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Old 11-14-2014, 06:28 AM   #1
DonandBonnie
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Axle lube question.

After getting educated at the fall rally, I decided to lube our EZ Lube axles rather than pay to have it done. After about 50 squeezes of the pump handle, I see very little of the old grease being forced out. I'm pretty sure the grease is entering the axle. The gun is pumping and there is no grease oozing out of the fitting as I pump. I can see some old grease around the hub as I pump, it's just coming out. The last lube I paid for was a year ago. I'm wondering whether I have a problem or did I pay for a lube that wasn't done. How much grease should I expect to pump into an EZ Lube axle? My guess is that I've pumped 1/2 to 3/4 of a tube into one axle.
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Old 11-14-2014, 07:15 AM   #2
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If you look at a cut away view of an EZ lube axle, you can see that the grease goes thru a port to the rear of the hub, then thru the inner bearing, then into a void area in the hub, then thru the outer bearing, and then out the front of the hub.

If the hub is full of grease, then the old grease will start coming out the front around the fitting after 10-15 pumps (as I remember). But it will take a half tube or more before new clean grease starts coming out.

If the person who did your previous greasing removed the hubs and hand packed, he probably did not fill the hub void area. Probably just packed the bearings themselves. That would mean you would not see grease come out the front until that void filled with new grease.

When pumping grease in the fitting, remember to pump slowly and keep the wheel turning continuously as you pump to help the grease go thru the inner bearing and prevent excess pressure on the inner seal.
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Old 11-14-2014, 07:19 AM   #3
rohrmann
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I don't think much over 1/2 tube of grease to fill the void. When the bearings are greased normally, only the bearing and the area of the races are greased. You have to fill the entire area surrounding the spindle with grease before any will start passing through the outer bearing. Assuming the grease isn't passing the seal into the brake drum area, you might be getting close. You are doing this with the wheel off the ground and slowly turning the wheel as you pump the grease slowly?? Even when doing that, you may still be pumping past the seal. I lubed the bearings one time early on, and six months later wanted to inspect the brakes after the season traveling, and ended up replacing the brake assemblies, backing plate out, and had to turn the drums. I did the work, and the parts and turning labor were around $500. Packed the bearings last month, brakes were good, cost was less than $40 for grease, seals, wrags, and solvent. Good luck.
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Old 11-14-2014, 08:05 AM   #4
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There's 2 - 3 guys on the MOC that swear by the EZ lube invention and have had reported success using it... most all the rest of us swear at it. As I understand it, you must jack up each tire one at a time and S-L-O-W-L-Y pump grease at the same time until some is seen coming out the outer bearing. What has been said about empty cavity and grease holds true to make this invention work. Few dealership techs are going to take the time to make this invention work and Dexter does not initially fill the axle housing with grease in order to make their own invention work ... so you will have a void to fill right off the bat. Hopefully your half a tube of grease or so is going where it's supposed to and not past the rear seal and into the brake area ... that's the "sticky" part of the whole deal. I don't think anyone using this invention is 100% sure. I've been a wrench spinner all my life ... if you need to go to the trouble of jacking up each tire and spinning it for minutes on end while hoping to see grease coming out the bearing ... you can darn well bet I'll just pull the wheel and do a manual pack and look all related brake parts over while I'm in there. That's my story and I'm stubbornly sticking to it.
PS This invention is not at all like "bearing buddies" on your boat trailer.
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Old 11-14-2014, 10:56 AM   #5
Tom S.
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by dieselguy

There's 2 - 3 guys on the MOC that swear by the EZ lube invention and have had reported success using it... most all the rest of us swear at it. As I understand it, you must jack up each tire one at a time and S-L-O-W-L-Y pump grease at the same time until some is seen coming out the outer bearing. What has been said about empty cavity and grease holds true to make this invention work. Few dealership techs are going to take the time to make this invention work and Dexter does not initially fill the axle housing with grease in order to make their own invention work ... so you will have a void to fill right off the bat. Hopefully your half a tube of grease or so is going where it's supposed to and not past the rear seal and into the brake area ... that's the "sticky" part of the whole deal. I don't think anyone using this invention is 100% sure. I've been a wrench spinner all my life ... if you need to go to the trouble of jacking up each tire and spinning it for minutes on end while hoping to see grease coming out the bearing ... you can darn well bet I'll just pull the wheel and do a manual pack and look all related brake parts over while I'm in there. That's my story and I'm stubbornly sticking to it.
PS This invention is not at all like "bearing buddies" on your boat trailer.
I'm one of the guys who had good luck with the system. I don't believe you can pump too fast with a hand operated grease gun. I believe the problem of pumping too fast comes with air or electric grease guns which can pump a lot of grease in a short time.
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Old 11-14-2014, 12:43 PM   #6
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I do it the old fashioned way. Bearings are too critical in my mind to take any shortcuts. To each his own.
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Old 11-15-2014, 04:29 AM   #7
DonandBonnie
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I've read the Dexter instructions and watched their video on line. Yes, I've jacked the tire and rotated as I pumped. After the 50 or so pumps, the old grease has only slightly moved outward as the video say it should. From what you are all telling me, I should have seen grease flowing by now. I guess my next move is to remove the tire and see what's happening at the back of the bearings. Any other thoughts?
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Old 11-15-2014, 06:00 AM   #8
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That's the only way you'll have peace of mind as far as 100% knowing where the grease actually went. It really won't take but a few minutes to pop the wheel. I'll not beat this horse any further, but repacking the bearings by hand every couple of years isn't really that hard a job and there's 100% certainty where the grease is.

Yes ... Tom S and a handful of others ... I concede you report success with the EZ lube ... I can report dozens of people I've encountered out and about that didn't.

I've posted this photo before that shows where the grease comes out inside the hub. There's a small pocket between the inner bearing and the grease seal that initially receives the grease from the gun. The seal has to hold the grease well enough for it to work thru the inner bearing, fill the cavity, and work its way thru the outer bearing.
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Old 11-15-2014, 09:22 AM   #9
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Before pulling the wheel, make sure you have replacement seals. Not a good practice to re-install drum/hub assembly with the old seal, just asking for a leaking seal. The Dexter seal number is 010-636-00, or 10-36. It is 3.376" OD X 2.25" ID double lip for E-Z Lube.
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Old 11-16-2014, 12:34 AM   #10
WaltBennett
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Have greased the EZ-Lube as Dexter says twice now. First time was to be certain the hubs were full, and they weren't. Put about 10 - 20 pumps in each before grease started coming out, but stopped at about a half tube. Second time, I put a almost a whole tube in each hub - just kept pumping (and turning) until the grease coming out was clean. Don't know which way the Monty had been greased before we bought it (or if ever!), but would think you may have a rear seal problem - or a very empty hub.
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Old 11-16-2014, 03:36 AM   #11
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I am with Dieselguy on this one. Pull the wheel and clean that old contaminated grease out. Inspect the bearing and cone for pitting and excessive bluing of the bearing. Hand pack or use one of the devices to pack the bearings with good quality grease. Always replace seals. Seal needs to be removed anyway to properly pack bearing. Torque wheel to proper torque and do again in about two years.
Good time to examine brakes while in there.
Tips I've read from Timken. Don't clean bearing with gasoline and don't spin bearing with air gun.
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Old 11-16-2014, 04:16 AM   #12
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Our first bearing re-pack from taking delivery of the Montana new, was done by the dealer. The tech found a blown inner seal and contaminated brakes and hub. I never had very good braking before or after the re-pack. We waited three years for the next re-pack and went to another dealer. They found all four brake assemblies contaminated. We gave them the go ahead to replace the brake assemblies and drums. I could not believe the difference in braking power we now have. The Ram integrated brake controller is set at 4 on a scale of 10. Before this dealer did the replacements, I was set at 10 on the controller and didn't feel much braking. Obviously the contamination was part of the reason, but I never felt the brakes where right from the factory. This dealer tech has my vote. He did the job right.

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Old 11-16-2014, 04:29 AM   #13
DonandBonnie
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Time to get serious about what's going on. We have our brake controller set on 10. When we activate it by hand it will slow the rig, but I don't detect any serious braking. Something tells me I might have well lubricated brakes.
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Old 11-16-2014, 05:13 AM   #14
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Don - you don't give the model year of your Monte. If you have manual adjust brakes it could be that they just need adjusting. My braking was getting weak. I adjusted my brakes last spring and it made a very significant difference in braking power.
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Old 11-16-2014, 05:15 AM   #15
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I'm still trying to figure out why the factory brake system was not responding the way I think it should have, especially now that I am experiencing such strong braking. It may have even been poor electrical connections to one or more wheels. That should have been noticed by the tech as little or no brake pad wear. I'm also wondering if the new Dexter brake assemblies that were installed this time, have been improved. It's as if the brake actuators that are now in the wheels are for heavier axles. Don't know if that's a possibility. All that's on the work order is 4 - 12" Dexter backing plates and 4 - 12" Dexter drums as well as grease seals. I'll try to find out from the dealer service that did the work.

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Old 11-16-2014, 07:56 AM   #16
DonandBonnie
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We have a 2013 Big Sky 3700RL. It came equipped with the Dexter EZ Lube axles. We've been looking at other RV websites. It seems that grease blowing through the rear seals seems to be a common problem. I'm now convinced more than ever that some degree of inspection is a must before continuing to use the EZ Lube system.
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Old 11-16-2014, 08:35 AM   #17
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Quote "I'm still trying to figure out why the factory brake system was not responding the way I think it should have, especially now that I am experiencing such strong braking" Dave ... when your brake shoes are soaked in grease, they're not very effective.
Quote "That should have been noticed by the tech as little or no brake pad wear" Dave ... if your experience with dealer techs is anything at all like many of our experiences ... I'm shocked that he knew what he was looking at after pulling the brake drum. As far as the new parts ... they may have installed 7000# brake assys. The brake shoes have more agressive material and the brake magnets are a bit stronger than 6000# brake assys.
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Old 11-16-2014, 09:33 AM   #18
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For those of you with drum brakes - even if they are the newer self adjusting type - I would check the adjustment manually as I have read too many posts here and elsewhere about them not working that well. Another thing to consider is the wiring. People have reported improved braking by stepping up a size or two with the wiring to prevent voltage drop.

Even though I had and used the Easylube system on our 06, I still checked the brake shoes each year by pulling the drum off about 3/4 of an inch so I could see the shoes.
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Old 11-16-2014, 10:12 AM   #19
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by dieselguy

Quote "I'm still trying to figure out why the factory brake system was not responding the way I think it should have, especially now that I am experiencing such strong braking" Dave ... when your brake shoes are soaked in grease, they're not very effective.
Quote "
Understood. I mentioned in my previous post that the braking had been poor right from the factory. Had been using controller setting of 10 from when we got the Monty new and it didn't brake well at that.



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Old 11-16-2014, 11:12 AM   #20
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Don, hope you don't mind the sidetracking on your original question about axle lube.

Quote:
quote:Originally posted by dieselguy
Quote "they may have installed 7000# brake assys. The brake shoes have more agressive material and the brake magnets are a bit stronger than 6000# brake assys.
The axles are 7000#. Do you think Keystone would order 7K axles with 6K brakes? The trailer GVWR is 15,500#. Wonder if Dexter would even provide a mixed bag like that.

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