EZ lube spindle and bearing repack question

GOSH! Only 32 answers. Please pick the correct one that most answers your question or the "Correct Police" will be onto you. AHHH! I just got home and haven't unhooked and I'm a GOM!! Grumpy Ol Man. I pack mine every 2 years or when I change tires.

I got lazy this spring and used the ez lube system. Result from two trailers... 3 out of 6 seals failed and loaded grease on my brakes. Never again.

After 2 years, I decided to hand pack the bearings on my EZ-Lube axles. There was plenty of grease in each hub, but when I saw how much grease is just sitting there doing nothing, I was glad I was repacking by hand. Much prefer that, and it doesn't take too long. In addition, as others have said, I feel better seeing the condition of everything else there.

UPDATE...Over the weekend, I thoroughly cleaned and repacked my bearings by hand. Bear in mind, I bought my camper brand new a little more than a year ago. 3 of the hub's bearings had a decent amount of grease in them, but the fourth barely had any. The bearings themselves looked perfect. Three of the four seals had leaked a little grease into the brakes area, but thankfully had not gotten on the drum or brake pads. I was able to clean up the grease. I cleaned and repacked all bearings by hand, replaced with new seals, and never touched the grease gun. I readjusted the brakes. I also checked the bolts that hold the brake assemblies backing plate to the axle. On 2 of these backing plates, the nuts were just barely finger tight. I snugged these up good. For a few hours work, I feel better about the situation.

More power to those who can and do perform the TV and TT maintenance themselves, at least they know who to blame.

Most folks are quite content to leave the repairs to the Pros while they attend their day to day issues.

I quite crawling under cars for a face full of rust, about the time Midas and others started their lifetime muffler guarantees. It is the same for oil changes, tire rotations, fluid levels, cab and air filter checks that now come standard with those high dollar oil changes.

I did all that when I was a kid and had too and I still do some if I need to. Given the choice I will let the Pros do it. Of course the real trick there is to find the right Pro.

I've got EZ Lube hubs and have followed these debates for several years. While I agree the system works as advertised when done properly, I also agree with the others who say to pull the hubs, inspect, and hand pack as that is the only way you will ever catch a problem that might not even be related to the EZ Lube system. Maybe pull the hubs every other time?

im a firm believer in the diassemble, inspect and fix as needed every year, depending on how far you travel of course

to me, the biggest difference between the trailer and the tow vehicle is that you cant sense when things are going downhill. if you get a bad bearing or badly worn brakes on the tv, you'll know it. bad bearings can be heard on a car or truck, bad brakes can be felt in the pedal or heard. you don't get that feedback from a trailer, the first indication of trouble on a trailer usually comes too late for an easy fix

we travel 10000 km a year with the trailer, annual inspections make for peace of mind. its a two hour job every spring and I keep some spare parts with me, a magnet, couple of seals, a set of bearings, again just for peace of mind

msg deleted

BB_TX wrote:

soren wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
When done correctly the EZ Lube system works fine. I have used mine multiple times and no grease past the seals. Pump slow while continuously turning the wheel until new grease starts coming out the front of the hub exactly as Dexter says and the videos show and it works.

Some people have said they bought a new rig that came with EZ Lube and grease on the brakes showing even the manufacturing person used it incorrectly, probably using a pneumatic grease gun, or pumping a manual gun hard and fast. But often they are paid bonuses for making daily quota numbers and speed is money.

Many who criticize the system have never actually used it themselves.

Many years ago, when these things first came out, they were a sales lizard's dream. I can't count home many times one of those lying belly crawlers looked me in the eye and said, "The axles are now nearly maintenance free. Every spring you give them a few pumps with a grease gun and you are good to go!" Really? How does that manage to visually inspect the drums for cracks, the shoes for even wear, thickness and contamination, the star adjusters for proper tension, the magnets for even wear and function, and the bearings and races for wear and proper lubrication? This list, BTW is what every competent mechanic is doing while repacking bearings.

I have had a new TT with ez-scam axles and grease blown all over a brake drum, right from the factory. I can't even begin to imagine how many trailers are out there with wildly misadjusted brakes and/or grease saturated shoes, since the marketing of ez-scam hubs began..........

Those juvenile "sales lizards", "lying belly crawlers", and "ez-scam" terms really enhance your arguments and make them more believable. :S

Don't take this too hard, but I'm a big fan of the truth, and really couldn't give a rat's behind what your opinion is. If calling RV salesmen a bunch of liars is "juvenile" well, you must of led a pretty special existence, so far. Since, it's a pretty harsh world out there, and buying a typical piece of scrap RV from a less than honest, far from Boy Scout caliber, upstanding individual, is a bit more common than you might believe. I have also towed various trailers for hundreds of thousands of miles, over decades and spent exactly nothing on repairs or maintenance at dealers, having done it all myself, so I guess that makes me pretty clueless, on this topic, eh?

When it comes to ez-scams, well just keep on pumping, they work great.

BB_TX wrote:

soren wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
When done correctly the EZ Lube system works fine. I have used mine multiple times and no grease past the seals. Pump slow while continuously turning the wheel until new grease starts coming out the front of the hub exactly as Dexter says and the videos show and it works.

Some people have said they bought a new rig that came with EZ Lube and grease on the brakes showing even the manufacturing person used it incorrectly, probably using a pneumatic grease gun, or pumping a manual gun hard and fast. But often they are paid bonuses for making daily quota numbers and speed is money.

Many who criticize the system have never actually used it themselves.

Many years ago, when these things first came out, they were a sales lizard's dream. I can't count home many times one of those lying belly crawlers looked me in the eye and said, "The axles are now nearly maintenance free. Every spring you give them a few pumps with a grease gun and you are good to go!" Really? How does that manage to visually inspect the drums for cracks, the shoes for even wear, thickness and contamination, the star adjusters for proper tension, the magnets for even wear and function, and the bearings and races for wear and proper lubrication? This list, BTW is what every competent mechanic is doing while repacking bearings.

I have had a new TT with ez-scam axles and grease blown all over a brake drum, right from the factory. I can't even begin to imagine how many trailers are out there with wildly misadjusted brakes and/or grease saturated shoes, since the marketing of ez-scam hubs began..........

Those juvenile "sales lizards", "lying belly crawlers", and "ez-scam" terms really enhance your arguments and make them more believable. :S

soren has a firm grip on reality. Those that keep their heads jammed in a dark place will never discover problems until it is too late.