EZ Lube axles/hubs

Lynnmor wrote:

JBarca wrote:
If you are in a state that requires annual trailer inspections, the inspecting place is often required to pull one wheel. They pull it, look and stick it back on. They also may have just nicked the seal putting it back on. They are not paid to put a new seal in.

I need to do three inspections per year; one by me to make sure they won't add parts not needed, one by the official inspection station, and finally another inspection to correct the problems created by the inspection station.

""And that is one wheel from each axle. I have had seals compromised by them banging the seal into the axle end. I stopped one idiot from jacking from near the axle center, he said that he knew what he was doing. I have had dirty grease, of the wrong type, added to my repacked bearings after six miles of use. I have had lug nuts stripped. I could go on and on about PA's safety inspections, but I've mentioned it here before only to be countered by others.""

Yes, here in PA, we are required to inspect every year, and they must pull two drums for inspection. The first time I got in there, I changed all the OEM china bearings and seals with Timken and CR, AND...dressed all the grease holes on the seal surface with a small grinding stone and hand pressure, and polished with crocus cloth, to guarantee they wouldn't cut a seal when reinstalling it. (doesn't mean they won't pinch it or crush it!) It's amazing how sharp those holes are from factory! I typically re-pull the same drums they do at inspection and go over then again before going too far (because, no, I don't trust their work). This puts me on an "every other year, two axle pack and check". On the odd years I don't pull the other two drums, I shoot about ten slow pumps of warm grease in the zirk for the rear bearings, and use a grease needle up front in between the rollers to get some fresh in there. It isn't perfect, but I'm pulling those other two axles next year anyhow, so it maximizes effective greasing while minimizing labor on my part. Lippert's grease system, similar to others, requires almost a full tube of grease to fill the hub space before any is pushed out the outer bearing. It's just nuts and it makes no sense. Hand packing is always better than any "maintenance free" system.