This winter I had the place storing my camper grease the axles on my camper. Last weekend was the first trip of the year and when I got to the campsite, the center of my axle was popped out and the cover thing was flopping around.I tried to push it back on through the hole but had no luck. I figured I would just take a look when I got it back home. It looks like it just pushes on? I have never taken one of these apart to see how it works.Does it just push back on? Could it flopping around cause any damage? I would like to know what I am dealing with before I talk to the mechanic about this.It looks like it just pushes in? Why would it even come out in the first place? I have roughly 5K miles which is why I had them address the bearing. It's been fine until they went in.

Not an expert! (1) Jack up the tire and firmly Grip the tire and move it side to side. iF there is NO movement (2) remove the tire and tap the cap back in place. If you had movement your bearing are loose. REPLACE THEM...DO NOT DRIVE ANYWHERE

cyntdon2010 wrote:Not an expert! (1) Jack up the tire and firmly Grip the tire and move it side to side. it there is NO movement (2) remove the tire and tap the cap back in place. If you had movement your bearing are loose. REPLACE THEM...DO NOT DRIVE ANYWHEREListen to this advice, not only is the dust cap off, it looks like the hub is off center. Whatever you do, don't move another inch till that wheel is pulled and inspected. If you are very lucky, the cap was just a loose fit when it was hammered in. I would also inspect the other ones as well because this might have been done by professional klutz.

Wonder why it came off. Maybe to much grease could do it.

If the bearing service you mentioned was done by removing the hub from the spindle and packing the bearings individualy, most likely the mechanic just failed to install the grease cap back to it's seated position and it came loose and just needs to be tapped back into it's seated position. Just pumping grease into the bearings through the nipple should not have caused it because the excess grease just comes out around the outer edge of the hub and into the grease cap, then usually the excess is wiped off and the rubber insert is put back in place. No pressure could build up at the cap.For safety's sake I would jack up the axle under the spring hanger and roll the tire checking for excess play as described previously just to make sure the outer bearing is ok for now. If no excess play then it will be fine to tow it home.

Thanks Walter. Always have packed my bearings by removing them.

Axle question | Good Sam Community

JBarca
Nomad II
Jul 27, 2018
mike-s wrote:
The holes for the cotter pins are drilled off to the side. If they were drilled straight through, they'd hit the hole the grease goes through with the ez-lube system.

Yes, that is the reason, EZ lube. The older axles never had EZ lube so never a concern.
goducks10
Explorer
Jul 27, 2018
mike-s wrote:
The holes for the cotter pins are drilled off to the side. If they were drilled straight through, they'd hit the hole the grease goes through with the ez-lube system.

x2. I have AL-KO easy lube type spindles. The cotter pin is offset from the grease hole.
mike-s
Explorer
Jul 27, 2018
The holes for the cotter pins are drilled off to the side. If they were drilled straight through, they'd hit the hole the grease goes through with the ez-lube system.
JBarca
Nomad II
Jul 27, 2018
Jackfate wrote:
The hole that the cotter pin went through was drilled way off center on mine .I believe the tail of the cotter pin caused the cap to come off , that and the fact that the cap may have not been set in completely . I pulled off the wheel in the mud at the first campsite for this brand new unit. It’s hard to get good help!

Some axle brands the cotter pin hole is "not" drilled straight across to the other side. It is more drilled down, hard to describe but it is not straight in line with the opposite slot of the castle nut. When you insert the cotter pin on these types of drilled axles, the end of the pin comes out one castle nut slot off from directly across. The ends of the cotter pin should be wrapped up to not interfere with the grease cap. My older Alko axles are drilled like this off center. I do not know if all Alko's are like this but my 6,000# and the 5,200# I had where.

Dexter often uses a clip and no cotter pin castle nut. Lippert axles I forget exactly, I think they had a cotter pin.
Jackfate
Explorer
Jul 25, 2018
this happened to me also . The hole that the cotter pin went through was drilled way off center on mine .I believe the tail of the cotter pin caused the cap to come off , that and the fact that the cap may have not been set in completely . I pulled off the wheel in the mud at the first campsite for this brand new unit. It’s hard to get good help!
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Jul 25, 2018
I know those types of caps don’t seat as tight as the ones that don’t have the fittings.

And yes it does look off center because of the cap comes off it is no longer centered in the wheel.

I’m sure it just wasn’t seated properly.
mordecai81
Explorer
Jul 24, 2018
E-trailer sells a grease cap pounder-back-onner. I got one after "gently" tapping my caps back in place and distorted the top rim enough to where water intruded around the rubber insert and got into the outer bearing. Not the end of the world but no water is better than some.
RoyBell
Explorer
Jul 24, 2018
I had to really get the caps lined up and pounded on. I don't think they are going anywhere.
azrving
Explorer
Jul 24, 2018
Get new caps
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Jul 24, 2018
RoyBell wrote:
You can see the head of it around the 1:00 position. They were on both axles I inspected.

I feel better ! :-)

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