How often to repack wheel bearings on TT

My dealer told us with the EZ axles put one squirt of grease per year and you should be good enough. Well, I will be doing them by hand this year anyway.

myredracer wrote:
Is NSK the company that has the made in Japan bearings I've heard of that are one of the best, or the best out there? Out of curiosity, how much does a set of quality bearings and seals cost? I'm thinking of replacing the OEM ones at the earliest possible convenience.

NSK is good (Japan)
FAG is good (Germany)
Timken (used to manufacture primarily in the USA, but has moved a lot of production to China- be extremely careful buying them now)
SKF - seems to manufacture different lines all over the world - double check the origin of the specific bearings you buy.


Pretty much any US, Japanese, or German made bearing will give you superb service life. The price premium over Chinese bearings is usually minimal.

weathershak wrote:

hotqld wrote:
I like the Dexter easylube system, it allows a grease change to be done once a year like in our case, with no tools.

Yep, the days of hand packing aren't needed with this setup.

Until you accidently pump too much grease in and it seeps out the seal and lands on your brake drum.

I know we like to support American made products, but there are quality bearings being manufactured all over the world. Just because it is American made, does not always mean top quality. Dexter is a very reputable company, and I was sure they didn't use inferior bearings. They have a reputation to withhold and I was not surprised when I found my Dexter EZ Lube hubs actually had Timken bearings. I use Lucas Red & Sticky lithium grease and despite what some have said, I have yet to blow out a rear seal on my travel or construction trailers.(9) They all have EZ Lube hubs. You have to take your time and give no more than two pumps at a time and continually rotate wheel. "THEY WORK FOR ME"

I repack the bearing when I change the blinker fluid. ;)

I do the EZ-Lubes once or twice a year.

Good source for bearings: vxb.com

Repack min. annually at which time it's good to inspect the bearings closely as well. Bearing quality isn't as good as it could be or ought to be and they can't be trusted.

We've got the EZ-lube axles but I'm still not sure if they are all that great and won't use them. There's pros and cons and some that love them and some that don't. *Maybe* if you are doing a lot of miles but there is the risk of blowing a seal and contaminating the brakes that would worry me. Dexter says to remove the EZ-lube hubs to inspect the bearings every 12 months or 12K miles.

Shadow Catcher wrote:
I replaced the stock Dexter bearings with NSK bearings and seals and used Amsoil synthetic grease hand packed and do not plan on redoing them for a few years.

Is NSK the company that has the made in Japan bearings I've heard of that are one of the best, or the best out there? Out of curiosity, how much does a set of quality bearings and seals cost? I'm thinking of replacing the OEM ones at the earliest possible convenience.

hotqld wrote:
I like the Dexter easylube system, it allows a grease change to be done once a year like in our case, with no tools.

Yep, the days of hand packing aren't needed with this setup.

I like the Dexter easylube system, it allows a grease change to be done once a year like in our case, with no tools.

There is a probable difference in the bearings used in the vast majority of trailers and in an automobile. There are different grades of roller bearings and all of the bearings I have seen including those from Dexter are from China and of unknown quality. There are also different types of grease with different characteristics. I replaced the stock Dexter bearings with NSK bearings and seals and used Amsoil synthetic grease hand packed and do not plan on redoing them for a few years. We will not be fording streams or out west on dirt roads for years and I will check hub temperatures and adjust breaks, (how many have the tool to do that and remember how).