Bearing Grease Intervals

Red-Rover wrote:
I am asking the same question myself. My new trailer has E-Z lube hubs that only needs a shot of grease once a year? Probably the main benefit of removing the drum is to inspect the brakes not grease the bearings.
I probably will continue checking brakes every couple of years or before any "major trips" thus saving the cost of 4 new grease seals.
I have, in the past, found broken shoe retracting springs that were previously undetected. There was no symptom of malfunction, no noise, no pulling to one side, no wheel lock up. Only an inspection revealed the defect.

I dint mention that I also believe in EZ lube if used like they were intended to be used. But every time I mention using them, I get hammered on by those that probably don't have the foggiest idea how to use them.

You haven't had any problems because you took a little time to do a job. Why change your pattern. With out realizing it you look for other problems while doing the job.

Besides if you weren't doing this you'd probably get in trouble for something else. I never have anyone bother me when my hands are full of grease.

RJsfishin wrote:
I have towed all kinds of trailers all my life, still do
Why would I do the bearings any oftener than the front wheels of my cars/trucks/suvs ?? Why would the brakes rust in place if they were properly assembled w/ a touch of brake lube or never seize on all contact points, ??

If you towed in a lot of rain and snow where there was salt on the roads ???
Even then, never had my brakes stop stopping ! :)

Couldn't agree with you more. I've never had a bearing failure in 45 years of towing. Only time I check the bearings is when I'm replacing worn out brakes and the bearings have always looked and felt fine.

I am asking the same question myself. My new trailer has E-Z lube hubs that only needs a shot of grease once a year? Probably the main benefit of removing the drum is to inspect the brakes not grease the bearings.
I probably will continue checking brakes every couple of years or before any "major trips" thus saving the cost of 4 new grease seals.
I have, in the past, found broken shoe retracting springs that were previously undetected. There was no symptom of malfunction, no noise, no pulling to one side, no wheel lock up. Only an inspection revealed the defect.

I am with RJ. The old addage of cheap insurance does not carry weight with me.

I got all nervous once after reading threads on this board, and pulled the bearings on my flat bed after around the 10 year mark. All was like new in there. The brakes were also fine.

So, IMHO, if you feel better by pulling wheels every year that is what you should do.

The wheel bearings will be the last thing I will be concerned with next winter when I hit the road again with the 2010 model.

I have towed all kinds of trailers all my life, still do
Why would I do the bearings any oftener than the front wheels of my cars/trucks/suvs ?? Why would the brakes rust in place if they were properly assembled w/ a touch of brake lube or never seize on all contact points, ??

If you towed in a lot of rain and snow where there was salt on the roads ???
Even then, never had my brakes stop stopping ! :)

very cheap insurance to just do it every year. its NOT overkill by having the safety and security of not being broke down on the side of the road. all it takes is once and you will wish you had taken the little bit of time to do it. JMHO :S

IMO it has a lot to do with how often you tow the trailer. Sitting there the brakes can get rusted via the air cooling holes, which is why they say to check the brakes every year.

Meanwhile they say to do the bearings by hand every year or every 12K miles whichever comes first, and that requires the hubs to be off too. Which is when you can check the brakes too and meet that time table now the hubs are off anyway.

So what do you do if you only go 6K a year? You can get away with not removing the hubs and doing the bearings by hand till next year, but now you can't see the brakes. So that is where IMO how often you move it comes into play.

If you move it often then IMO you can get away without checking the brakes with the hubs off so often, since they won't have rusted in place.

So now how often do you have to take the hubs off and still get away with it? No idea. I go by how much money I have or don't, and then convince myself it is ok to skip this time around if I am short of money (I can't do it myself)

You will never know how long you can get away with it until it goes bad on you, then you know that was too long :)

I did find out that having the whole thing done by pros is good when they found the equalizer bolts had worn the holes bigger and were about to go through and it needed new equalizers and bolts etc. I didn't get the wet kit like I should have I suppose. So if you skip the bearings and the brakes, you might still have your equalizers fall off! RVing is out to get you :(