Looking For "Slanted" Bearing Buddies For Harbor Freight Trailer

Updated 12/30/2025 | Published 10/19/2024

Question:

I have a 4-lug, 12inch rim Harbor Freight boat Trailer - NOT the 5-lug 12inch rim trailer - l have ordered six 6 Buddy Bearings,inch including one from Harbor Freight, and NONE of them fit! It is 1.98, but inside the metal base of the existing covers, IT IS BEVELED/SLANTED ON THE INSIDE making the holeinch smaller...............................otherwise it wont fit. Those received have metal covers exactly 1.98inch but FLAT not slanted on inside, say by 1/6inch for them to fit. Hopefully this makes sense. The Buddy Bearing Company sent the wrong size twice! All I want to do is buy a couple sets so I dont have to repack the bearings once a season. Thank you and have a great weekend. Steve Cone Harbor Freight Boat Trailer

asked by: Steve C

Helpful Expert Reply:

Hello Steve, thanks for reaching out. We also carry the 1.98" Bearing Buddies like part # BB1980A-SS, but there is nothing available for a slanted pilot hole like you described. All of the bearing buddies or caps we offer will be straight or threaded, but nothing slanted.

One solution is to change out the hubs and do away with the harbor freight ones. I will need to know the inner and outer bearing sizes as well as the seal size in order to recommend a hub. This will be the only way to use bearing buddies, otherwise you will have to stick with the harbor freight caps.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Jesse M.

12/22/2025

Hey Steve, did you get a chance to check the inner and outer bearing sizes and the seal size for your Harbor Freight trailer hubs? Once you have those details, I can help you find a hub that works with the standard Bearing Buddies. Let me know what you find so we can narrow it down.

Steve C.

12/27/2025

Thanks, but as it turns out, there is a grease fitting underneath trailer on inside of hub - the all-the-time, and saw it accidentally when slid under trailer for another reason, and even Harbor Freight, or no one I cantacted mentioned a built-in-grease fitting................................not even eTrailer, a bearing-buddy is not necessary fot the 4-lug 12" wheels, whereas Harbor Freight 5-lug has a "bearing-buddy." Sorry took so long get back, but email in SpamBlocker. Steve Cone Merry X-mas

Jesse M.

12/30/2025

@SteveC Honestly Steve, that was new to me as well. I hadn’t run into those built-in grease fittings on the Harbor Freight hubs before, so I appreciate you pointing it out. That’s good info to have, and it’ll definitely help the next person who’s trying to figure out whether they need Bearing Buddies or not. Thanks again for taking the time to follow up and share what you found.