wheel bearings

[Bud]

Do the Wheel bearings need repacking once a year or can you use a grease gun yourself?

[Art-n-Marge]

If you are talking about the EZ-lube bearings, I think the recommended interval is repacking every other year and a couple shots with a hand-operating grease gun about every 6 months if used periodically. Some will shoot enough grease until it starts shooting back out the front. I repack every 3 years since I don't use the rig as often as most, but I do the two squirts if it's been 6 months. If I haven't driven during the 6 months, then I leave things alone.

The biggest precaution is to do it slowly so you don't blow out the rear seal which will then start to grease up the brakes and you don't want that.

[mobil]

Ditto what Art said, except I'll repack it every 2 years, mainly to keep an eye on the brake shoes. I just repacked ours 3 weeks ago, and the bearings looked good, had plenty of grease. Our unit was preowned, only 9 months old when we bought it. We've had it a little over a year.

[stiles watson]

There is a problem with over greasing the EZ-lub axles. You get too much grease and it can ooze into the brake linings...not good. As art said, a couple of squirts is sufficient. I repacked my bearings for the first time this year. We have traveled many miles since August 2007 in this rig. The wheels were in excellent shape and could have gone on without repacking, but I did them anyway. It is easy enough to at least do an annual check. Just pull the hubs to check the brake shoes and check the grease at the same time.

Unless you have auto adjustment brakes, you need to adjust the brakes annually any way. Use that opportunity to check the magnets too. I had not adjusted the brakes and adjusting them made a huge difference in this last trip from Texas to North Carolina. Sure felt like I was in better control, especially in the mountains.

[ols1932]

Agree with what Stiles said except that I have our wheel bearings repacked yearly. Reason? To get the brakes, magnets, and seals checked. I've already had problems where all four shoes on the rear of each wheel wore down to bear metal in less than two years. Have no reason why, but I do like to have them checked. I don't do it myself because when you approach 80 years of age, it's a lot easier to pay the younger people to do it.

Orv

[timandsusan]

I have the bearings repacked along with lub for the Moryde wet bolts. We travel--pull the RV--about 8500 miles per year--so it is just a conservative approach to avoid problems with brakes or bearing or suspension down the road. I consider it a worthwhile investment--by the way it is done by a reliable RV shop.

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by Bud

Do the Wheel bearings need repacking once a year or can you use a grease gun yourself?

Bud, here is what the guys that make the product say to do:
http://l.b5z.net/i/u/6149609/f/produ...-Lube_7-11.pdf

On edit,
You must use the same grease when doing the job, here are some tips on that:
http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/6149609/f/...ings_11-10.pdf

[dieselguy]

I've been a maintenance mechanic most of my life. I've dealt with all kinds of auto greasers and lubrication systems whether they be mechanical, pneumatic, or electrically pumped. I've got a pretty strong opinion of the EZ Lube systems ... they're a monumental waste of effort to equip them on your trailer axles. They're a spinoff of the spring loaded "Bearing Buddies" that do somewhat work on boat trailers. I so do wish someone would make a clear plastic simulated EZ Lube bearing housing so you could see just how it doesn't work. When you pump grease in the center of your spindle, it is supposed to travel all the way behind the inner bearing inbetween it and the axle seal ... then work its way thru the rear bearing and on forward to the outer bearing. It will never happen as the design assumes that there is 100% of the area inbetween your bearings full of grease ... I've never seen this to be true. If you were to pump and pump till all this area was full of grease so the design would work, I guarantee you'll blow grease out the rear seal first. Then you have problems on top of problems and a lighter wallet. That 2 pump a season tip given is a placebo by some mechanics that know the flaws of the system. Two pumps give Joe Average peace of mind that he greased his bearings and at the same time doesn't put enough grease in the cavity to push it out the rear seal.
Stepping away from the podium for now ..............

[8.1al]

Thanks dieselguy, you are absolutely correct.

[sreigle]

I have brakes checked and wheel bearings repacked every other year. In the off years I put **TWO** and only two squirts of grease in the zerks once per year. About eight years ago our dealer's service manager told me I was overgreasing them and made it very clear that two squirts per year is plenty even for us fulltimers. So that's how I do it and have had zero problems with wheel bearings or excess grease getting on the brake linings. It works for me.

I'm not an expert, so it's very possible, in light of Diesel Guy's comments, that my adding two squirts does no good. That would tell me having them repacked every other year is probably sufficient in any case. Shoot, my truck doesn't get those bearings repacked anywhere close to that.

To support Diesel Guy's explanation, here's an animation I saved several years ago showing how the EZ Lube is supposed to work. I know DG said it's a spinoff of the bearing buddies, meaning it doesn't work quite the same. This shows the difference. For those not familiar with bearing buddies for boat trailers, you pump grease into a cup that blocks water from getting into the bearing housing. It doesn't circulate grease like EZ Lube is **supposed** to do. And like DG points out it probably doesn't really do.

[SlickWillie]

quote:Originally posted by sreigle

I have brakes checked and wheel bearings repacked every other year. In the off years I put **TWO** and only two squirts of grease in the zerks once per year. About eight years ago our dealer's service manager told me I was overgreasing them and made it very clear that two squirts per year is plenty even for us fulltimers. So that's how I do it and have had zero problems with wheel bearings or excess grease getting on the brake linings. It works for me.

I'm not an expert, so it's very possible, in light of Diesel Guy's comments, that my adding two squirts does no good. That would tell me having them repacked every other year is probably sufficient in any case. Shoot, my truck doesn't get those bearings repacked anywhere close to that.

To support Diesel Guy's explanation, here's an animation I saved several years ago showing how the EZ Lube is supposed to work. I know DG said it's a spinoff of the bearing buddies, meaning it doesn't work quite the same. This shows the difference. For those not familiar with bearing buddies for boat trailers, you pump grease into a cup that blocks water from getting into the bearing housing. It doesn't circulate grease like EZ Lube is **supposed** to do. And like DG points out it probably doesn't really do.

Good post Steve. Bearing Buddies pressurize the hub (spring loaded), while the EZ Lube is designed to replace the grease in the hub. If you don't trust the seals, don't use the EZ Lube. If you use them, use the proper procedure to ensure no blown seals.

[Ozz]

I called Dexter one day and talked with them about concerns with the seals, I told them we were all concerned about grease getting on the brakes, and seal leakage. He explained to me that they had hundreds of thousands of the units out there, and they had no problems with the way they work, and if they did, they would have re-designed them. They explained that it was the best system out there for RV owners and had no plans on changing the design.
I don't know much about the problems some have had, it could be that the seals leak, but I grease mine the way they suggest and have had no problems...knock on wood...
Like Will said, if you don't trust them, have them re-packed by hand.
I remember Jim, the service manager where Steve, Stiles, Mudchef, and I bought our units said to give them two or three squirts of grease, it will displace the old grease and inject new grease in the bearings.
Again, I am no expert, but from what I have read and from talking to Dexter, I will do what I have done.

[pappy65]

I had a 2007 Raptor Toy Hauler triple axle with this setup. After the first year of use I pulled the hubs and several of the bearings were dry and some of the bearings were in really bad shape. I replaced several bearings, all seals and hand packed. I made sure the cavity was full from the rear bearing to the front. After that once or twice a year I would use a pnumatic grease gun and pump grease into zert until grease came out around the castle nut (per manufacturer instructions). I pulled this trailer many thousands of miles with no problems by following the manufacturers instructions which is to fill with grease until you see it come out at the castle nut. I never had any of the seals that I installed leak, nor any grease on brakes. I will do the same on my Montana.

[RonD]

Last year I pulled off the wheels for the first time to look at the brakes, bearings etc. I put them back on, then did as the Dexter book said and pumped grease in to the point it flushed out the old grease, rotating the wheel as I did this. It appeared to work as per the book, I then removed the wheel, and hub to look inside, no grease at all passed the seals. For anyone who has ever greased a car or truck wheel bearing, they have a thin rubber seal, the Dexter seals are a solid machined block of material about 3/8 to 1/2" thick, I don't think one is going to blow out, it may wear over time and some grease may enter the brake area. For me I am going by the book, I will pull all the hubs and wheels this spring and do it again, I think every two years should be fine on wheel bearings.

[BrokenElbow]

I took delivery of my unit Feb 2011 and just took it in to have a few small things done under warrentee. While I was there, the service guy I have trusted in the past said we should repack the wheels because the factory may not have done it very well in his experience. We pulled the wheels and voila, he was right. Two of the four wheels had leaking seals and not well packed bearings. They repacked all four and he indicated that would probably last two years, but annual inspection and repacking would be the conservative route. The point is, when you first get the unit, repack them. After that, regular maintenence based on time and usage is probably ok. I'm glad I pulled mine.

[MIMF]

I do the exact thing that Steve Reigle does. Infact, in about 3 weeks, I'm taking the unit to a tech to have the new 3500 lb spring packs, wet bolt kit and new heavier TrailAir Equaflex equalizers installed. At the same time, we are inspecting and adjusting the brakes and repacking the bearings on these 6000 lb ALKO-Kolber axles. Then, she will be ready for a trip at a whim should we decide to hook-up and take off at any time.

[richfaa]

Our OEM seals blew out 6 months sfter delivery and ruined the brakes..all of them.Dexter footed the bill as it was under warranty but they were replaced with sturdy seals. Mor Ryde did not install them with the IS system.

[DonPd]

I saw somewhere that when pumping in the grease turn the wheel at the same time. I also remember use a hand pump grease gun only. I have done this and I have not had any problems.

[indy roadrunner]

Lets see, I bought my unit in April of 06, have lubricated as per instructions ( couple of pumps ) and here it is 2012 with thousand of miles and no problems. Oh well just lucky I guess.

[CamillaMichael]

Difficult to tell what to do...at times????? Guess each person has his/her take on this matter, but going by the book would appear the way to go.