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10-21-2017, 09:19 AM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Plains
Posts: 102
M.O.C. #20651
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Axle Maintenance
How often do you guys grease your wheel bearings? Is there a certain mileage when they need to be inspected and re-packed. Dealer told us the grease them every 1k miles and re-pack every 5k.
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10-21-2017, 10:40 AM
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#2
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: ALAMEDA
Posts: 227
M.O.C. #20448
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Seems like overkill to me. I do mine every year. Mileage varies because I only estimate how far we towed.
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2017 Montana High Country 310RE
2017 Ram 2500 Diesel, 4 wd crew cab, slr, pulrite super glide, short bed, 2 ea 100 Ah LiFePO4 12 volt Deep Cycle Battery
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10-21-2017, 10:42 AM
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#3
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Fowler
Posts: 414
M.O.C. #12748
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Once a year, I travel about ,5,000 miles a year.
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10-21-2017, 12:40 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,774
M.O.C. #12947
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All the information you will need to maintain your axles is in this manual. Greasing the bearings is only recommended every 12,000 miles, at which time it is also recommended to inspect your brakes by pulling the drum/hub assembly. If you pull the drum, grease the bearings at that time, install new seals, and you will be good for another year. By pumping grease in the axle, you risk leaking grease into the drum and getting the brake shoes and magnet contaminated, which will cost much more than just doing an annual maintenance.
http://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/defau....pdf?sfvrsn=26
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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10-21-2017, 06:39 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,328
M.O.C. #17894
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This subject has been beaten to death. Remember when cars front wheel bearings had to be repacked ?. They were typically done when the brake pads/shoes were replaced, around 20-30k.
I believe as long as they are repacked CORRECTLY you should be good for years to come only pulling your unit 3-5k per year (like most of us). If you are towing 10-20k a year then I can see doing it more often.
I think most people are spending way too much $$ and time worrying about the repacking issue.
I would however make shur they are packed correctly with in the first year of ownership. We all know how the manufactures like to cut corners.
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10-22-2017, 10:00 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Hanover
Posts: 1,473
M.O.C. #13325
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rohrmann
All the information you will need to maintain your axles is in this manual. Greasing the bearings is only recommended every 12,000 miles, at which time it is also recommended to inspect your brakes by pulling the drum/hub assembly. If you pull the drum, grease the bearings at that time, install new seals, and you will be good for another year. By pumping grease in the axle, you risk leaking grease into the drum and getting the brake shoes and magnet contaminated, which will cost much more than just doing an annual maintenance.
http://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/defau....pdf?sfvrsn=26
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If you READ the part about Dexter's EZ-Lube hubs, you'll see they do NOT recommend pulling hubs to grease the bearings. They recommend not using air guns is all.
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10-22-2017, 03:02 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,774
M.O.C. #12947
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WaltBennett
If you READ the part about Dexter's EZ-Lube hubs, you'll see they do NOT recommend pulling hubs to grease the bearings. They recommend not using air guns is all.
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6,000 miles new, I followed the directions exactly as written, and after another 6,000 miles, I had to replace all the backing plate assemblies and have all the drums turned because grease had gone past the seals. It cost over $400 to do all this for parts and the turning, with my free labor. It only costs less than $40 to pull the drums, clean and repack the bearings and install new seals, and I never have to worry about grease getting on the brakes, and I have checked the brakes while the drums are off. I was just making a recommendation from experience. Plus, the EZ-Lube procedure uses a lot of grease, just to fill the hub cavities, and when you do pull the drums, you have all that grease to dispose of along with the mess.
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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10-22-2017, 05:47 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,328
M.O.C. #17894
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I have disc brakes and the seals are visible from the back side and if grease was to get past them it would not be a big deal since it would not get to the brake pads.
I have pumped 30-40 pumps of grease in each while rotating the wheel and have never had grease come pass the seals.
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10-22-2017, 12:09 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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I do ours the old fashioned way, by pulling the hubs, doing my inspection, repacking by hand and replacing the wheel seals. I first started pulling hubs at the 12k mark, only to find the bearings perfectly fine and full of grease. For the past 10 years, I have repacked at 24K. I do not trust the EZ-lube process.
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Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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10-22-2017, 07:24 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
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I fully agree with rorhmann and beeje ... I think we've gone a bit overboard on the MOC as far as wheel bearing repack interval recommendations. Every couple of years or so should be adequate especially if you only pull 3-4 thousand miles a years. A lot of tow vehicles still have repackable front wheel bearings and I don't hear people chime in about repacking them yearly. For those of you that repack yearly ... I'm not saying you're wrong ... whatever makes peace of mind for you. I hated the mess no matter how often or not I repacked ... I went with Kodiak oil bath kits and leave the grease gun to just the shackle bolts. The pressed on hub caps make getting to your spindle nuts if need be a bit harder, but that's how it plays out.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Bea...BE2440KIT.html
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10-22-2017, 07:42 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,328
M.O.C. #17894
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dieselguy, did not know they made such a thing. The link was for up to 6k axles. Mine are 7k
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10-28-2017, 08:01 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Willis
Posts: 896
M.O.C. #20587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beeje
dieselguy, did not know they made such a thing. The link was for up to 6k axles. Mine are 7k
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Right on that. Our boat trailer (5,000#) has the Reliable wet bearings. 10 yrs no issues. Our 5r has 7, 8, & 9k axles. I've seen none with wet bearings. Strange since OTR trucks mostly all have them.
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10-22-2017, 09:41 PM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
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beeje ... the kit for 6K axles fit a front dust cap hole of 2.44". The rear seal is 3.37" OD by 2.25" ID. Call Kodiak @ 817-284-5141 and talk with them about 7K axles. The 2 piece seals are a bit harder to get in your hubs, but when it comes time to change oil ... unscrew the plastic cap, let it drain, replace cap, then refill hub via center plug. 10's of thousands of OTR truck trailers use these, so oil bath is not something new to fret over.
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10-23-2017, 03:40 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Okeechobee
Posts: 2,150
M.O.C. #11206
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Hi
100,000 miles I have never had the inner wheel bearings out of the hub and only had the outer wheel bearings out when I replaced the brake shoes.
I do the EZ-lube hubs once a year sometimes we put as much as 3,000 miles a month on the trailer.
I am a firm believer that the trailers that sit for the year and then only used for 2 or 3 weeks should have a wheel bearing inspection every year before the annual trip.
Phil P
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2009 Montana 3665RE
2009 Duramax 3500 DRW quad cab
personal web page https:// www.sallyscoffees.com
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10-23-2017, 07:37 AM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Depends on temps
Posts: 1,648
M.O.C. #13157
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Wet hubs are fine for a truck/trailer that is always moving. If the rig sits for months at a time, packed bearings are preferred.
Years ago I was considering a bus conversion, the web site bus nuts had a discussion on wet vs dry hubs.
Me, I had mine packed about year 2, they looked fine. I'll probably never pack them again.
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2012 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW 4x4 3.73 Tow Max Pkg B&W Companion 60 gal RDS aux fuel tank. 2014 Montana 3150RL, 2 A/C's, Leather, 6 Point Jacks, Splendede WD2100XC, Mor/ryde X-Factor, Duravis 250 tires with TST 507RV monitors. 2 x Honda EU2000's
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10-23-2017, 08:57 AM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
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Since we've kinda sorta hijacked the OP's original question ... I'll close my part of the detour out with a response to jlb27537. I'm aware of the discussions on oil bath hubs and trailers sitting. Now days with social media, you hear all kinds of things about any topic. Several of my farm buddies and I all have goose neck trailers with oil bath hubs ... they pretty much sit all winter with maybe one or two uses. None of us has had a bearing issue to date.
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10-23-2017, 04:51 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,328
M.O.C. #17894
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Just a guess, but I don't think it will be long before trailer axles will go the way of sealed bearings like most of todays cars/trucks and be done with all this repacking/oiling stuff.
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10-24-2017, 12:43 AM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,774
M.O.C. #12947
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Lippert had sealed bearings on their axles and they have since discontinued them, and it's almost impossible to get a replacement. Easier to just replace the axle. I believe Dexter still makes a sealed bearing axle, but do not know who uses them.
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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10-24-2017, 06:03 PM
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#19
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Site Team
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Colorado Rockies
Posts: 1,993
M.O.C. #19755
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idalogger52
How often do you guys grease your wheel bearings? Is there a certain mileage when they need to be inspected and re-packed. Dealer told us the grease them every 1k miles and re-pack every 5k.
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I pulled a lot of trailers over the years; I think a once a year inspection and repack is all that is necessary. Every 1k miles is crazy and asking for problems. I'll put a squirt or two in the EZ lube axles occaisionally, but I still like a re-pack every year or so. The risk with the EZ lube is too much grease and contaminating the brakes; ok for a boat trailer without brakes, but be careful on your unit.
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Scott & Alta
2017 Montana 3160RL, Legacy, Onan 5.5Kw, Solar
2022 F-450 Lariat Ultimate
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