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Dr_Quick's avatar
Dr_Quick
Explorer II
Jun 26, 2017

Grease every where

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'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.
  • 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.
  • We have that on our TT and I don't use it. I take mine in for a "proper" wheel service with repacking etc..
  • That system is great for boat trailers, but TT, I don't know.
    Brian

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