# Trailer hubs



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I’m on my second EZ Loader trailer for my old Maverick skiff -and it has oil bath hubs. Was very worried about them at first since I’m a high mileage user (towing an average of 20,000 miles yearly to one ramp or other....). 

That was in 2005 - but they’ve been completely trouble free. Not one bit of oil loss and still have the original bearings... That’s over 250,000 miles trouble free. I did replace the axle last year since it was beginning to sag (and came with all new hubs, bearings- and now I have a new oil bath system in place..).

Can’t say enough good things about the “Reliable System” hubs that EZ Loaders come with. I’ve heard of problems with other makes...

Hope this helps.


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

I use to have oil bath hub. They where great. Wish my new trailer had them!


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Do you guys think older spindles would be an issue.


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

They would have to be in good to great shape.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I had them on my last trailer. Never again. If it leaks you’ll smoke your bearings before you notice. I have the hubs that use air pressure to keep water out and they have been flawless. The previous owner had them on this trailer for over ten years...
http://www.airtighthubs.com/


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

lemaymiami said:


> Can’t say enough good things about the “Reliable System” hubs that EZ Loaders come with


Had the same hubs on the same trailer. They were flawless in the time I owned the boat. I liked them so much I switched the hubs on my car hauler to oil bath. My only complaint was the sight glass was mostly worthless and I ended up switching to a different cap.


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## Rooster (Mar 13, 2011)

I had Bearing Buddies on a prior trailer. Was topping them off with grease the night before a long trip and could not get the pump line off - ended up popping out the little aluminum cover that holds the grease in the hub - NOT what you want to do before a long trip... A big part of my decision on my next trailer was that it came with non maintenance Vortex hubs which have been a dream - absolutely no maintenance... I will _never not _have them on any trailer that I own...


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Rooster said:


> I had Bearing Buddies on a prior trailer. Was topping them off with grease the night before a long trip and could not get the pump line off - ended up popping out the little aluminum cover that holds the grease in the hub - NOT what you want to do before a long trip... A big part of my decision on my next trailer was that it came with non maintenance Vortex hubs which have been a dream - absolutely no maintenance... I will _never not _have them on any trailer that I own...


The Vortex hubs are very nice, they are what I had on the new trailer I had built for my last boat. Maintenance free.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Like I said - some have had trouble with oil bath hubs - but the ones on the EZ Loaders are first rate - in hard, day after day service over years on the road...


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## kylet (Jun 29, 2017)

Oil baths are great as long as the seals are good. When a seal fails you’ll have flaming hubs before you get home.with grease you can probably get home as long as you make sure there is no grease on the rims when you stop for fuel.

The vortex and vaults are sealed. ReplAce them every 10k miles and you are worry free. 

I’ve already had to replace both seals on both wheels on my 2018 ramlin. I’d imagine if they were oil I’d have spent a while on the side of the road somewhere.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Didnt realize so much out there. I don’t really get the Vortex hub ,looks like you’re playing with fire,not greasing up 
Why couldn’t you use same said Grease in a greasable bearing set up ? It cant be all about the seals & cap
I think with my mess , 20 + years old , the oil bath might be trouble too. I handnt thought about spindle wear. If I ever buy a new trailer I will spec it though 
Granddad always said “ put grease on your tool if you don’t keep it in the shed. “


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

oil bath scares me ....buddy bearing style works for me...now using the ones w/ the rubber cap that came w/ my float-on and the lucas red grease


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

The Vortex hubs are sealed, no water intrusion means the grease never needs changing, just replace the whole hub after xxxx miles. I think they have a 10 year warranty. There are a few other sealed hub systems out there now too.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

“Flaming hubs” ??

Really?


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I think what affects most if not all is the rust that forms on axle right at the rear seal. I tried bearing saver stainless collars that cover this area and they seem good. I have no experience with anything other than plain old greased hubs. I’m sure all types work for some and fail for someone else. I’m also a believer in once you toast a bearing and damage a spindle or rear seal surface it is never ending maintenance and borrowed time. Never had a replacement hub/bearing last as long as original did before it failed.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

I don’t know about flames but I’ve had one look like a Fourth of July sparkler


lemaymiami said:


> “Flaming hubs” ??
> 
> Really?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

lemaymiami said:


> “Flaming hubs” ??
> 
> Really?


It’s not impossible!


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## Rooster (Mar 13, 2011)

The last time I recall flaming anything involved Jalapeno Poppers and being banished off the Flats Skiff to do my business in the mosquito ridden Mangroves...


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Burning ring of fire....exists


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## kylet (Jun 29, 2017)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> It’s not impossible!





lemaymiami said:


> “Flaming hubs” ??
> 
> Really?


Lol, absolutely. I’ve seen it twice. Both on a tandem axle trailer. Once in the last 30 minutes of a 12 hour tow to Dallas tx. The other about 45 minutes in to an hour drive to a nearby lake. The look on the face of other passengers on the road was priceless. Both of those were on the same trailer. The last time it actually caught fire on the carpeted fender board too. I’ll see if I can find pics of the aftermath.


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## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

topnative2 said:


> Burning ring of fire....exists


I think Johnny Cash wrote a song about that.


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## Pudldux (Mar 3, 2016)

Only negative I've heard about the oil bath hubs is that if the trailer sits for long periods the oil will settle and the top part of the seals can dry out and crack.


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## Hagar TH (Feb 4, 2019)

kylet said:


> Oil baths are great as long as the seals are good. When a seal fails you’ll have flaming hubs before you get home.with grease you can probably get home as long as you make sure there is no grease on the rims when you stop for fuel.
> 
> The vortex and vaults are sealed. ReplAce them every 10k miles and you are worry free.
> 
> I’ve already had to replace both seals on both wheels on my 2018 ramlin. I’d imagine if they were oil I’d have spent a while on the side of the road somewhere.


Exactly right when an oil bath hub fails it is catastrophic.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Hagar TH said:


> Exactly right when an oil bath hub fails it is catastrophic.


Yep. Imagine your oil pan on your vehicle falling off while you were driving and you don’t hear it or have a way to tell.


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## SOswald (Mar 30, 2013)

This is a sensitive issue for me after losing a hub at Mosquito Lagoon last year. Talk about a bad day. After trying to fix the issue for an hour or two in the Titusville O'Reilly auto parts parking lot with minimal success I was one call away from a very expensive tow to Orlando when two of the nicest local guys went above an beyond to help me out. Two lessons I learned: 1) Always keep a spare hub and the tools to change it in the truck 2) For about $5 more you can add towing coverage to your boat policy and put your boat and trailer on a flat bed and have it delivered to the repair center of your choice. Next set of hubs will be oil bath or air tight or vortex because the standard bearing buddy hub and salt water will eventually fail despite how well I maintained it and the minimal extra cost is well worth it.


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## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

jmrodandgun said:


> Had the same hubs on the same trailer. They were flawless in the time I owned the boat. I liked them so much I switched the hubs on my car hauler to oil bath. My only complaint was the sight glass was mostly worthless and I ended up switching to a different cap.


I think that could've been my old EZ Loader? The story on those caps...I took a turn too sharp and clip a curb, displacing the clear plastic hub cover. The Oil leaked out, but I didn't notice until after a few long trips to the marsh. Had bearings inspected they were fine. Bought new caps and filled her up with oil and never looked back.

I guess moral of the story is that it's not the end of world if they leak. I was able to drive a few hundred miles before fixing the issue. The little window on the hub allows for easy checking before trips.

I recently installed The Vault Hybrid lubrication system. They claim no service for 5 years. Will see how they shake out.


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## Outearly (Oct 20, 2015)

I’ve had bearing buddies,then the sure lube type setup, now Vortex.

It’s great feeling driving out of the lot with Vortex hubs on torsion axles. 

Now that I’ve had them a couple of years, it has dawned on me that when they fail, it’ll likely be a surprise. Also the torsion axle setup they came on appear to have hardware (specifically the clamp that holds the hub to the axle)that was chosen without any thought to the mix of metals to be dunked in saltwater. Now heavily corroded despite pretty diligent care.

So- next go around will be sure-lubes. Simple, logical and easy to care for.


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## HPXFLY (Aug 27, 2015)

Vortex for sure I have had them on a couple trailers now and will do all of mine in the future with them until something newer and better comes out but for now they are the best


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## BobGee (Apr 10, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> The Vortex hubs are very nice, they are what I had on the new trailer I had built for my last boat. Maintenance free.


I have Vortex hubs on my trailer. Are they really “maintenance free”? Do you guys really run them for 6 years/100,000 miles? Do you do anything to check them before a long trip?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

BobGee said:


> I have Vortex hubs on my trailer. Are they really “maintenance free”? Do you guys really run them for 6 years/100,000 miles? Do you do anything to check them before a long trip?


Maintenance free


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

One last attaboy for oil bath hubs - my current trailer is a 2005 with 20,000+ miles on it every year since new... It still has the original oil bath hubs - and the original bearings. They've been so trouble free that I have to remind myself to check them every few days after a hundred mile run (my daily grind is 93 miles each way to either Flamingo or Chokoloskee every day that I'm booked... that's what accounts for the high mileage). Can't say enough good things about those oil bath hubs that come on the standard cheap EZ Loader trailer...


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