Good luck!


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

So don't grease the zerk? I was under the impression that it was ok to do if you add it slowly. I have the same setup so I'm interested in hearing more.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

el9surf said:


> So don't grease the zerk? I was under the impression that it was ok to do if you add it slowly. I have the same setup so I'm interested in hearing more.


I think something has been lost in translation.

You certainly can pump grease into the zerk per the manufacturers instructions as millions have successfully done for decades.

What you don’t want to do is pump grease in so hard or fast that you pop the spindle seal on the inner side.

The best way to avoid that is to slowly pump grease in with no load on the bearings by jacking up the trailer and minimizing restriction by turning the wheel while pumping.

You can feel the resistance pressure with the grease gun handle the same way you can feel it with the handle of a hydraulic bottle or floor jack.

It’s not really that big a deal if you do bust the seal because they aren’t expensive, and easy to replace. But you do have to go through all the mess of removing the hub which defeats the purpose of having the EZ lube type spindles.

It’s really not so complicated that you would not do it and change hubs every three years. Plus you add risks for catastrophic failures.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks for clarifying Mike. Never considered jacking the wheel off the floor and rotating while adding grease.


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

So I should be good with the bearing buddies as long as I fill them properly and don’t overdo it?


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

rkmurphy526 said:


> So I should be good with the bearing buddies as long as I fill them properly and don’t overdo it?


The problem with Bearing Buddies is trusting that the force required to compress the spring doesn’t exceed the capability of the seal.

If you’re set on going that way I would jack up the trailer, turn the wheel, and slowly pump grease in until the spring just starts to compress.

I would not keep pumping in grease after the spring fully compresses which leaves busting the seal as the only way to relieve the added pressure from adding more grease.

Liquids (grease) are incompressible.


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

MariettaMike said:


> The problem with Bearing Buddies is trusting that the force required to compress the spring doesn’t exceed the capability of the seal.
> 
> If you’re set on going that way I would jack up the trailer, turn the wheel, and slowly pump grease in until the spring just starts to compress.
> 
> ...


Great info! Thanks!!


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

I have the same on my trailer and I replaced all the grease from the Lucas marine to the red n tacky by SLOWLY pumping until you see no more blue coming out then clean up the excess. I’ve not had an issue with water intrusion or anything I was just nervous towing 28 hours without taking every precaution. Hell I even brought two spare hubs and all the essentials to change on the road if need be. Thankfully they’re still going strong.


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## secretsquirrelflyfishing (Nov 9, 2015)

The way that that spindle works is the grease is pumped in the front but the axle spindle is hollow so the grease comes from the backside pushes the old grease out the front as long as you do it slow you will be fine as long as you’re still using the supplied caps. The plastic caps unscrew and allow you access to the Zerk fitting The rubber plug is probably for the oil bath hub so no need to pop it out.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

MariettaMike said:


> I think something has been lost in translation.
> 
> You certainly can pump grease into the zerk per the manufacturers instructions as millions have successfully done for decades.
> 
> ...


Mike, how can one tell if too much new grease has been pumped, even slowly and carefully, into the bearings?


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

DBStoots said:


> Mike, how can one tell if too much new grease has been pumped, even slowly and carefully, into the bearings?


Grease will come out around the axle at the inside of the hub because the seal was ruptured. See first part of video.






The video is for a Super Lube HUB that has the grease zerk on the hub. RamLin typically uses Super Lube SPINDLES with the grease zerk in the spindle. The main differences are you can add a Super Lube HUB to a standard spindle. Unfortunately you’ll have to take the wheel off so you can get to the zerk on the inner side of the hub and spin the hub. (The OP could easily do this.)

With the Super Lube spindle the grease flows through the spindle and then back through the bearings so you don’t have to take the wheel off to get to the zerk or spin.

Although both ways do make a mess with the old grease coming out.


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

MariettaMike said:


> Grease will come out around the axle at the inside of the hub because the seal was ruptured. See first part of video.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great info! Are you saying there’s another zerk I can utilize if I take the wheel off?


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Flp


rkmurphy526 said:


> Great info! Are you saying there’s another zerk I can utilize if I take the wheel off?


Negative. (But you could look to see.)

I’m saying you could put EZ lube type hubs on the spindles you have.


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## rkmurphy526 (Jun 9, 2018)

MariettaMike said:


> Flp
> Negative. (But you could look to see.)
> 
> I’m saying you could put EZ lube type hubs on the spindles you have.


Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. I’ll stick with the bearing buddies they’re sending me for now and, when the hubs get a little uglier, I’ll swap them out. Really appreciate the info Mike!


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## Rayreds (Oct 24, 2016)

matauman said:


> I'm dealing with my Ramlin hubs as I type. Talked with Tito at Ramlin last week who's was really helpful. As El9surf said you have Kodiak cap and collar that are press fit into the wheel hub. It looks like yours is off center for some reason that you may want to understand.
> You should be able to tap around the collar with a mallet to remove it from the hub. If you use a steel hammer protect the collar with wood or a rag.
> I was checking my hubs, put the trailer on a jack and wiggled the wheels. One rocked a bit and I decided to replace all hubs with new, cheap insurance.
> I plan to clean up the old ones with a rag, inspect, regrease and carry as spares. Tito did say that he gets calls from many who have loose hubs due to the fact that they hand tighten to castle nut and bend the lock washer tab. Once the wheel runs for a while they get loose as the grease works it way around. He suggested you use a wrench to tighten the hub with the wheel on and spinning to seat the bearings then bend the tab.
> Tito at Ramlin was great, I sent them an email with my serial number and boat type and he called straight away. Great customer service!


Careful tightening the spindle nut as there is a torque procedure that you must follow. Over tighten and you will burn the bearing out.


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

You can tap that cover a little to get it to fit, or simply push more grease in with your fingers. You don't need new hubs unless they have play as mentioned above. Mine had the same hubs for 12 years doing that.


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## matauman (Nov 4, 2014)

Rayred, thanks for the info, after doing some searching I found this on champion trailer website. I like the idea of torque specs, seems to be more precise.

*Pre-Loading Trailer Wheel Bearings*
Pre Loading Bearings:
Whenever you install new hubs or new bearings and races into an old hub, you should pre-load the bearings. Pre-loading the bearings assures that the races in the hubs are 100% in place against their machined stop points and keeps the hub from wobbling after a few miles.



To pre-load the bearings, install the spindle washer and spindle nut onto the spindle with the hub and bearings in place. 


Tighten the spindle nut _finger tight _(until snug) and then with channel-lock pliers or a crescent wrench, tighten the spindle nut another 1/4 turn or about 15 to 20 ft pounds of torque. 


Now turn the hub ten revolutions. This will fully seat the races. 
Now _loosen _the spindle nut very loose, then re-snug to finger tight, and engage the nut retaining device (some reverse lubricating spindles use a tab washer for the retaining device).
I received my new hubs from Ramlin and they now use a rubber plug instead of the Kodiak oil caps.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

MariettaMike said:


> I think something has been lost in translation.
> 
> You certainly can pump grease into the zerk per the manufacturers instructions as millions have successfully done for decades.
> 
> ...


Mike, how can one tell if too much new grease has been pumped, even slowly and carefully, into the bear


MariettaMike said:


> Grease will come out around the axle at the inside of the hub because the seal was ruptured. See first part of video.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, Mike. So, if there is no grease around the axle at the inside of the hub, I should be ok? My hubs don't get wet when I launch either, so I guess that helps alleviate any concern about water intrusion from the backside.


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