Like many of the newer trailers, the one that I bought in 2015 had the Zerk fitting on the axles, which I think are useless. Being that the trailer is two years old I decided to pull the brake drums and check the brakes and bearings. I found lots of grease, but most of it was useless and some was what I would consider dangerous. When I got the dust cover off, there was so much grease that I could not even see the nut and cotter key. Then when I go the drums off, the center of the hub was full of grease. Both places being a useless location for grease.What disturbed me was that there was so much grease that it was leaking past the rear seal on all four wheels, and you could see grease going down the hub and it was getting on the "armature" and the electro magnet, which operates the brakes, about 1/4 of there surfaces were coated with grease. I would consider this dangerous. Cleaned up the extra grease and cleaned off the Armature and magnet. So I feel safer now, and believe that my brakes should work better.:)

That system is great for boat trailers, but TT, I don't know.Brian

We have that on our TT and I don't use it. I take mine in for a "proper" wheel service with repacking etc..

Personally I think there's nothing inherently wrong with the system but...it seems like the assembly of these hubs and bearings is so slap-dash that the bearing surface is frequently damaged, which leads to grease leaking past the seals. Which would certainly explain why you had grease leaking past the seals when you have added none yourself.

That's how it works; it has to fill the hub area with grease before it flows al the way through and back out the front. I agree with you Dr. Quick, they are worse than useless.

Leaking seals are a known Lippert issue.

Grease every where | Good Sam Community

time2roll
Nomad
Jul 11, 2017
This is the one place where you should remove the zerk and install a plug. Then get a cap without the access port. This should prevent any service person from repeating the mistake.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 10, 2017
Grease your BOAT TRAILER wheel bearings with this stuff, launch every day, and I'll check with you again after TEN YEARS

Not sales hype. This comes from actually doing it so many times on different vehicles I lost track decades ago. This stuff STAYS PUT and has a Shell 4 Ball and Timken Load Rating test so high it makes fools out of other greases.I have been using Almargard 3752 since 1972 and smirking. Amzoil? Don't get me nauseous. I am lazy and I am cheap. Stick it in once and forget it........period.......

http://products.lelubricants.com/item/all-purpose-chassis-2/almagard-vari-purpose-lubricant-3750-3752/3752-tube
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 10, 2017
Plug N Play

Smart Hubs
flylipsdaddy
Explorer
Jul 10, 2017
My manual says 1 squirt of grease- once a year to seal the seals? Never had an issue on my 2006 25 ft 5th
fishing2
Explorer
Jun 29, 2017
Why grease it if it burns out you just wasted the grease?LOL
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Jun 27, 2017
BadgerMcAdams wrote:
The problem is that once all the space is filled with grease, any time you add an additional squirt or two, it has to go someplace. Now if grease is like water, it doesn't compress (or at least doesn't compress much). The weak spot on the whole thing is the seal at the back. The grease will squeeze through where the seal touches the spindle. Or, it will just use hydraulic action and push the seal out.

To steal the words of a great Engineer, Mr. Scott, "Ya canna break the laws of Physics!"
Actually the more pressure you put on the seal, up to a point of course, the better the seal will work. If the grease won't compress it will expand the very soft rubber plug like it's designed to do. That is the point of least resistance. Check out the schematic.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Jun 27, 2017
Lynnmor wrote:
fj12ryder wrote:
We're talking about Dexter, not Lippert.

They are all the same, for example, if it is a #84 spindle the seals and bearings are the same. Perhaps one brand might have had a bad run but the discussion can include any brand of the same type.
But the poster said "Leaking seals are a known Lippert issue." I was merely pointing out that the discussion was centered around the hubs from a different company. Because Lippert has an issue doesn't necessarily mean that Dexter has an issue also.
BadgerMcAdams
Explorer
Jun 27, 2017
The problem is that once all the space is filled with grease, any time you add an additional squirt or two, it has to go someplace. Now if grease is like water, it doesn't compress (or at least doesn't compress much). The weak spot on the whole thing is the seal at the back. The grease will squeeze through where the seal touches the spindle. Or, it will just use hydraulic action and push the seal out.

To steal the words of a great Engineer, Mr. Scott, "Ya canna break the laws of Physics!"
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jun 27, 2017
Some people are just plain dangerous w/ a grease gun.
Once a little grease comes back out the front, STOP !!
Ok, now its good for just as long as your car,...whats that, 50,000 miles ?

If you are ignorant to the subject, or lack common sense, don't ever get near a grease gun.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Jun 26, 2017
fj12ryder wrote:
We're talking about Dexter, not Lippert.

They are all the same, for example, if it is a #84 spindle the seals and bearings are the same. Perhaps one brand might have had a bad run but the discussion can include any brand of the same type.

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