Dexter Axels

[Montana_4599]

I have Dexter axels with grease zerts for lubricating them. I get mixed signals as to whether I should have them packed periodically. A service man recently told me to pump grease in them myself and forget packing them. I am interested in any input on the subject.

[Wrenchtraveller]

I think I am going to hand repack mine every second year. I have done this with every trailer I have owned for the last 20 years and I have never had an issue with wheel bearings even though my last two trailers had bearings made in China and Poland. They looked like a Timken bearing but
had the country of origin stamped on the side and did not have any brand name on them.

I do feel the new type of bearings we have in our Montanas would probably be fine to lift up the axle, spin the wheel, and give them 2 or 3 shots with a grease gun but I am more comfortable taking them apart, cleaning them , and re packing by hand.

[Montana_4599]

Don, thanks for your feedback. I am at the 2 year interval but I have pulled it only 8500 miles. By the way we have the same trailer, except that mine is a 2004. I am pulling with a 2004 F250.

[ols1932]

I had the self greasing axles and when I changed to Mor-Ryde, I didn't want the self greasers. Reason: I had a tendency to overgrease, causing grease to get on the brake shoes and drums. Guess what? You can't stop very easily when you do that. According to a Dexter Rep, Dexter doesn't recommend the self greasers for that very reason. Then why do they put them on? Because it is a selling factor for the dealers.

Orv

[drhowell]

You can download the owners manual from the Dexter site. The EZ-lub hubs can be over greased and cause grease to get onto the brake shoes, BAD THING! Others have suggested one pump every couple thousand miles and remove wheels, inspect brakes and repack every year or 10,000 miles.

Dexter recommends every 6,000 miles or 6 months. The 6 months seems overkill to me especially if you are not fulltiming and on the go a lot. If you are a weekender you probably don't get 3,000 miles a year on the trailer.

Just remember the brakes on these units are usually not heavy duty and the lining is very thin. If you use lots of trailer braking they will get hot and crack the linings. This may limit the life of the brake shoes and you may not get 10,000 miles out of a set of shoes. It is probably more important to visually inspect the brakes than it is to repack the bearings. AND, if you pull the wheels to inspect the brakes you should repack the bearings as a general rule. Helps one to remember the last time they were serviced (repacked).

This discussion has me thinking, I better check my brakes. It has been more than a year and the lining was showing lots of wear. Not to mention one of the magnets was wearing at an angle. Yep, I am sure its time to replace some of the original 2001 brake parts.

[Montana Sky]

I have the dealership check the bearings every spring when the coach comes out of storage. This is my 3rd year now and the shop finally had to put "1 pump" of grease into the bearings. That was it, said everything else looked good. Really depends how much you are on the road each year.