I have a 2014 FW that has manual adjusting brakes that are manufactured by Lippert. The brakes are on 7000 pound axles. The grease seals are leaking and the brake pads and magnets have become contaminated with wheel bearing grease. The FW manufacturer is going to reimburse me for replacing the brakes. I'll be replacing the complete brake assemblies, including backing plates, magnets, pads, etc. Since I'm replacing them, I want to put in self adjusting brakes which the FW manufacturer should have specified in the first place. The brakes are 12"x2". Do I have to go with Lippert brakes, or will an aftermarket brake assembly work? Do any of you have recommendations of good quality brake assemblies and places to purchase them? Also, do any of you have a preferred brand of grease seals? The seals that were installed by Lippert are Dexter brand made in China.

I like Dexter. Any chance those are ez-lube style hubs? Lots of people seem to push grease past the seals on those.Dexter claims the parts are Made in USA.

I found that both Dexter and Alko used the same brakes and you can buy aftermarket parts that fit either.

smkettner wrote:I like Dexter. Any chance those are ez-lube style hubs? Lots of people seem to push grease past the seals on those.Dexter claims the parts are Made in USA.They are ez-lube, and I won't use them. I prefer to hand pack my bearings each year during the down season. Thats how I found this mess. In fact, the bearing compartment didn't seem to be over full of grease, which leads me to believe they've never been injected.The grease seals that were installed clearly say Dexter and China on them. I always thought Dexter parts were made in the USA too. I wonder if we can call these "China Bomb" grease seals? Maybe the Chinese are out to get us RVers with bad tires and now bad grease seals. ;-)

I bought the complete brake assys from NAPA for around $50.00 ea in 2011. Use a size chart for Chicago rawhide seal. Measure the id and od of the seal. A good napa store can find the right CR seal by size. Get the double lip seal. Grease in dirt out.

When I was buying a spare set of bearings for the "just in case stuck along side the road" scenario, where I go http://www.sixrobblees.com/also supplies many shops with trailer parts. They surprised me by saying the brand of bearing I have even though they are made in china they don't have very many problems with them and would recommend replacing with same. The brand is called "Gemini". As far as the seal goes that is different he said and highly recommended "tru-ride" (e-trailer also has them). He said the spring on back and how pliable and thick the rubber is plays a big part in separating good and bad in seals http://www.etrailer.com/Seals-for-Trailer-Bearings/TruRyde/RG06-090.html If it were me... Before you do buy anything, I would check the price of the parts for what you want and add them up. Sometimes you can get whole assembly for less then buying part by part and just have to bolt it on. If FW manufacture is going to pay I would make sure what exactly they were paying for before buying whole a new set up. Just new brake pads, no big money expense there IMO. As far as grease goes I used to use Ford super high temp grease at $12 a tube. Not anymore switched to "Supertech" as it is much cheaper and you can get at any Walmart 4$ or 5$ I think. Lithium complex, NLGI: grade 2, Droping point: 450 min and "marine grade" which only means it has 1 1/2 or 2 percent more anti-corrosion stuff than regular grease. I also made the decision to change grease because if my bearings are running more than 450 degrees it doesn't matter what type of grease I have, I've got a problem.

Brake Change Out Question | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

oldbeek
Explorer
Jan 06, 2015
I bought the complete brake assys from NAPA for around $50.00 ea in 2011. Use a size chart for Chicago rawhide seal. Measure the id and od of the seal. A good napa store can find the right CR seal by size. Get the double lip seal. Grease in dirt out.
TucsonJim
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2015
smkettner wrote:
I like Dexter. Any chance those are ez-lube style hubs? Lots of people seem to push grease past the seals on those.
Dexter claims the parts are Made in USA.

They are ez-lube, and I won't use them. I prefer to hand pack my bearings each year during the down season. Thats how I found this mess. In fact, the bearing compartment didn't seem to be over full of grease, which leads me to believe they've never been injected.

The grease seals that were installed clearly say Dexter and China on them. I always thought Dexter parts were made in the USA too. I wonder if we can call these "China Bomb" grease seals? Maybe the Chinese are out to get us RVers with bad tires and now bad grease seals. ;-)
ScottG
Nomad
Jan 06, 2015
I found that both Dexter and Alko used the same brakes and you can buy aftermarket parts that fit either.
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 06, 2015
I like Dexter. Any chance those are ez-lube style hubs? Lots of people seem to push grease past the seals on those.
Dexter claims the parts are Made in USA.

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Brake Change Out Question

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