Two years ago, and with our previous trailer, we had a miserable and expensive bearing failure while 4k miles from home. At the time, we had buddy bearings and were under the impression that they did the job. I have since been educated (expensively) that Buddy Bearings will not grease the inner bearings.Fast forward to new and current trailer. We are taking a 6k mile trip this summer. Even though the trailer is one year and less than 2k miles old, we were willing to pay for a complete repacking. Yesterday, I went to the trailer shop where I met some very courteous and knowledgeable guys. The owner has had the trailer manufacturing business since the 70's. They immediately said that my trailer has Dexter axles (the Mercedes of axles according to them) and they would just pump grease into the grease fitting. I was alarmed, as doing that had terrible consequences for me the last time. He pulled out a demo that he had and showed how the Dexter EZlube worked. It looked like it would logically work much better, but I want absolute assurance that our trip is going to go smooth this summer. Question: Should I trust this improved way of greasing or still have the bearings repacked by hand? Of course I would have more piece of mind with the hand packing, but I would still prefer to save the $200 if I'm being silly.Also, I picked up a complete bearing kit that I will grease and put in a ziplock as our spare. That alone will be more piece of mind.Here's a video that shows what the mechanic explained to me.Dexter EZ-Lube

Yep. With the Dexter EZ-lube you only need to add fresh grease and clean-up the old grease as it comes out. It's actually better than manual re-packing, since the new grease fills all the voids as it displaces the old grease.Of course, bearings sometimes fail even with proper lubrication, but I think you are fine with the mechanic's approach.

I followed the direction on how to lube Dexter ezlube the first year I had my trailer. Took a lot of grease the first time I did it. Had tires off ground, turned wheel slowly while lubing hub with hand pump grease gun. It was real easy. The next year, as recommended by Dexter, I remove the drums to inspect the brakes. To my surprise, 3 of 4 wheels had grease leak past seal and on brake shoes. I had to get new shoes and clean the mess up. I called Dexter and the gentleman on the phone said the hubs were design for boat trailers, but the rv industry has jumped on them as a sale pitch. He still recommends packing by hand. I would never ever grease with gun again. Hand pack every year. Just feel much safer when I need to stop trailer.

Just beware that E-Z Lube will let grease and the separated oil past the inner seal, then it coats the brake shoes and magnets. Bought a new fiver that has E-Z lubes on. After several years of use I took a hub off to check. Well there was so much grease in the hub from Dexter that it pushed thru, now remember there was never a grease gun on this trailer. Disassembled everything, cleaned up the Dexter cluster, and went old school, packed the bearings myself. And I have seen other E-Z Lube hubs in the same condition. It is a marketing ploy on the RV manufactures and dealers to make it "look easy". IMHO

Since you mention Mercedes, this is the brand I treat my family to and all of them, no matter if at 150,000 or 300,000 miles are still having only factory grease in wheel bearings. Trailers have poorer seals, what let the dust and moisture enter the bearings, therefore recommendation for repacking, but if you have better axle where manufacturer does not require repacking, I would follow the manual. On my utility trailer I never repack bearings in 25 years. Have grease fitting on it and just pump grease in. For some time used the trailer for PWC, so the wheels went under the water occasionally. No problem if you keep the hubs filled up with grease.

Wait until you get 10,000 miles on it and repack by hand.

Advised not to repack bearings??? | Good Sam Community

Blacklane
Explorer
Apr 02, 2016
Yep. With the Dexter EZ-lube you only need to add fresh grease and clean-up the old grease as it comes out. It's actually better than manual re-packing, since the new grease fills all the voids as it displaces the old grease.

Of course, bearings sometimes fail even with proper lubrication, but I think you are fine with the mechanic's approach.
Itakethe5th2011
Explorer
Apr 02, 2016
I followed the direction on how to lube Dexter ezlube the first year I had my trailer. Took a lot of grease the first time I did it. Had tires off ground, turned wheel slowly while lubing hub with hand pump grease gun. It was real easy. The next year, as recommended by Dexter, I remove the drums to inspect the brakes. To my surprise, 3 of 4 wheels had grease leak past seal and on brake shoes. I had to get new shoes and clean the mess up. I called Dexter and the gentleman on the phone said the hubs were design for boat trailers, but the rv industry has jumped on them as a sale pitch. He still recommends packing by hand. I would never ever grease with gun again. Hand pack every year. Just feel much safer when I need to stop trailer.
bobsallyh
Explorer II
Apr 02, 2016
Just beware that E-Z Lube will let grease and the separated oil past the inner seal, then it coats the brake shoes and magnets. Bought a new fiver that has E-Z lubes on. After several years of use I took a hub off to check. Well there was so much grease in the hub from Dexter that it pushed thru, now remember there was never a grease gun on this trailer. Disassembled everything, cleaned up the Dexter cluster, and went old school, packed the bearings myself. And I have seen other E-Z Lube hubs in the same condition. It is a marketing ploy on the RV manufactures and dealers to make it "look easy". IMHO
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Apr 02, 2016
Since you mention Mercedes, this is the brand I treat my family to and all of them, no matter if at 150,000 or 300,000 miles are still having only factory grease in wheel bearings.
Trailers have poorer seals, what let the dust and moisture enter the bearings, therefore recommendation for repacking, but if you have better axle where manufacturer does not require repacking, I would follow the manual.
On my utility trailer I never repack bearings in 25 years. Have grease fitting on it and just pump grease in. For some time used the trailer for PWC, so the wheels went under the water occasionally. No problem if you keep the hubs filled up with grease.
bgum
Explorer
Apr 02, 2016
Wait until you get 10,000 miles on it and repack by hand.
4aSong
Explorer
Apr 02, 2016
I have heard that they make axle seals with a inner double seal which some have used successfully.
midnightsadie
Explorer II
Apr 02, 2016
IF you pump to much grease in it will push past the seal and ruin your brakes, this is what a lot of people do, in this case more is not better. dexters work great if used right. if you pack the cavite full it,ll expand and ruin your brakes
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Apr 02, 2016
You can put ten seals inline and the pressure from a grease gun will defeat every last one of them. While Quicksilver has oil-filled Stemco front bearings, thank god, I use superb grease, repack once then can go several hundred thousand miles.

Almagard 3752 from Lubrication Engineers will do this, even on a seawater launch boat trailer. When I wrenched in the early seventies, I did several hundred vehicles with this stuff and today a 3-axle trailer that has gone over a million miles has the same untouched 1971 Almargard 3752. A friend owns it and he sneers at a suggestion of using another brand of grease.

Do it once, then go onto more exciting things. I have better things to do than worry and dwell on wheel bearings.
BB_TX
Nomad
Apr 02, 2016
The EZ Lube do work as advertised when done properly, that is pump slowly, do not force it, keep the wheels turning constantly while pumping, and the grease will flow thru the inner bearing, thru the hub center, and out thru the outer bearing. It is, and should be, a fairly slow process. Don't rush it, don't force it. I think the mistake people make is getting impatient, in a hurry, and over pressurizing the pumping action. I have done mine several times and no grease past the rear seal.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Apr 02, 2016
midnightsadie wrote:
IF you pump to much grease in it will push past the seal and ruin your brakes, this is what a lot of people do, in this case more is not better. dexters work great if used right. if you pack the cavite full it,ll expand and ruin your brakes
This is misinformation about the EZ Lube axles. You cannot pump too much grease into the axle, excess grease will be pushed out the front of the wheel/hub assembly. That is how they are designed to work. You can force grease past the rear seal, as has been noted a grease gun can create enough pressure to defeat most passive grease seals. Using an air operated grease gun on these axles will, IMO, guarantee that grease will find its way past the seals and into the brakes.

I have to admit that I don't understand why trailer bearings supposedly need to be removed, cleaned, and inspected frequently while my car/truck wheel bearings haven't been touched in hundreds of thousands of miles and still work. They both use Timkin-style bearings and should be good for a very, very long time.

I also don't know why the EZ Lube axle is necessary for a trailer that doesn't see regular immersion in water.

I have worked with large equipment that use Timkin-style bearings on large diameter shafts and flywheels. These often run 24/7 for a year between servicings, and do very well.

Is it the side loads on trailer wheel bearings, poor quality bearings, or some other issue?