AXLE OPINIONS PLEASE - Montana Owners Club

kerry · 03-26-2009, 03:33 PM

I'd like to get some opinions or thoughts on Eazy-Lube or Never Lube axles, good , bad, personal experiences. Thanks Kerry

HughM · 03-26-2009, 04:04 PM

I have the Nev-R-Lube axles. So far so good. It's better than bearing repack every year. I've never heard of a Nev-r-lube failing. Easy Lube is a different story.
Hugh

bsmeaton · 03-27-2009, 08:09 AM

I wish these rigs had never-lube, then I would feel better about never lubing the ones I have.

exav8tr · 03-27-2009, 10:54 AM

Same as Hugh!!!

sreigle · 04-26-2009, 10:59 AM

I'd like to have never lube but ours have always had the easy lube. Our dealer's service manager told me over and over, never put more than two squirts per year, even when fulltiming, in those zerks. I do as he says and have never had a problem with the bearings. I have him repack the bearings every other summer, regardless of mileage. He always tells me that's enough and any dealer says otherwise is drumming up business. So far he's been absolutely correct. And we've put a lot of miles on our rig.

KTManiac · 04-26-2009, 03:09 PM

With the Zerk type axle fittings, my dad taught me to slip a piece of thin plastic shim stock between the inner bearing seal and axle before pumping grease in. This gives the excess grease a path of least resistance and prevent the seal from being blown out of its seat. You still need to keep the excess grease off of the brake drums and shoes, and clean it all up.

That being said, in my opinion, there is no substitute for cleaning the old grease out and hand packing the bearings with fresh grease. The traditional and time honored methods are most often the best way to do things, are they not?

clutch · 04-26-2009, 07:21 PM

I have the EZ lube axles and simply lucked out. The previous owner was liberal with the grease gun. If I hadn't had the bearings packed by hand the extra grease would have made it into the brake shoes. Ez lube should never be used on an axle with brakes. Just my opinion.

Art-n-Marge · 04-26-2009, 09:09 PM

I'd like to agree with clutch because I thought I had EZ lube (Never Lube does not ring a bell), but I got confused by the service manager. I was in a hurry to take a trip and was feeling very rushed and generous. So instead of doing my yearly maintenance myself (you know, the big one!) and asked my dealer to do it.

I had one of the rubber covers that failed (crimped or cracked or something) that was showing grease coming out, but the other covers were clean as a whistle. He was going to replace the rubber cover under warranty, but he mentioned I should get ALL the bearings repacked since I was also getting the wet suspension done. I asked him for the bearing if the techs just squirt grease in or what? He said "Squirting grease into the grease fitting is not thorough enough and the wheels should be repacked periodically anyway".

Since I just got their "special" one price covers all maintenance (including wheel pack), they'd do it anyway.

Is this really necessary? I haven't looked into it any more but for next time I want to be more particular especially since I might do all the work myself. Will I need to repack the wheel bearings even if I have EZlube bearings/fittings? I know I should be careful with grease guns. I do agree with 'clutch' that it is pretty stupid how the grease will overflow into the brakes with that design. I have heard of that happening.

Here's hoping to get greased the right way,

Dean A Van Peursem · 04-26-2009, 09:31 PM

We've had our 2006 3400RL for three years now and each year I put a couple more pumps in the four Ez_Lube zerks. Put about 4000 miles a year on the RV and haven't had a problem yet. But I think this year I'm going to have them taken apart and packed by a professional. I don't feel all that comfortable with things I can't see and having grease get on the brake linings would be bad news. Having bearings go out would even be worse. Just not something I'm all that comfortable with. Not a very brilliant set-up for RV's, IMHO. Must be the lowest cost version.

ols1932 · 04-27-2009, 03:13 AM

Being an old farm boy, I ruined my brakes on our rig when we had the E-Z Lubes because my stepdad used to say, "If one pump is good, two is better, and three is really good."

Be careful that you don't over grease.

Orv

Gary Christy · 04-27-2009, 03:56 PM

Kerry
Here are my thougth's, most new cars and trucks have non lube wheel bearings, and have more and more costly failures. All the vehichels I have owned never had a wheel bearing fail on the greasable one. But have had to replace the non lube ones , my friends as well. In the HVAC field I know the greasable fan, and pump bearings last alot longer.They run 24/7 365. But do not over grease that is just as bad. I like the ez lube, once a year raise tire off ground, rotate tire slowly and slow and easy hand pump grease into fitting while rotating wheel. Wipe off extra grease. Replace cap. Done.
Gary

jimcol · 04-28-2009, 01:31 AM

One bad experience with the EZ-Lube broke me. I don't feel like I over greased them but still had one seal blow out. I am back to hand packing. This way I know the bearings have grease and the brake drums and shoes don't. It is also a great oppurtunity to inspect everything.

jcaengr · 04-29-2009, 02:27 AM

Good advice. A few followup questions. Do you take the tires/wheels off to do this? What are you wiping the extra grease from? Other then no breaking how can you tell if to much grease was added? Can you see it from inside?

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Gary Christy

Kerry
Here are my thougth's, most new cars and trucks have non lube wheel bearings, and have more and more costly failures. All the vehichels I have owned never had a wheel bearing fail on the greasable one. But have had to replace the non lube ones , my friends as well. In the HVAC field I know the greasable fan, and pump bearings last alot longer.They run 24/7 365. But do not over grease that is just as bad. I like the ez lube, once a year raise tire off ground, rotate tire slowly and slow and easy hand pump grease into fitting while rotating wheel. Wipe off extra grease. Replace cap. Done.
Gary

Gary Christy · 04-29-2009, 04:28 PM

jcaengr
I removed the tires and then the dust cap to make it easyer for me. The rubber cap that lets you to the zerk fitting is just to small for the clean up. I wipe the expeled old grease away from the bearing end at the castle nut. Every third year I pull hub and inspect all parts brakes ect, replace seals and hand pack bearings. Trailer is only pulled about 3000 miles a year. If full timer and more miles may pull every year. Gary

You may also like: