Trying to find a good marine grease for trailer bearings that work in cold temps

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Feb 11, 2021
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Hello all!

So I've been searching and can't find a good answer. I have multiple trailers that I own and service. I have couple boat trailers, a car hauler, and a snowmobile trailer. Right now I'm using Lucas Red N' Tacky for my bearings. I'm thinking of switching it up to Lucas Marine Grease for all my trailer bearings. As I do my standard bearing maintenance, I'll start transitioning them all to the marine grease. However, according to the data sheet, the operating temp is 0 to 250. So that won't work for my snowmobile trailer which sometimes gets run on sub zero temps... Is there a good marine grease that will work with all my trailers but also work in colder temps for the snowmobile trailer? I really just want to stick to one grease for all my bearings.

I guess it doesn't have to be a "marine grease"... I just need good water resistance and able to handle cold temps.

I was also looking into the Mystic marine and JT-6 general purpose grease but they only go to 0 degrees as well.

Do I have to worry about the low operating temp being 0? I mean after a few miles will the hub heat up enough to get properly lubricated by the grease? Seems like it would cause premature wear if I'm running a grease with a low point operating temp of 0 and it's -10 outside.

Thank You,

Dave
 
Well now I just saw Traveller Marine & Off-Road Calcium Sulfonate NLGI #2 Grease at TSC is good down to -40. Maybe I'll look into that. Any experience with that grease or brand?
 
I’ve used Traveller grease before for me it worked fine. Not the marine but just the regular bearing grease. I don’t know if anyone on here will recommend Lucas stuff as it doesn’t have a good reputation on here though I like it.
 
I’ve used Traveller grease before for me it worked fine. Not the marine but just the regular bearing grease. I don’t know if anyone on here will recommend Lucas stuff as it doesn’t have a good reputation on here though I like it.
Lucas grease is one of the things Lucas makes that is good stuff. But I can't find a min temp for the xtra hd whatever green tube.
 
How about this?
 

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If your only looking at occasional Sub-Zero temps then a normal #2 grease will work fine. The bearings will be a bit stiff to start but will warm up fairly quickly once moving. Damage will be negligible.

If your looking at operation in Sub-Zero temps all the time I'd use a #1 grease or a full synthetic grease.

That's all for ~-10 or so if you're talking say -30 then first suggestion is to move second is definitely use a full syn grease.
 
Well now I just saw Traveller Marine & Off-Road Calcium Sulfonate NLGI #2 Grease at TSC is good down to -40. Maybe I'll look into that. Any experience with that grease or brand?
That is precisely the grease I was going to recommend! I use it in everything: trailer hubs, my tractor and its mower attachment (which wouldn't be considered "high-speed" bearings, but still spin quite fast at around 3.5k rpm), the front-end of my Jeep... anything that needs grease.
 
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Vortex sells a boat trailer hub with bearings they warranty for 5 years / 100,00 miles. They are packed with Lucas Marine grease at the factory. Use of any other grease in the hubs will void the warranty. It is a calcium sulfonate grease.
 
I see -40 a couple weeks per year.

These are what I use, no particular favorite between the two, except that it's easier for me to get the Amsoil -


 
I’m using the traveler marine grease in my new shorelander trailer, will let y’all know if I have any issues. I live in ND and feel your cold weather pain. That being said, my last boat trailer I bought new and used it for 15 years on the same bearings over tens of thousands of miles, until I popped the back seals on one (spewed grease everywhere) and got water in it, left it over the winter which rusted it enough to hear a groan. I Replaced both hubs at that time and there was honestly very little wear just pitting in the one from water sitting over the winter. The other hub was fine and perfectly serviceable. I greased that trailer with whatever grease was cheapest and had no idea there was any difference in greases.

Moral of the story is it’s more important to keep water out of the hubs over the grease you use. Service those hubs before you store your trailer for the season!
 
I am not reading that you have a problem, only that your misunderstanding is inventing one.

You'll be lubricated just fine, only extra resistance at first, which generates a little heat, which makes the grease fall into its usable zone.

Unless you run a snowmobile rental service where you're constantly transporting them around, the whole idea is absurd... and then what do bearings cost, years later, $12? Special grease and another grease gun (and/or hassle swapping) will cost more than that.
 
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Hello all!

So I've been searching and can't find a good answer. I have multiple trailers that I own and service. I have couple boat trailers, a car hauler, and a snowmobile trailer. Right now I'm using Lucas Red N' Tacky for my bearings. I'm thinking of switching it up to Lucas Marine Grease for all my trailer bearings. As I do my standard bearing maintenance, I'll start transitioning them all to the marine grease. However, according to the data sheet, the operating temp is 0 to 250. So that won't work for my snowmobile trailer which sometimes gets run on sub zero temps... Is there a good marine grease that will work with all my trailers but also work in colder temps for the snowmobile trailer? I really just want to stick to one grease for all my bearings.

I guess it doesn't have to be a "marine grease"... I just need good water resistance and able to handle cold temps.

I was also looking into the Mystic marine and JT-6 general purpose grease but they only go to 0 degrees as well.

Do I have to worry about the low operating temp being 0? I mean after a few miles will the hub heat up enough to get properly lubricated by the grease? Seems like it would cause premature wear if I'm running a grease with a low point operating temp of 0 and it's -10 outside.

Thank You,

Dave
LE 3751 ended my yearly bearing replacement on my boat trailer.
 
I think the OP asked a valid question. I also have switched to marine grease for everything run out of the grease gun. The calcium based grease is generally good stuff and moisture is the number one killer of bearings in these parts, usually from someone pushing the back seal out with too much grease (I’m guilty of that). The only down side is that some are not compatible with disc brakes due to low melting temp I assume. But most are fine. I do feel the calcium based marine grease gives you a buffer in case you have a leaky seal that lets water/ salt in. Let’s face it we wouldn’t need marine grease if we weren’t accounting for leaks. Snow mobile trailers run in a high moisture environment too and in MN lots of road salt to boot, so it’s a good choice.
 
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