Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > MOC Technical Forums > Maintenance
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-13-2016, 11:35 AM   #1
ontheroad10
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Thousand Oaks
Posts: 53
M.O.C. #17252
Greasing the wheel bearings

It seems that my 2013 Montana allows a fairly simple way to grease the bearings without removing the wheels. I watched a utube video and bought a grease gun and tried it myself. The video suggests pumping in enough grease so that all the old grease is removed. Since there was black grease there already, I bought red. I pumped until red was starting to come out, but it took the whole tube. Now I am worried I did something to damage the seal and grease leaked into the brakes. I can't seem to get the brakes to slow down the rig like before.
I contacted lippert and was told there was probably no way I could have damaged the seals, but each wheel should not have taken a whole tube. Did I do something wrong?
 
ontheroad10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 12:16 PM   #2
jcurtis934
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Pensacola (mail forward service)
Posts: 3,198
M.O.C. #13740
Since the factory doesn't put in much at all, close to a tube sounds within reason. You do need to rotate the wheel being greased as you slowly add grease. I pumped in a whole tube for each wheel, but this is the small grease gun. John
__________________
2012 F350 6.7 L dually, 2013 3800RE with 6 pt leveling, Sumitomo 17.5" load range h tires, Samsung 18 cu ft residential fridge, 8k Morryde I.S. with disc brakes. Full timing since 2012.
jcurtis934 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 12:27 PM   #3
K0LCB
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Arroyo City
Posts: 3,110
M.O.C. #13395
Lippert has had many complaints about blown seals and greasy brakes. I grease my bearings by hand. But, I am an old man with ok'd ways
K0LCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 12:49 PM   #4
BB_TX
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,133
M.O.C. #6433
I have done mine 3 times. It does take near a full tube per hub to completely push the old grease out and fill each hub with new grease. Like you, I used a red hi temp grease so I could tell when the new grease started coming out. As long as you kept the wheel turning and pumped slowly as detailed in the video and Dexter instructions you should not hurt the seals.

There have been some people reporting having had grease get passed the seal and on the brakes. The fact yours don't seem to work as before is concerning. Probably need to pull the hubs and inspect the brakes to be safe.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
BB_TX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 02:16 PM   #5
ALSAN
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Holcombe
Posts: 113
M.O.C. #12193
You should notice oil/grease stains on the back side of the mounting plate , thats is what I found in doing an inspection mine came from the factory with the seal blown . I bought all new parts / hub and backing plate from e-trailer , please note backing plates are side specific
ALSAN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 03:21 PM   #6
mlh
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Salem
Posts: 7,528
M.O.C. #2283
It sounds like you may have got grease past the seals and tha only way to know is to remove the hubs but that kinda makes easy lube hubs worthless.
Lynwood
__________________
www.harrellsprec.com
Lynwood Harrell
323 RL HC 2008 F250
mlh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 04:21 PM   #7
1retired06
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
Have always greased the wheel bearings the old fashioned way, pull the hubs, grease by hand, new seals.
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
1retired06 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 04:44 PM   #8
rohrmann
Montana Master
 
rohrmann's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,676
M.O.C. #12947
If you grease through the zerks until the entire cavity is full and grease is going past the outer bearing, you definitely will use a tube for each wheel. Hopefully, if you haven't blown grease past the seal, just hope the rubber plug can vent any pressure build up when the grease gets hot, or the only other place it can vent is past the grease seal. Also, the Dexter manual says: NOTE: The convenient lubrication provisions of the E-Z-Lube and the oil lubrication must not replace periodic inspection of the bearings.

The brakes must also be checked regularly as part of the maintenance of these rigs, so no matter how, the drums will need to be pulled occasionally, and all that grease is pretty messy when a small handful for each set of bearings is all that's needed, and by hand packing, there is never a worry of greasing the brakes.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
rohrmann is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 04:50 PM   #9
dieselguy
Montana Master
 
dieselguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haysville
Posts: 4,261
M.O.C. #3085
Yall know my take on the no so easy "Easy Lube". Why would they design it to pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and pump just to shove the used grease from the rear bearing on into the front bearing so you can pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and pump to get that grease on out of the front bearing. Since the procedure states to jack the tire up so you can spin it while SLOWLY pumping ... heck just take it off do it the old fashioned way and have a birds eye view of your brake system while it's staring you in the face. I agree that it will take about a tube of grease per wheel the first time ... they don't even fill the hub up at the factory to make the system work as designed. Stepping away from the podium ...
dieselguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 04:55 PM   #10
jameswbarton
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Massillon
Posts: 437
M.O.C. #18658
So with a brand new HC 375F I need to grease the wheel bearings before I use it?
jameswbarton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2016, 05:22 PM   #11
rohrmann
Montana Master
 
rohrmann's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,676
M.O.C. #12947
In hindsight, I would have done that with our rig. There have been reports of very little or no grease on brand new rigs, not Keystone/Montana's fault, but is really the axle supplier's fault. I used the E Z Lube system once, ended up with three wheels with greased brakes, and had to replace all the brake/backing plate assemblies, and had the drums turned. Cost was about $500, and that was just parts and supplies, not counting my labor or the fuel and time to run back and forth to the trailer supply place or the shop that turned the drums. I just serviced the nephew's trailer bearings and grease, seals, and supplies was less than $50.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
rohrmann is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 01:11 AM   #12
WeBeFulltime
Montana Master
 
WeBeFulltime's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hixson
Posts: 3,436
M.O.C. #11397
I have used the EZ Lube system without problems and it takes 1 standard size tube(14oz I believe) per wheel.
__________________
2018.5 Montana 3791RD


Full Timers 9/1/2010 through 1/16/2020.
WeBeFulltime is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 03:03 AM   #13
jameswbarton
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Massillon
Posts: 437
M.O.C. #18658
Does the EZ lube get any grease to the rear bearing unless you fill the hub? I was taught never to fill a hub as it would cause the rear seal to fail and you then get greasy brakes. If you fill the cavity with a grease gun and then heat it up by running with no air space I would think you are putting too much pressure on the seals causing them to fail and grease the brakes?
jameswbarton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 03:28 AM   #14
kdeiss
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Englewood
Posts: 3,095
M.O.C. #164
Over greasing a bearing will cause the rollers or balls to slide along the race instead of turning, and the grease will actually churn. This churning action will eventually bleed the base oil from the grease and all that will be left to lubricate the bearing is a thickener system with little or no lubricating properties. The heat generated from the churning and insufficient lubricating oil will begin to harden the grease (see Fig. 1). This will prevent any new grease added to the bearing from reaching the rolling elements. The end result is bearing failure and equipment downtime. Ironically, an attempt to sufficiently lubricate a bearing by giving it several extra pumps from a grease gun will eventually result in its failure due to under lubrication.
kdeiss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 06:14 AM   #15
BB_TX
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,133
M.O.C. #6433
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jameswbarton

Does the EZ lube get any grease to the rear bearing unless you fill the hub? I was taught never to fill a hub as it would cause the rear seal to fail and you then get greasy brakes. If you fill the cavity with a grease gun and then heat it up by running with no air space I would think you are putting too much pressure on the seals causing them to fail and grease the brakes?
If you watch the you can see that the grease actually goes thru the rear bearing first, then thru the hub cavity, and finally out thru the outer bearing so to get new grease throughout. This system has been around for many many years and I have never heard anyone claim a bearing failed because of too much grease. A proven system, except as mentioned that there have been some issues with grease getting fhru the rear seal. The outer rubber seal is just a rubber cap and not a pressure seal and does not cause pressure build up.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
BB_TX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 11:34 AM   #16
WaltBennett
Montana Master
 
WaltBennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Hanover
Posts: 1,471
M.O.C. #13325
IF you follow Dexter's instructions, you won't blow any seals. IF you DO NOT follow the instructions by getting impatient, using an air powered grease gun, or not spinning the wheels, you may very well blow a seal or two. Personally, I prefer taking the time to follow them as it's still easier than pulling a wheel, etc., etc. I did have one wheel's brakes get greased from a Virginia safety inspector not putting the wheel back on right after checking the brakes. After my brakes started acting up, I knew which wheel it was that he'd pulled and after taking the wheel & drum off found out what had happened. The good news is that you can get a complete brake back plate assembly from eTrailer for about $70. I replaced all four wheels just to be on the safe side, but will go back to following Dexter's instructions for their hubs again.
__________________
WaltBennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2016, 11:42 AM   #17
jameswbarton
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Massillon
Posts: 437
M.O.C. #18658
Thanks for the Video EZ Lube link. I did not get one with my axle book information.
jameswbarton is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Greasing wheel bearings Ozz Maintenance 12 10-29-2015 09:31 AM
Greasing Wheel Bearings bennettommyd Maintenance 20 12-02-2012 09:04 AM
wheel bearings Bud General Discussions about our Montanas 20 02-05-2012 06:31 AM
Watch greasing the wheel zerks! Emmel Maintenance 6 06-22-2010 03:14 PM
greasing wheel bearings grooving grandpa Maintenance 20 05-22-2008 04:02 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.