# Oil Bath Boat Trailer Hubs



## POCLANCE (Apr 5, 2006)

Does anyone have oil bath hubs on their boat trailer? I have them on my trailer and every so often I get water in them. Anyone else have same issue? How did you fix the problem? Thinking of changing them to greased hubs. Anyone else do this? Satisified? Comments please.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Change them back...the oil baths are just accidents waiting to happen.


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## artys_only (Mar 29, 2005)

*oil bath*

had them on my macclain trailer , just changed over to grease and buddy berings , cost me 270.00 for a dual axal for trailer , macclain did it in about a week ... no worrys now.


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## Custom Flat (Dec 21, 2007)

*Hubs*

The oil bath was a great idea and looks cool but the only problem is it doesn't work, at least for very long before water get in. Maybe one day they can figure out a better seal design.


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## Ted Gentry (Jun 8, 2004)

Change them over before you get stuck on the side of the road. Mine lasted about two years and started to leak. Mclains advised the trailer repair company I use to install grease bearings and not a problem since. I have them serviced once a year to avoid any problems.


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## williamcr (Aug 8, 2006)

I guess I will be the odd man out. I may not love them but I would not change them out. However I have found other folks that have been having a lot of problems with them like your self. I have not had a problem with water getting in the hubs and I think this maybe due to maybe not a lot of use on the hubs. Where the grease seal on the back of the hub not staying lubricated and maybe drying out and maybe not making a good seal.
 I switched over in January 2004 to oil filled hubs and right from the get go, I found problems. I called Magnum trailers which is who built the trailer and ask them about the oil. I was having a problem with burning the oil in about 1000 miles. They told me synthetic gear lube 80W-90W GL5 (which is about 1 month for me). After really no help from them which I was not surprised, I e-mailed turbo lube the manufacture of the oil filled hubs. I also search other web sites with not much luck either. The Manufacture was almost like calling Magnum trailers no help (sad) they also told me use 80W-90W and could not give me no idea on why the oil was burning. I did not think they understood what I was talking about. Since where I work and what I do I have access to a lubrication department. (Government Job gets highest priority) I took a sample over to the lab and had them run some test on the oil. After the test and looking at the oil and the particles under the microscope. We decided to pull samples from each hub. After more test and talking to are venders and the lubrication department we decided that the oil they were asking for using was not a good choice. I now use Mobile 629 I believe is the number I will have to check when I het home. It has no detergents to speak of and is mad more for bearings. It seems to keep the grease seals coated well with very little problems. I still have to change the oil out about every 5000 miles which is a lot better then before but now the oil is not burnt but getting discolored. And on the oil changes I don't drain all the oil just what comes out from the drain/fill plug which is what I have found to be about 1/2 capacity. I do however agree that these oil filled hubs may not be as maintenance free and one would like but I do believe they work fine. I also agree that maybe they hit the boat trailer market without proper testing and more research and better design could be in order. The grease seals that are used are the same as on a grease filled hub. Double lipped. I have found that using a double lip with a back spring on them help also. 
Here this last year I have found due to my work I have not been able to fish as much as I would like to and I have been worried about the hubs not moving as much as I would like. This year the trailer may only have 2000 miles on it which is a big decline for my normal usage.


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## Chunkn' Charlie (Dec 30, 2004)

They are great if they don't leak and mine haven't so far.


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## muzzleloader (May 21, 2004)

I had them on a new loadmaster trailor. I called Loadmaster and asked what they recommended if I wanted to go back to grease. The parts dept guy said unscrew the large plastic dust cap/oil seal and there should be a greae fitting in the end of the axle, drain the oil out and pump the hub full of grease scew the cap back on the hub and you are good to go. Check to see it you have a grease fitting, if you do all you have to do is pump the hub full of grease.


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## floundergigging (Jul 13, 2005)

*hubs*

I would go back to grease with buddy bearings installed. Pulling the hub off and inspecting / repacking bearings and installing new seals has kept me off of the side of the road. Later


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Ur in a world of it if a ROCK hits it too...........gimmic.......stick to Marine grease dude..my $.02


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## cabosandinh (Jun 7, 2007)

I had 4 on my other trailer (Loadmaster) used them for 2 years
with no problem.

There are several things that can cause water to leak in
1. your rear seal is bad
2. you tighten the see-through cap too tight: deforming the o-ring
3. you tighten the fill plug too tight: deforming the o-ring

take cap and plug off, inspect o-rings, replace if neccessary,
apply marine grease to o-rings, hand tighten til you can feel
it touches the o-ring then another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Use high
quality gear oil(lower unit gear oil) : Quicksilver High 
Performance Lower Unit Gear Oil is what I used. If you still have
leaks after this, suspect your rear seal, replace it.

I went back to grease on my new McClain trailer because I am
afraid I might hit something on the way to Florida and bust
that cap open. Grease is safer, oil is cooler


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