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Old 04-25-2014, 06:08 PM   #1
WaltandLynne
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To Pack or Not to Pack... That is the question

My rig was built in 2011 and has only about 5000 miles on it. Is there a serious reason to re-pack the wheel bearings? I've done wet bolts already. Thanks in advance.

Walt
 
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Old 04-26-2014, 01:35 AM   #2
nosticks
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Pull the wheels. I did at about 5000 miles and found 2 seals leaking.
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Old 04-26-2014, 11:47 AM   #3
Phil P
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Hi

I greased ours when it was about 6 months old because the selling dealer didn’t have anyone in their service department that could do it. I used the easy lube system in the manner Dexter has in their documentation. I was very surprised that each wheel took about one tube of grease. I was lucky on that part that the trailer was down more than in service during that time period.

Since then I have greased the bearings using the easy lube system once a year. The only time I have had the hubs off was a year ago I put new brake shoes on. I didn’t pack the wheel bearings or install new seal because they were not leaking. I now have 70,000 miles on this 2009 trailer and haven’t ever removed the wheel bearings and only grease them once a year. The day I grease them and the grease comes out the hole where the grease fitting is looking like metallic paint I will remove bearings and take care of the problem.

Phil P
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Old 04-27-2014, 04:55 AM   #4
dieselguy
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Asuming your wheels have never been removed since the day you bought the fiver, my opinion is to pull the wheels and check things out. Not because of time or milage, but because you have a 50 / 50 chance of things getting put togther or having maintenance performed right nowdays. You may find the dealership over grease just a bit, you may find a chaffed or broken wire on a brake magnet. You may find anything. (One of my brake adjusters wasn't even affixed between the shoes straight from the dealership) Phil stands by the great invention called EZ lube ... I don't want to deny his personal experience . He is one of the few that has had good results with the "time saver" that many times ends up with grease on your brake shoes. If you're like me and don't pull but say 3000 - 5000 miles a year, just pull them every couple of years for if nothing else just to check on all things inside.
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Old 04-27-2014, 06:24 AM   #5
hookman
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If your trailer is sitting most of the time it is harder on the bearings then being pulled a lot. I would repack them once a year.
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Old 04-27-2014, 08:57 AM   #6
Phil P
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Hi

I agree with dieselguy and even more so with hookman.

ALL please remember we use our trailer, 10,000 miles in three months alone last summer not including any of the use during the rest of the year..

As for dieselguys remark about the probability of something not being assembled correctly or the dealer greasing to much or not greasing at all to be right on the mark, you will note in my post when I stated I used almost a tube of grease in each wheel indicates the EasyLub system had not been used and I know the dealer didn’t repack the wheel bearings because they used the excuse they didn’t have anyone to do it when I requested it as part of the service I wanted and was willing to pay for.

And hookman you hit that one rite on the head I have always maintained that sitting for 11 months and then using for a couple of weeks to be extremely hard on a lot of things particularly the electric brakes and wheel bearings. I had to replace the breaks on the front axle between trips last summer because the driver side front axle brake had been dragging. The cause of it dragging turned out to be the pivot pin for the magnet arm had rusted so the arm wasn't returning. So I guess in reality I should have been removing the hubs and inspecting the brake system for lubrication.

But frankly as long as I keep using the trailer like I am I expect to get 200,000 miles out of my wheel bearings.

I have 70,000 miles on the trailer now and hope to tour the eastern half of the US and part of Canada soon. My wife and I have already spent time in Alaska so we don’t plan on going there.

Phil P

PS:

Dieselguy I do cheat a little I have a borescope.

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Old 04-27-2014, 09:29 AM   #7
Irlpguy
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After the first year of ownership of your 3402RL I decided to pull the drums and check the bearing and repack if necessary. I found on one axle the bearings had spun on both spindles and on had spun on the other axle. It was clearly an issue with insufficient grease from the factory. Dexter replaced the complete units, brakes, drums and all at no cost.
I insisted the shop that installed the new axles check all 4 drums for sufficient grease and grease was added to all four on the new axles.
I am confident there will be no issues with the new ones and if properly packed they should not require additional grease between repacks. You are adding new grease to the old through the EZ-lube system unless you pump a lot of grease in and try to displace all the old grease, this can lead to pushing grease out the seal and damaging the brake pads.
I don't agree with Don that sitting is harder on them then moving, on boat trailers where water might get into the bearings and rusting could occur. Sitting does not affect the grease, only the bearings might be affected by moisture.

I have repacked a lot of wheel bearings in my lifetime and on the Montana as with any of them when you disturb the drum and seal you must replace the seal to be sure it has not been damaged, doing this job every year seems like overkill to me.

More important than packing the bearings is the visual inspection of other components allowed when we remove the drums as dieselguy said.

I trust very few shops to do a proper inspection and repack, therefore when I can no longer do it myself I will be very choosey about who does the job.

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Old 04-27-2014, 11:37 AM   #8
Phil P
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Hi Irlpguy

I have repaired or replaced a lot of spindles and axles over the last 50 years ever thing from 18 wheelers to boat trailers.

Sitting does shorten the life of the bearing. I am convinced that the rollers put an indentation in the race in the location where they sit and the grease hardens and the volatiles evaporate from it and the result is lost of lubricating qualities this is the reason for cleaning and repacking every year.

Heavy aircraft are required by the government approved maintenance program to have the wheels rotated every 30 days while in storage.

The buddy bearing system works on boat trailers to keep the water out because there is always a positive pressure in the hub. However just the summer of 2011 on a buddy bearing equipped travel trailer I replaced the spindle, hub and wheel bearings because the bearings had spun on the spindle. This trailer sits all but 3 days a month and then is only pulled a maximum of 300 miles round trip each month. The owner then had his regular service person do the other three wheels, they all needed new bearings and it wasn’t because of lack of grease just a lack of lubrication there was plenty of grease it was just hard as a rock.

Then I complained when the left front wheel on my old pickup failed the bearings at 210,000 miles and they had never been inspected or repacked because the front spindles are not repairable and have no provisions for disassembly or greasing. The truck dealer said that 200 to 300,000 miles is normal on pickups driven every day.

My TV is 4 ½ years old and has 113,000 miles and the front wheel bearings haven’t ever been lubricated or repacked. The rears are oil lubricated and they will outlast the truck.

Phil P

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Old 04-28-2014, 02:23 AM   #9
kylec2
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I am a firm believer in yearly repacking of wheel bearings. Repacking ensures you have good lubrication and provides a visual inspection to ensure no components are failing. The second year mine were done we found an axle issue that Dexter warranteed at no cost.

As I see it I would rather find issues in the shop during repacking than out on the highway.
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