PoA Jet Ski Project

jesse said:
Plus, even if you unplug regular lights, often times water will still get in there and they'll be so damn hot the bulb just explodes on contact with the water.
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That's almost always how the bulbs end up blowing anyway, it's the hot bulb mixed with cold lake water, not the actual contacts corroding/shorting out that does it. I also enjoy the fact that I'll likely never have to deal with a light burning out, since the trailer LED's will last longer than I will be around barring some sort of resistor/diode failure.
 
SoonerAviator said:
That's almost always how the bulbs end up blowing anyway, it's the hot bulb mixed with cold lake water, not the actual contacts corroding/shorting out that does it. I also enjoy the fact that I'll likely never have to deal with a light burning out, since the trailer LED's will last longer than I will be around barring some sort of resistor/diode failure.
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It's both really, 'leaking and breaking hot bulbs' is in a really close race with 'corroded mess of ****' when it comes to what I find/replace on boat trailers. One of the shops down the road sells sealed harness trailer light kits where ou just lay it out and string it up and plug it right in. Everything is molded seal to the harness, and the LEDs and driver boards fully embedded/encased in resin. Last setup I bought from him was $125 and that included a pair of amber fender clearance lights. I love not having to deal with trailer lights, worth every dime.
 
LED trailer lights are the way to go for sure. Just beware that they are not all created equal. The cheap ones aren't worth the money at all. You're better off with the old bulbs. The good ones are awesome. I have had great luck with the ones made by Peterson Manufacturing. They have been solid for about ten years now. My trailers have been all over California and Arizona and I never unplug them when I dunk them. I have them on my Jet Ski trailer and boat trailer. They also make different styles for smaller trailers.

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BTW, for aluminum trailers, I have found that sticking them to the frame direct with a 3M high strength 2 sided, foam cored, tape to be better than screwing a steel bracket on. I just prep the surface with a green scrubby pad and a white vinegar/water mix and dry with CRC Electromotive or Brake Clean in the red can. This is the same stuff that holds the windows on sky scrapers. One less part to rust and fail, plus it's a cleaner look.
 
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Fixed. I used heat shrink butt connectors for the wiring, but I didn't have a crimper so I used a hammer and a big flat head screwdriver. Hopefully that holds.

So I may take this thing across the state on Friday night. According to the previous owner, the trailer has bearing buddies:

7. How do I check the grease level in the hub? Grease can be added to the hub through an easily accessible grease fitting located in the center of the Bearing Buddy® piston. Lubricant level can be checked by pressing on the edge of the piston. If you can rock or move the piston, the hub is properly filled. If the piston won't rock or move, add grease until piston moves outward about 1/8 inch. When adding grease, always use a hand grease gun. An automatic grease gun will destroy the hub's inner seal.
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I intend to do as it says because I can't seem to move the piston. Anything else I should do to it before the long trip?
 
asechrest said:
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Fixed. I used heat shrink butt connectors for the wiring, but I didn't have a crimper so I used a hammer and a big flat head screwdriver. Hopefully that holds.

So I may take this thing across the state on Friday night. According to the previous owner, the trailer has bearing buddies:



I intend to do as it says because I can't seem to move the piston. Anything else I should do to it before the long trip?
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Did you put some RTV silicon in the buts before heat shrinking? I use 3M 5200 myself to add some strength.

Screw the bearing buddy, disassemble and hand repack your bearings and check your seals. The piston doesn't come out until you have filled the entire void.
 
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PS @ Henning - may do Lake Ida in Delray this weekend or next with the ski. I scoped it out last weekend and it's decent. I am not a big fan of fresh water, and the lake traffic was kind of heavy, but it'll do for a first outing on the East Coast.

Are you local right now?
 
asechrest said:
PS @ Henning - may do Lake Ida in Delray this weekend or next with the ski. I scoped it out last weekend and it's decent. I am not a big fan of fresh water, and the lake traffic was kind of heavy, but it'll do for a first outing on the East Coast.

Are you local right now?
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Ft Lauderdale, 95&84.
 
asechrest said:
PS @ Henning - may do Lake Ida in Delray this weekend or next with the ski. I scoped it out last weekend and it's decent. I am not a big fan of fresh water, and the lake traffic was kind of heavy, but it'll do for a first outing on the East Coast.

Are you local right now?
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If you love your Jet Ski, learn to love it. :D Seriously, be thorough in your after ride wash down and flush and use Salt Away liberally.

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asechrest said:
View attachment 40469

Fixed. I used heat shrink butt connectors for the wiring, but I didn't have a crimper so I used a hammer and a big flat head screwdriver. Hopefully that holds.

So I may take this thing across the state on Friday night. According to the previous owner, the trailer has bearing buddies:



I intend to do as it says because I can't seem to move the piston. Anything else I should do to it before the long trip?
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Jack it up and spin the wheels. Smooth as silk then you should be all set. Rough and grindy then I would fix, especially for a long trip.
 
PaulS said:
Jack it up and spin the wheels. Smooth as silk then you should be all set. Rough and grindy then I would fix, especially for a long trip.
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Hi Paul. Thank you. Also thanks Henning, and Dave.
 
I'm not a fan of bearing buddies. They maintain a reservoir of grease which gets pushed into the bearing when you reload them. Most times I remove the bearing buddy and grease the bearings the old fashion way.

But, since it is what you have, it's best to go ahead and use them with some modifications:

Jack up the wheel off the ground and tap the bearing buddy out of the tapered outer flange by using a hammer to tap inward on the bearing buddy as you rotate the tire. It will tip sequentially in the flange until it comes out. If you don't want to jack the wheel up, you can just tap around in a circle on the bearing buddy and work it out of the hub flange.

Now, the bearing buddy is tapped out of the hub, and you see the axle nut and all the goo on it. Look inside the bearing buddy and see all the old grease in there too. Take a bunch of paper towels, and clean all that existing grease off the axle, nut, cotter pin, and inside of the bearing buddy. This is old grease you do not want to force into the bearings.

At this point, I would re-grease the old way, by removing the cotter pin, nut and bearings from the hub and clean and grease by hand. But if you want to use the bearing buddy, you can get a grease gun and some quality marine grease. After the bearing buddy is cleaned out, put it back on the hub and tap it squarely into the hub flange again. Tap around the outer rim of the bearing buddy to seat it flush into the hub.

Notice the spiral spring on the inner housing of the bearing buddy. This is to maintain a constant grease pressure on the bearings and such. Note, that as you push grease into the bearings and axle, from the outer hub, you are actually pushing OLD grease from the outer bearing through the hollow hub and into the inner bearing, which is why I don't like them. Anyway, put the grease gun on the zerk fitting of the bearing buddy, and start pumping the gun. Watch the plate with the zerk fitting begin to move outward as pressure builds from the new grease going into the assm. Look at the inner hub to make sure you don't have grease spooging out of there from a deformed or bad inner grease seal. Once the plate and zerk fitting move out about 1/2 - 3/4", stop filling with grease.

Rotate the tire a few times and listen for any crunchy sounds. If none, you are done and go to the other side. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, remove the bearing buddy and the axle nut and take the hub off the axle, and clean it all with gas, then start over.

<edit: forgot something. With the wheel off the ground, grasp the tire with both hands at left and right. Using a twisting motion, check the play in the bearings. It might move very little, or you may hear a clicking as you twist left and right. If it's sloppy, and there is quite a bit of play, you need to remove the bearing buddy again, remove the cotter pin, and tighten the nut just a bit to make sure the hub is not sloppy loose on the axle. Don't overdo it, or you'll create too much heat and it'll seize. Use a new cotter pin(or bendy washer). It's hard to describe the tightness by feel, but snug is good while letting the wheel still move freely.>
 
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Doc: thanks. That's my project for the remainder of the week. It is not clear to me what it all looks like in the hub / axle / bearing area, but once I get in there I think what you have written will make more sense.
 
Another good reason to pull the bearings out. You can catch a bad bearing once they are cleaned. I saved myself a nasty trip by finding an inner bearing that was beginning to scuff. It would have ground itself to dust in a few hundred miles.
 
I don't think Bearing Buddies are that bad. If the bearings were greased properly to begin with, then they do their job of forcing grease through the bearings. They only downside I know of is when people pack them too full, and either blow grease passed the inner seal or force the bearing buddy to unseat itself.

I do recommend pulling the bearing buddy and inspecting/re-greasing the bearings every other year (for trailers towed once/twice a month).
 
Dav8or said:
If you love your Jet Ski, learn to love it. :D Seriously, be thorough in your after ride wash down and flush and use Salt Away liberally.
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Definitely a must for the brackish/salt water guys. The salt will eat through exhaust parts in no time. At a minimum, flushing with fresh water should be done after each ride.
 
I flush after each ride. But this'll be my first in fresh water. I'll probably flush there too, just to get all the plants and animals out.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I don't think Bearing Buddies are that bad. If the bearings were greased properly to begin with, then they do their job of forcing grease through the bearings. They only downside I know of is when people pack them too full, and either blow grease passed the inner seal or force the bearing buddy to unseat itself.

I do recommend pulling the bearing buddy and inspecting/re-greasing the bearings every other year (for trailers towed once/twice a month).
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The bearing buddy system is meant to keep the void filled and positive pressure against the seal, that's what the spring is for, that's how they keep water out. They aren't meant to replace servicing of the bearing.
 
Don't EZ lube axles work in basically the same way? Obviously you're adding grease from the back-side, but it still forces new grease in/old grease out. I've had bearing buddy (or similar) on all of our trailers, and haven't had an issue with a hub/axle overheat. It could be a false-positive, but I just add a bit of grease once or twice a year and go on down the road.

Granted, I'm not towing the boat trailers, jet ski, or utility trailer more than a few times per month. So maybe the 1-2hr road trips a few dozen times per year aren't enough to develop problems. We don't pull/repack bearings more than once every few years.
 
This trailer/ski sat outside for years with the previous owner. I guess I better inspect the bearings as suggested before a 250 mile road trip.
 
asechrest said:
This trailer/ski sat outside for years with the previous owner. I guess I better inspect the bearings as suggested before a 250 mile road trip.
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Correct, you need to clean and inspect the bearings and races. If you can't feel pitting when you spin it, that's a good sign right there before you even get it apart. When you are finished reassembling, make sure you put proper preload on the bearing. Good enough rule of thumb, spin the hub with a good one handed flick, it should stop right around one revolution, more it needs to be tighter, less it needs to be looser. I alway pin after tightening, so if I go too far and have to back off, I will back off too far and then re tighten.
 
asechrest said:
I flush after each ride. But this'll be my first in fresh water. I'll probably flush there too, just to get all the plants and animals out.
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If it's true fresh water and not brackish, skip the flush and enjoy the ride. I have been riding Jet Skis on the California Delta (and in most of the lakes and rivers in California and Arizona too) for ten + years. The Delta is full of all kinds of dirt, plants, wild life and god knows what. I am not kind to my boat when I ride in that I take full advantage of the shallow draft, explore and will boldly go where maybe I shouldn't.

Anyhow, I never flush and when I'm done riding in fresh water. I do all the servicing on my skis I have never found any clogged anything. You can flush if you want, it won't hurt, but trust me it's a waste of time on fresh water. After you start to realize how easy life is after not having to flush and rinse and no wash down of the trailer, and your trailer barely rusts, You'll start to find that maybe this fresh water thing is pretty nice after all!

Don't get me wrong, the ocean can be lots of fun in the right conditions, particularly if you guys get big swells out there and playing in the surf is always a blast, but most of the time I prefer the flat water.

Of course I might feel different if our ocean was warm... :idea:
 
Henning said:
The bearing buddy system is meant to keep the void filled and positive pressure against the seal, that's what the spring is for, that's how they keep water out. They aren't meant to replace servicing of the bearing.
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This is the truth right here. I like bearing buddies and have them on my trailers, but you still have to repack by hand every now and again depending on how much you use the trailer.
 
asechrest said:
This trailer/ski sat outside for years with the previous owner. I guess I better inspect the bearings as suggested before a 250 mile road trip.
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Definitely. Pull the wheels. You have no idea what's going on in there. If you had bought the trailer new and done all the maintenance, then you might have an idea, but this is an unknown quantity. Also check the tires for inflation, cracking or side wall bulging and make sure you have a good spare with correct air pressure with you. I don't know what trailer you have, but if it has the 12" tires on it, those tires are notoriously crappy if they aren't the good ones. Most people buy the cheapest tires they can for a trailer and that's a really bad idea, but in the case of the 12" tires that's a really, really, really bad idea.
 
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Continental, real small. Here's a tire pic. You can see some spider type cracks on the sidewall.

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asechrest said:
Continental, real small. Here's a tire pic. You can see some spider type cracks on the sidewall.

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How fast have you had those tires going before? They're probably ok, but you want to have a spare or two in case. They are pretty much due if you are going to start hauling the ski around more than across town.
 
Henning said:
How fast have you had those tires going before? They're probably ok, but you want to have a spare or two in case. They are pretty much due if you are going to start hauling the ski around more than across town.
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50ish I'd guess. Clearwater local only so far. No highway yet.
 
I'll be honest, my trailers have checking in the sidewalls of all the tires. I"m pretty sure that some/most of them are timed out of service too. Trailer tires are darn robust. I just carry a spare and keep on trucking. It's a jet ski trailer, towing half or less of the tire capacity. Sure, I've had a failure before, but the cost of replacing a trailer tire when it gets cracks in the sidewall gets prohibitive. Now, on my 8600Lb tandem axle boat trailer, I'm a lot more careful.
 
asechrest said:
50ish I'd guess. Clearwater local only so far. No highway yet.
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If they are cotton, definitely get rid of them before the trip, rayon or steel...:dunno: you're PIC, your call. Me, I would just change them out for a fresh set of tires. I hate trailer problems.
 
asechrest said:
Continental, real small. Here's a tire pic. You can see some spider type cracks on the sidewall.

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I have no experience with the 8" tires and I don't know nobody that has a trailer with them on it, so I have no input on their reliability. However, consider how small they are and how fast those suckers have to be spinning at 60mph!

Henning said:
If they are cotton, definitely get rid of them before the trip, rayon or steel...:dunno: you're PIC, your call. Me, I would just change them out for a fresh set of tires. I hate trailer problems.
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Agreed. I hate trailer problems too and I'm proactive about it so I have no trailer problems. If it were me, I'd buy new tires.
 
Passenger side, outside bearing is out. Looks alright to me to be honest.

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Trying to get the grease seal out now. Gotta rewatch videos. Don't know how it comes out. Also do I have to replace the races?
 
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