# Best Trailer Hubs/Bearings



## ianwilson (Apr 16, 2019)

Vortex


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## Copahee Hound (Dec 21, 2017)

Vortex...100,000 mile warranty and maintenance free. On my first set on our bay boat trailer with over 4 years of use. I'll have to replace the torsion before the bearings. Gman trailer will be getting a set soon


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

Copahee Hound said:


> Vortex...100,000 mile warranty and maintenance free


I've no experience with Vortex, but it sounds to good to be true.
100K w/o maintenance???

Then there's two options, one is an oil bath which is another I've not used but seems to have a following with people who think there better than grease.

The other I do use and have for over 40 years.
"bearing buddy's" ... works for me...


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## Copahee Hound (Dec 21, 2017)

Oil bath. I'm a believer

**Edit, just looked at my receipt, I lied, they are Lucas oil greased bearings


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

100k miles. If you can keep water out , then why not? The bearings on cars last forever (most of the time)


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## ERK (Mar 6, 2019)

Vortex


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## Brandon Brown (Jun 17, 2020)

ive had grease hubs and oil bath hubs. I will say I only ever had one problem in 10+ years with oil batch hub locking up but that was all it took. With grease hubs you can at least make it home not if an oil bath hub seizes up you are done. I went back to grease hubs with bearing buddies which is a little more maintenence but for my piece of mind i won't go back to oil bath hubs.


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## MT_Flyfisher (Sep 2, 2021)

+1 for Vortex. I have traditional bearings on my fresh water ski boat with bearing buddies. With good maintenance they seem to do fine but you do have to stay on top of them. In the salt I really like the votex bearings. I had to replace the torsion arms on my 10 yr old McClain skiff trailer (they were rusted to the axel), but the bearings were still performing flawlessly. I have since started dry launching to attempt an extend axel life.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

If you use you trailer only a few times per month you should be checking the bearings at least once per year at a minimum and also jacking the trailer wheel off the ground and seeing if there's any play in the bearing by grabbing the tire, top and bottom and pull/pushing it. A bearing is prone to failure more if it is "loose" on the spindle, more so than slightly to tight even while properly lubricated. New bearings can "wear in" and become a little loose after just a few times being used and need tightening. If your not sure how tight the bearings should be you should find someone with experience to show you. If you've ever seen a trailer wheel flying down the road, it almost always started because the bearings failed and was not noticed in time.


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## Water Bound (Dec 12, 2018)

I just put Vortex on my Ramlin and had issues with the caps not fitting. They sent me new replacements but it was a pain. The replacements were from a different hub but with smaller threads so they would thread onto the Vortex hub. It’s a known issue at Dexter and be prepared to ask for the different caps.

A set of Airtights installed on new standard style hubs, was the way I wanted to go, but we had a trip to the Keys and didn’t feel like I’d have time to do the install before we left. Next time around they are what I’ll do though.

Now that the cap issue is resolved I’m very pleased with Vortexes, they were cool to the touch 12 hours there and back!


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## 17376 (May 5, 2017)

Just hubs with buddy bearings. Pump grease in them after every use. It will push any water out that might get in them . You will get many of years out of them.

I do the same with all other grease fittings on the engine, tractors/ equipment.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Buddy Bearing caps are really old school, true Buddy Bearing caps have a grease fitting right on the cap and a spring that only adds a little grease to the outer bearing area . Most greased boat axles now come with a Posilube type spindle that when you add grease it actually flushes both the rear and front bearing with new grease. Grease is cheap, several times a year I pump a half a tube of grease into each hub which pretty much repacks the bearing with fresh grease. Here is a link to how the Posilube axle works.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I run and run and run… an EZ Loader trailer with Reliable oil bath hubs… When we finally changed out the axle (and hubs..) it was nearing 300,000 miles - with the original bearings…. No troubles whatsoever towing 20,000 miles a year commuting roughly 200 miles a day working out of Flamingo or Chokoloskee from my home in Broward county…
I try to never tow over 65 on the road and don’t submerge my hubs most days…


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## Cork (Sep 10, 2020)

Airtight with posi-lube hubs. Dexter now owns just about everything. 
Not a drop of water in 12 months with Airtights.
Bearing buddies just slop grease on the outside of the outer bearing.


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## NealXB2003 (Jun 8, 2020)

I have vortex on one trailer and oil bath on another. I have had small issues with both. Cracked caps on vortex, but I believe that was due to someone over tightening at the factory. On the oil bath, after a tow on salted roads, the caps had grit preventing them from moving in and out. Disassembly and cleaning fixed the issue and rubber bras like you can get for bearing buddies have prevented a recurrence. After those initial issues, both have been reliable. Looking at both systems, I think I would go with vortex next time as a first choice for simplicity and compatibility with traditional parts if I experience a failure on the road.


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

If you run oil baths, there is no reason you can't have a greased hub kit (packed with grease) ready to go in the truck in case you ever need it. I replaced an oil bath on the side of the road with a greased hub and ran 1 of each for almost 2 years until I switched the other one to grease just to have two alike. In case you're wondering... the breakdown was due to broken studs not bearings.

However, I have good IR thermometer and I can tell you the oil bath always ran about 3-5 degrees cooler than the greased hub, no leaking grease either. I'm thinking I went the wrong way... much preferred oil bath with the clear window.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

For what it's worth... I've now run two axles on the same 16 year old EZ Loader trailer... swapping out the first axle as the trailer neared the 300,000 mile mark... Both axles had oil bath - the first one had the clear Lexan caps that allowed you to see not only how much oil your hub held - but at a glance it's condition (water in your oil quickly makes it look like coffee with cream... ). I was always concerned about damaging or cracking one of those caps so I always carried a new one as a spare (and still have it - since it's never been needed...). The "new axle" (now with about 40,000 miles on it...) has heavier caps with a clear window in the center so I guess concerns over how tough the first ones were lead to the change... Not as happy with them since they limit how well you can see oil level and condition.. But that's my only quibble... 

I worried a lot about oil bath hubs back in 2005 when the trailer - then new... came with them. Nowadays I wouldn't have anything else...


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## jaxdrew (Aug 19, 2020)

thanks, I was trailering the new hubs and bearings about 60mph and they were pretty hot but not to where I could not touch them for several seconds. Was worried I might have on too tight so will jack it up and check them out. Definitely want to try something different next time and appreciate the suggestions!


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## Skinnee (Oct 5, 2021)

Copahee Hound said:


> Vortex...100,000 mile warranty and maintenance free. On my first set on our bay boat trailer with over 4 years of use. I'll have to replace the torsion before the bearings. Gman trailer will be getting a set soon


Have vortex. Zero issues after multiple dunkings every week for the past couple of years.


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## MMeseck (Feb 25, 2019)

Skinnee said:


> Have vortex. Zero issues after multiple dunkings every week for the past couple of years.


Fully agree. These new Vortex hubs are unbelievable. Worth every penny.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Any hub that does not have bearing buddies.


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