I use a heat gun to check bearings and tires.
When we had our boat trailer. The bearings got very hot and liquified the grease and swelled the rubber cap outward and leaked.
i really didn't notice until I was bringing the trailer out of the water from launch and a lot of steam coming from it.
After it cooled I pulled the rubber cap out and the grease was bured or at least black. I filled it back up, not over filled it, it new grease, a red high quality grease from Exxon.
Limped home and pulled it apart. The Chinese bearing, the outer race was not one piece and separated and some messed up bearings showing never were completely finished, in my opinion. too them to Dixie Bearing ang got US, at the time, Timken set to reinstall, along with new seals.
The Person working the counter looked at them and told me they were Chinese and the characteristics in their makeup up identifying how they were mad inferior and not good grade of metals, at the time. In 88, I had no idea Americans were using Chinese bearings or even that the Chinese made any.
