EZ Lube question

Yep, I had to add a bunch of grease on mine until it started coming out when my trailer was new. Certainly was not completely filled at the factory.

Don't be fooled into thinking that since a trailer/fifth wheel is new, the factory got it right with amount of grease or axle nut torque specifications.

If you do a search on bearings on this excellent forum, you will see sometimes the factory failed to put enough grease in the bearings, hubs, or over-tighten the main castle nut, which happened to me.

One of my axle castle/axle nuts were on so tight it took me and my adult son, along with an long handle on a wrench, to break it loose.

Had I not checked and caught this condition, no doubt the outer and inner bearings would have failed, leaving me and my wife on the side of the road or worse.

For what is worth. Our trailer has the grease fitting in the axel. The first two years I added grease per instructions before we left on a trip for the summer. The second year I lost a wheel bearing. Learned that you cannot always mix different brands of grease. Also, the beginning of the third year I removed the wheels to inspect and replaced a couple of bearings and races. I have lost a wheel bearing every summer that I just added grease. Last year I did not remove the wheels and lost a bearing. This year I removed the wheels and found three bad bearings. Also, found one seal that leaked grease into the brakes. It is always the small outer bearing that goes. I have several trailers and the travel trailer is the only one that eats bearings.

I always just squirt a few pumps in the ez zerk and don't worry about it,, so far so good...

spike99 wrote:
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A = B = C.

If Dexter Maintenance schedule states to inspect their inner brake drum parts at xx miles internals and one does NOT remove the brake drum, then how does this task get properly done? For years and years, I've read about folks who squirt / squirt their grease zerks and totally ignore the inner brake drum inspections task. A = B = C. re: Inner brake drum inspections (cleanings) at xxx miles = removing the brake hub = re-greasing its bearings as well. If one only squirts / squirts, then how does the inner brake drum parts get inspected &/or cleaned? An area that many folks are ignoring.

And yes, I re-pack my brakes my hand. Grease on the hands - just like an over priced certified mechanic charges. Money saved (by doing it myself) does help pay for my kids future college/university courses. And, I know its done properly. Certified with a

hang over = 1/2 done job. Or, they sometimes squirt/squirt and say they did it properly

by removing each hub. I do it myself - to ensure its done properly.

I am from the old school way,but am happy that engineering came to this point. After all vehicles normally were repacked at 2years or 24000 miles for years.! JMHO jb

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A = B = C.

If Dexter Maintenance schedule states to inspect their inner brake drum parts at xx miles internals and one does NOT remove the brake drum, then how does this task get properly done? For years and years, I've read about folks who squirt / squirt their grease zerks and totally ignore the inner brake drum inspections task. A = B = C. re: Inner brake drum inspections (cleanings) at xxx miles = removing the brake hub = re-greasing its bearings as well. If one only squirts / squirts, then how does the inner brake drum parts get inspected &/or cleaned? An area that many folks are ignoring.

And yes, I re-pack my brakes my hand. Grease on the hands - just like an over priced certified mechanic charges. Money saved (by doing it myself) does help pay for my kids future college/university courses. And, I know its done properly. Certified with a hang over = 1/2 done job. Or, they sometimes squirt/squirt and say they did it properly by removing each hub. I do it myself - to ensure its done properly.

Some misconceptions here as to how the system works. One Poster wants to know "where all that old grease goes?" With either EZ Lube (Dexter) or Ultrulube (AlKo Kober) the grease being forced into the zerk fitting exits the drilled spindle behind the inner wheel bearing but inside of the wheel seal. Grease is thus forced through the inner bearing between the rollers and the cage (same as either hand or machine "packing") and forward into the hub cavity. Once the hub cavity is full grease is then forced through the outer wheel bearing between the rollers and the cage. Only when grease is freely squeezing out between the spindle end and the hub cap is the outer bearing fully packed.

For four years and 35,000mi I did nothing other than periodically apply a few pumps of grease to each zerk. Then I threw away the whole mess and replaced it with new since the magnets had worn heavy grooves in the armature surfaces of the drums causing braking action to be variable and thus unreliable. I did hand pack the new wheel bearings before assembly (some sense of tradition?) but then pumped grease through anyway. The periodic application of several pumps of grease is all I will do until it is time for the next brake job. I really wish trailer manufacturers would get modern and start using sealed bearings like autos have been using for years.

Lew

Hand packed?Are you guys saying put a glob of grease on the palm of your hand and pushing the bearing through the grease like they did in 1921?A work bench mounted bearing packer takes about 30 secs. to do 8 bearings plus much more efficient.Or take the bearings to your local auto repair shop a pay him to do it the right way.

I wonder how often folks repack the wheel bearings on their cars?
Of course, many cars today have sealed bearings.
I think the EZ Lube is a great system if used properly. I will only remove the hubs when I think it is necessary to check the brakes. When that occurs, the bearings will get repacked by hand.

Great input from all responders. Since I had the wheel hib removed and the bearings repacked at about 2000 miles and I have less than 6000 easy road miles, I'm doing the EZ Lube process. Got two done in about an hour..the other side I'll do later today when I'm in the shade. One question from this new guy at this..There is some new grease remaining in the cavity behind the rubber seal that covers the zerk fitting. I've wiped it out significantly, but because it is sealed with the rubber cap, can't see that it can go anywhere but within the zerk cavity? What's your take on this?