Having problems with you Dexter EZ Lub?

[Phil P]

Having problems with you Dexter EZ Lub?


Here is a little information for those that have had problems with their Dexter EZ Lube hubs.

The Dexter directions are quite clear about how to use this system the only thing I have to add to their instructions is to use a hand operated grease gun and operate the leaver very slowly. I have my wife rotate the wheel by hand and I pump the grease very slowly.

If the seal is pushed out of the hub causing contamination of the brake shoes then the directions from Dexter were not followed.

Now here is some information about grease and a possible explanation as to why some are having oil contaminated break shoes even when they follow the directions.

Wheel bearing grease is a mixture of heavy oil with some form of material that will make it stringy and clingy.

This material is commonly lithium or aluminum complexes. Not all of these are compatible.

When adding grease to you wheel bearings like the Dexter EZ Lube you must use compatible grease. When aluminum based grease is used on top of lithium based grease or the opposite it causes the oil to leach out of the base material. The seals are not intended to hold oil they may for a while but can after time the oil may get by them.

I called Dexter the first time I lubricated my wheel bearings and got a recommendation for the grease to use.

Now last but not least the axel is delivered to the manufacturer of the product they are going on with minimal grease in them. So I recommend taking your new Montana home and doing the wheel bearing lubrication in accordance with Dexter’s instructions and recommendation for the grease to use before going any further.

Ours took a full tube of grease in each wheel before the grease came out of the center hole the first time we lubricated them. I have not experienced grease seals pushed out of the hub or greasy oil leaking on to the brake shoes.

Our unit was purchase new July 2009 that makes it 9 years old and 100,000 plus miles on the same wheel bearings.

Phil P

[BB_TX]

Gotta talk to the wife I guess. I sit on a box, use two hands on the grease gun, and rotate the wheel by lifting one foot in the air to slowly turn it while also slowly pumping the grease. Anyone watching probably wonders what that fool is doing.

I looked at the Dexter web site for the EZ Lube and they had a list of approved grease. I use the Mystic JT6 Hi Temp Red. The red makes it easy to see when new grease starts coming out the front of the hub.

10 yrs on mine but less than 30,000 miles.

[WaltBennett]

I've not had any problems with ours at all and have followed their instructions until last year. Found a HF air grease gun that I could control the amount of grease easily and have been using that successfully. Keep the incoming air pressure down to 40 lbs and it makes life a whole lot easier. Only failed seal I've ever had was 4 years ago, due to a Virginia safety inspector damaging one when he just had to take a wheel & drum off to inspect the brakes on one wheel. Within about 6k towing miles I noticed the braking was reduced some. Next spring I replaced all the brakes (eTrailer) and seals. I've also only used the same brand and type of grease since getting our Monty.

[CaptnJohn]

My mobile mechanic said Keystone uses a "black grease" and be sure to use the same.

[dieselguy]

In the time youse guys get it jacked up, all situated per procedure, and slow your metabolism down to get this task going per timely directions ... I could have the wheel off and the bearings out of the hub ready for repack. I could also have put an eye on the brake assy since it would be staring at me in my face. Yes Phil P I know I am going against the intent of your post and you've pull a gazillion miles happy as can be with EZ lube. I concede that it will work with patience ... I just don't get why youse guys think it saves you anything. I also just don't get why you think it is good procedure to pump used grease from the back bearing into the front bearing because there is no way that will not happen. No worries ... I'll not darken this thread further.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

My mobile mechanic said Keystone uses a "black grease" and be sure to use the same.

It is not the color that matters. It is the grease type that must be compatible. Dexter specifies that the grease be a lithium complex type grease. And the Mystic JT6 Hi Temp red is a lithium complex grease. Grease type is not defined by its color.

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

........
.I also just don't get why you think it is good procedure to pump used grease from the back bearing into the front bearing because there is no way that will not happen. .......

It is all a matter of understanding the process. The grease is ported behind the inner bearing, passes thru that bearing, passes thru the hub cavity, passes thru the outer bearing, and out the front. In that process it pushes the old grease all the way from the rear out the front. When I see red grease coming out of the hub I know that the new grease has passed all the way thru the inner bearing, the hub, and the outer bearing replacing it with new grease. Constantly rotating the hub keeps the new grease pushing all around each bearing as it passes thru.

[rohrmann]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

My mobile mechanic said Keystone uses a "black grease" and be sure to use the same.

Actually, the axle assemblies come as units from Dexter, pre-greased, and Keystone never touches any grease. A while back, it was posted that the owner of Dexter axle decided he wanted red grease in all the bearings. I have not had an opportunity to see for myself, but that was what came from Dexter.

For this greasing procedure to work, you must push new grease through the rear bearing, displace all the grease in the hub until the new grease has completely gone through the rear bearing and come through the outer bearing, otherwise, how do you know when both bearings have been fully greased with new grease?

[Dave W]

With an apology in advance to the OP, I'm doing a bit of a hijack and saying why I wont use the EZ Lube function.

I don't use the E-Z Lube zerks - and have actually put a plug from etrailer in the access hole. I much prefer (well, not really) to pull the hubs every year or 12K miles as Dexter recommends in their bearing service manual. I started doing this on our SOB (Titanium)on which I had to replace the Nevr Lube axles with a pair of EZ Lube. One of those axles arrived with grease contaminated brake shoes and one, a chipped Chinese made bearing.

Jump ahead a few years, the new HC needed some REAL tires at 1500 miles so looked at the bearings. Two Chinese bearings were bad - one inner had a deep score on all rollers and one outer had run hot and was discolored. In go all new US made Timken bearings, packed with Mystick JT High Temp. The existing Dexter installed grease that I dug out of the hub was thin and soupy plus barely filled the bearings with virtually none in the hubs.

I just don't care for hoping to get enough fresh lube on both bearings in a hub. I don't much like the idea of those very light seals containing lots more grease then necessary against a very low spindle land plus holding it back from contaminating the brake. I also don't like the idea of adding even more unsprung weight to those pretty light springs and axles.

You can see the grease exit hole (6K axle)and that little land on the major dimension is all that holds the seal from leaking lube:

[Recumbent]

Phil P has the facts right, and so does diesel guy. I did the EZ Lube as Phil P described on both our Montanas and it worked good. I guess some farming knowledge about grease and how to use it was beneficial. However, although repacking is certainly the best procedure it would have required someone with more knowledge than me and or a shop visit for us. We have replaced the EZ Lube hubs with MorRyde IS and now it is even easier than ever.

[Phil P]

Hi

It makes no difference to me how you do the service my advice is to encourage the service be done and at intervals that suite the use of the trailer.

As for a heated bearing my habit of checking wheel hub temperatures at every stop would have prevent traveling after the bearing had begun to fail.

Then there is the RV Park you are in some are very strict about maintenance performed on your RV while in the park.

As for inspection of the brakes this is where my experience as a certified aircraft inspector gives me the advantage. I use a borescope to inspect the brakes and the seal in the back of the hub without taking anything apart. LOL


Phil P