Here we go, another EZ lube debate!

Here is another picture of the inside of the hub. You can see where a lot of grease made it past the seal onto the hub. Hopefully I can clean that hub with brake cleaner and reuse it. I see no reason why not, but I heard someone once say that grease can absorb into the metal. That seems crazy to me.

A close up of the spindle behind the inside bearing. Grease all over.....

aftermath wrote:
I am not a fan of bearing buddies, which I believe to be the same sort of thing we are talking about.

I recently re-purchased an older tent trailer that I had owned from 1989 to 2005. One of the more recent owners installed bearing buddies and then began to pump grease into them. When I jacked up the trailer to grease and inspect the bearings I could not get the wheel off of the trailer. The new caps with zerts did not allow enough clearance between the axle and the body. I had to knock them off to get the wheel off. Upon inspection there was grease all over the brake shoes and everything else.

I believe that the owner thought he was doing the right thing but pumping grease under pressure damaged the seals and let the stuff out. It was quite a sight. If you have a boat trailer that goes under water regularly the bearing buddy makes sense as long as you don't overdo it. On a regular trailer bearing and brake shoes need to be inspected every year, based on mileage of course.

Bearing Buddy is completely different and generally used for boats.

js6343js6343 wrote:
Here is another picture of the inside of the hub. You can see where a lot of grease made it past the seal onto the hub. Hopefully I can clean that hub with brake cleaner and reuse it. I see no reason why not, but I heard someone once say that grease can absorb into the metal. That seems crazy to me.

Thats not actually that bad. I have had wheel seals leak that much on axles without ez lube. Unfortunately the single lip seals used on trailer axles are not that great.

Your hub/drum will easily clean up with brakleen.

Its not often you find a brake drum that is so contaminated that it can't be washed out well enough to use.

Trailer brake shoes are cheap enough that they can be changed.

Back in the day when parts were expensive and labor was cheap, we used to burn the oil out of semi brake linings with a torch. Talk about a smoky dirty job.

Yeah, hubs can be cleaned up good but the shoes should be replaced if they got grease contaminated.

js6343js6343 wrote:


I know one this for certain. I will NEVER again grease using EZ lube. Hand packing is the only remaining option for me.

Hi,

Just asking and not trying to change your mind. While I have EZ lube axles I also hand pack.

2 Questions:

1. When you greased, did you jack the camper up, spin the wheel by hand when you where "slowly" pumping the grease in?

2. Did you notice if the old seal had garter spring on the inside of it?

Both of these questions are out of pure curiosity only. The 1st question is a debate on the instructions, to jack up and spin or not.

The 2nd question deals with the darn cheap 1 lip seal that they actually sell and can be put in by accident on a brake axle verse the double lip seal with the garter spring. If they did this, and you had a single lip seal, you where hosed from day one.

Thanks for your post. My first set of axles on this camper was non EZ lube. When I bought the new axles to correct an alignment issue, I added the EZ lube feature, but again still do not use it. This was what I found on the "standard" lube axle.


Some of this "might" come from trailer inspections in states that require you to pull a wheel. If that inspectors did a quick pull and look and put the drum back on, they can nick the seal and you have a mess even on the standard seals. For the price of the seal, change it every time the wheel is pulled. The odds are not in your favor to reuse the old seal. If the inspection is going to pull the drum, they should change the seal. And yes they may need to charge you for it but it is better then a seal failure.

PS. I have also upgraded to the Dexter self adjusting brakes. As long as your brakes drums run true, they work well.

Thanks

John

1. When you greased, did you jack the camper up, spin the wheel by hand when you where "slowly" pumping the grease in?

2. Did you notice if the old seal had garter spring on the inside of it?

I think the first year I pumped in grease without jacking it up. Years 2 through 5, I did jack it up and turn the wheel as I greased. I am not exactly sure how slowly I pumped the grease in but it was a manual gun so I think I was doing it OK. But who knows. I am no expert at this stuff.

I dont even know what a garter spring is. :)

I guess I will check to see if I have a double lip or single lip seal when I pull the inner bearing tomorrow.

JBarca wrote:

Some of this "might" come from trailer inspections in states that require you to pull a wheel. If that inspectors did a quick pull and look and put the drum back on, they can nick the seal and you have a mess even on the standard seals. For the price of the seal, change it every time the wheel is pulled. The odds are not in your favor to reuse the old seal. If the inspection is going to pull the drum, they should change the seal. And yes they may need to charge you for it but it is better then a seal failure.

PS. I have also upgraded to the Dexter self adjusting brakes. As long as your brakes drums run true, they work well.

Thanks

John

EXACTLY and if I'm not mistakened those grease seals are really not reusable and should be replaced any time you pull a drum so that is IMO something to consider. I also dislike the EZ-lube feature because of the excessive grease it takes to "prime" the system and I'm in the camp that yearly inspections are generally not needed and I think about every 2 to 5 years and around 15 to 20K miles is more reasonable for brake service where you have to pull the drums.

I too upgraded recently to the self adjusting brakes and they seem a good investment. I bought the entire brake package with backing plate and reused just my old drums.

Larry

Just as an FYI. In my case, I have never pulled these hubs prior to yesterday. My state does not require inspections. Or if they do, I am not aware of it.