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Old 11-16-2014, 12:26 PM   #21
dieselguy
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Sorry ... didn't pay attention to the model of your rig. You should have #7000 axle/brake assys from the get go. It's quite possible you've had one or more greasy brakes from day one till you finally got it straightened out when they put on new assys. Thus the new feeling of braking power. I had a broken wire going into the backing plate on one brake and the star adjuster not even positioned between my brake shoes on another wheel right from the factory on my 2011. In other words only a half set of brakes. Dealer's tec didn't catch it till I showed his service manager photos the second time I went back ... that's just one of my experiences with dealership service departments. My apologies also to DonandBonnie for hijacking their post. It just kinda "slid" into place in conversation. Ha!
 
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Old 11-16-2014, 12:58 PM   #22
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We have no problem with the diversion. It's all an education, the way we look at it.
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Old 11-16-2014, 05:25 PM   #23
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I called Dexter and they said that each wheel bearing will use almost a full tube of grease. 50 pumps in no where near that much. Make sure wheel is off the ground and wheel is spinning as you pump with a mechanical pump, not an air operated one. Most service guys will not spend the time it takes to do this. They will use an air operated gun. I still think it is best to remove wheels and do it manually.
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Old 11-17-2014, 03:23 AM   #24
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Rear seals failing for whatever reason and allowing the brake assembly to be contaminated with grease is creating a loss of brake function "safety issue" not to mention the expense of repair/replacement of components for many owners. Dexter is making $$$ providing replacement parts. For a system that allows the injection of grease, shouldn't the rear seal be designed to hold while grease is being injected? Isn't greasing with the EZ-lube feature like playing Russian Roulette with the brakes.
I agree that the bearings should be cleaned, inspected and packed and new seals installed.
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Old 11-17-2014, 03:53 AM   #25
DonandBonnie
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For peace of mind I have no choice but to pull each hub and see what is actually happening. I don't feel comfortable at this point that past repacks weren't done with something other than a hand gun. I don't feel comfortable that the rear seal wasn't blown out with that other gun. I don't feel comfortable that the brake drums aren't full of grease. There is an excellent Dexter video on You Tube that shows how to remove, repack by hand and replace all parts of the bearing package. I'll use that as a guide. As soon as the ground dries out from the rain we've been having, the inspection will begin.
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Old 11-17-2014, 05:07 AM   #26
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I agree Don. Unless you know a mechanic that you could trust and talk to before and after the work, the only way to be sure is to see for yourself.
Take the time to do it safely and let us know what you find.

Dave
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Old 11-24-2014, 04:08 AM   #27
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by drsmart

I agree Don. Unless you know a mechanic that you could trust and talk to before and after the work, the only way to be sure is to see for yourself.
Take the time to do it safely and let us know what you find.

Dave
Guess I am old school but as long as my health will allow me I prefer to do this maintenance item myself. I prefer removing wheels and servicing bearings. Long distance towing with well serviced wheels and tires makes for a better trip to us.
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Old 11-24-2014, 04:30 AM   #28
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The final chapter of this story is yet to be reported. We will be parked at our current location for at least another month and a half. Cold and wet weather has delayed this work. We have a rather large RV service center about a mile away. They have the bearings and seals in stock should we need any parts.
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Old 11-24-2014, 11:43 AM   #29
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Don....you are doing the right thing! I agree with those that believe your hubs were NOT
Full of grease. This has been something Dexter came out with many years ago....in my opinion the folks have not been doing it right.....thus Dexter now says pull yearly. I have two trailers with this ...my 2010 Montana wheels have never been off....original brakes too. This fall I purged one tube thru EACH axle until new grease appears. I may have it wrong ...just my experience ....I'm estimating 75,000 miles. I had 10,000 miles in first three months.
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Old 11-24-2014, 11:18 PM   #30
Phil P
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Hi

I must be doing something wrong!

I don’t have any of the problems you all are talking about. 80,000 miles on the trailer only removed the brake drums to install new brake shoes and didn’t find any bad or replace any grease seals and have always used the EZ-lub system.

I have the manual adjusting brakes and do adjust them often.

I still have the same breaking effect the trailer came with.

I check the brakes by manually applying them at a very low speed after the trailer has been sitting for more than a few hours.

I also check hub temperature at each stop for fuel or rest area.

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Old 11-25-2014, 02:00 AM   #31
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Phil P

Hi

I must be doing something wrong!

I don’t have any of the problems you all are talking about. 80,000 miles on the trailer only removed the brake drums to install new brake shoes and didn’t find any bad or replace any grease seals and have always used the EZ-lub system.

I have the manual adjusting brakes and do adjust them often.

I still have the same breaking effect the trailer came with.

I check the brakes by manually applying them at a very low speed after the trailer has been sitting for more than a few hours.

I also check hub temperature at each stop for fuel or rest area.

Phil P
I say you are doing the correct way for you would have had problems by now if you were doing something wrong. The original owner of our Monty used the nev-lube system. When I pulled hubs for inspection I saw nothing but normal usage. I installed new seals, packed the bearings good, and replaced the hubs.
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Old 11-25-2014, 11:40 AM   #32
drsmart
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Phil P

Hi
I don’t have any of the problems you all are talking about. 80,000 miles on the trailer only removed the brake drums to install new brake shoes and didn’t find any bad or replace any grease seals and have always used the EZ-lub system.

I have the manual adjusting brakes and do adjust them often.

I still have the same breaking effect the trailer came with.

I check the brakes by manually applying them at a very low speed after the trailer has been sitting for more than a few hours.

I also check hub temperature at each stop for fuel or rest area.

Phil P
Phil. It's like getting a Good Year Marathon on the RV that doesn't eventually explode. I believe it's possible
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Old 11-26-2014, 12:53 AM   #33
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Mark, How much grease did you have to pump before you started to see the old forced out?

We've met a couple of mechanics that work at the RV service center near where we are parked. Their opinion is that I just have not pumped enough grease yet. They mentioned that in their experience they have seen blown rear seals in Dexter EZ Lube axles, but they are very rare. I'm still going to pull at least one hub for peace of mind.
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Old 11-26-2014, 03:21 AM   #34
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Hi Don...because this is my method, the cavity is full of grease. As I start to pump the new grease in the old begins coming out. I just catch it it in a rag continue pumping while turn wheel until new grease appears. I use one tube of grease for each. While turning the wheel you can feel or hear anything rough or wrong with the bearings. You can crawl behind the brake assembly and look for grease....also can see the linings. If the grease comes out as you pump the back seal is holding. Works for me and this I think was Dexters original design method....when folks just pump a couple squirts then the bearing really don't get purged with new resulting in a dry bearing. The new recommendation of pulling yearly negates the beauty of the original intent in my opinion .
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Old 11-26-2014, 04:08 AM   #35
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I used a total of 3 tubes last time I did mine. I probably could have used a whole tube per hub for a complete purge but stopped 8-10 pumps after the new grease started coming out. There was probably some small amount old grease left in.

I use the Mystic JT-6 Hi Temp grease that is red, one of the ones recommended by Dexter. Makes it pretty easy to tell when the new grease starts coming out as it is noticeably redder than the old grease.
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Old 11-26-2014, 06:06 AM   #36
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I wonder how much ambient temperature plays a part in seal failures during injection. Now that winter has arrived and it's colder out, the grease is thicker or more viscous. It won't pass through the bearings as easily. The pressure build up could push the rear seal out. Warm summer temps would result in more fluid grease and less pressure buildup. This is applies where I am in country.
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Old 11-26-2014, 07:15 AM   #37
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No doubt the grease would be stiffer in lower temps, harder to push thru the bearings, and causing higher pressure on the seal. I have always done mine when the temps were 80 or higher. And around here that is at least any time from April to thru Oct.
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Old 11-26-2014, 08:39 AM   #38
DonandBonnie
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My gut feel is that the difficulty with cold stiff grease would be more in moving it through the hand pump than it would be moving through the bearing cavity. In any event regardless of temperature it would flow in the direction of least resistance which I would think would be out the front as Dexter intended rather than pushing a rear seal out. In our case daytime temps are currently in the 60's or 70's which should not have any adverse effect on the flow of grease.
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Old 11-27-2014, 08:02 AM   #39
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markrving ... quote "when folks just pump a couple squirts then the bearing really don't get purged with new resulting in a dry bearing."Please explain how at any point an owner would ever have a dry bearing when pumping the placebo 2-3 squirts into this invention???? Before we get mass hysteria here, I submit you should rephrase whatever you were trying to say. Assuming you have not removed any wheels and cleaned the bearings ... There will already be wheel bearing grease in each bearing that has been there all along. It will continue to lubricate as it has up to this point. I well agree 2-3 pumps won't do anything as far as lubrication, however it sure won't remove grease already there.
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Old 11-27-2014, 10:19 PM   #40
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Hi

Here is something for you all to think about.

I have changed a total of 9 sets of wheel bearings in the last 2 months.

I have replaced 3 complete sets of bearings inner and outer. 1 set on a very heavy trailer the inner race diameter was 4 inches and 2 sets inner and outer on the front wheels of an f250 4X4.

The trailer the wheel and hub had departed the trailer, on the f250 the only reason the wheels and hubs had not departed the truck was because the disk brake calipers prevented this.

Theses bearings were badly damaged the cages were destroyed and rollers turned sideway etc.

The amazing thing I found was all three were full of grease there was not any sign of heat like you get when a bearing is run dry. I was unable to determine why they failed.

These three are the only ones that had grease in them the rest were dry and it was obvious why they failed.


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