Wheel Bearings

[Bluedog]

I have a 28 ft. TT and had the wheels bearings completely serviced in 2019. I have used the trailer only twice since then for 2 trips of 400 miles total.
I would like to make another trip of about equal mileage but my regular establishment has changed hands and only handles automobiles so will not work on a TT.
I conversed with the local RV dealer and he is booked up until late September. He advised that since there are only few miles since servicing to take the end caps off (these are E-Z Lube), shoot some grease in and call it good.
My understanding is that this is a no-no and especially since they have not been disassembled for 3 years. I know the recommendation is for 1 year but have had TT's for 20 years and never followed that time frame. I did the whole thing every 2 years and had no trouble. But they were not E-Z Lube.

Need advice!

[Gdetrailer]

aftermath wrote:
I purchased a used Airstream and took it in to the local dealer to have them check the bearings and the brakes. I have done this on my 55 Chevy, 64 VW, 62 Chevy and 64 Ford PU. Not really all that complicated but I had no experience with the electric brakes on the trailer. Remember this is a dealer who seldom worries about charging high prices. I asked them how often I should have the bearings repacked and he said, every 10K miles. More often, unless you consider this a hobby isn't really needed.
As far as EZ Lube axles, I am not a fan. I think these are the improved version of Bearing Buddies that were designed for boat trailers. Do you back you trailer into the lake? No worries, just use our Bearing Buddies and you will be fine. We installed a zert to pack more grease so you will never run dry! IF, and I really mean If, you follow the recommendations and guidelines with your EZ lube setup you should be fine. I think more people than you think, just pack the bearings full and feel good about things.

EZ lube setup was an improvement over bearing buddies which was originally designed for use on boat trailers where the entire wheel along with brakes and bearings get submerged in water immediately after a drive on the road.

The sudden cold water dunk at the boat ramp causes the heated air, grease and even bearings inside the hub to contract, the contraction then pulls water from the river or lake right into the bearing space.. That water then degrades the grease and eventually rusts and damages the bearing surfaces..

The idea is if you fill the entire cavity with grease, then you arrest most of the reasons why water can get pulled in from the river or lake.

Bearing buddy only worked up to the point the grease seal could no longer hold back the grease and the extra grease ended up on your brakes.

EZ Lubes were simply adopted by trailer manufacturers for non boat trailer uses because of the appeal to the RV masses of "never ever needing to remove the drums".

RVs since you are not submerging the wheel and bearings in cold water bath are more about the marketing aspect to the lazy or less knowledgeable folks.

It is a sales gimmick on RVs.

The reality is you STILL have to eventually pull the drums to INSPECT the brake shoes and all moving parts inside the drum periodically. EZ lube does not negate the need to inspect and replace wear items like brake shoes or drums.

As I have mentioned I have a TT with standard axles and a flatbed with EZ Lube.. I personally have a hate for EZ Lube when it comes time to remove the drum.

In PA we have to take trailers of 3,001 lbs GVWR and higher in for a annual safety inspection. Inspection mechanic is required to pull one drum on each side at the inspection.

One yr I had a mechanic pump two cartridges of grease into the EZ lubes over two axles.. While I appreciated his thoughtfulness, I was in hate mode the next yr when I pulled the drums to check things before I took it in for inspection.. Took a dozen gloves and a complete roll of shop towels to clean out the excess grease and to prevent the unneeded grease from getting on the brakes or drum surfaces.

I like to be proactive and repair things before I drag a trailer for a 40 mile round trip for inspection.. Hate having a rejection then have to drag back home, fix and return..

Bearings properly hand packed only takes at most 1-2 ounces of grease per bearing, not the half cartridge of EZ lube per wheel..

[aftermath]

I purchased a used Airstream and took it in to the local dealer to have them check the bearings and the brakes. I have done this on my 55 Chevy, 64 VW, 62 Chevy and 64 Ford PU. Not really all that complicated but I had no experience with the electric brakes on the trailer. Remember this is a dealer who seldom worries about charging high prices. I asked them how often I should have the bearings repacked and he said, every 10K miles. More often, unless you consider this a hobby isn't really needed.
As far as EZ Lube axles, I am not a fan. I think these are the improved version of Bearing Buddies that were designed for boat trailers. Do you back you trailer into the lake? No worries, just use our Bearing Buddies and you will be fine. We installed a zert to pack more grease so you will never run dry! IF, and I really mean If, you follow the recommendations and guidelines with your EZ lube setup you should be fine. I think more people than you think, just pack the bearings full and feel good about things.

[Gdetrailer]

As a side note, types of grease and mixing different thickener types is not just a RV thing, it affects pretty much anything the requires thickened lubrication..

Ironically found a good discussion on a non RV forum that started about the time this thread was started..

HERE

[Gdetrailer]

opnspaces wrote:


...Hooked up my brand new TT at the dealer with my brand new WD hitch and brand new ball with no grease. Towed trailer 30 miles home. When I unhitched the ball was galled. I added grease and 17 years later I have not had any more galling and I'm still using the same ball...

Yep, that will do it.

Only takes a very light "film" of grease and does not need repeated unless you wiped off the grease from ball and hitch socket.

I used maybe about the size of a small pea, smear it around the ball and call it good for many many yrs.. The grease spreads around the ball and hitch socket and stays there for yrs unless you clean it off.

The light grease film gives just enough lubrication to reduce metal to metal friction contact which reduces galling or wear.

No need to reapply and reapply gobs of grease each time you use it which I think was Klutches gripe and to that, he does have a point..

But that is a hole nuther can - o - worms hot button topic subject on this forum :E

[klutchdust]

opnspaces wrote:
Gotta say Klutchdust you missed on this one.

I don't grease the ball on my popup, never have. One night I saw the lights flicker when I hit bumps in the road. Turns out the ground wire in the 4 pin was broken. Fixed the ground wire and the flickering was gone. So I will agree with you on no grease on he ball on a lightweight trailer. But disagree with grounding the trailer through the ball.

Hooked up my brand new TT at the dealer with my brand new WD hitch and brand new ball with no grease. Towed trailer 30 miles home. When I unhitched the ball was galled. I added grease and 17 years later I have not had any more galling and I'm still using the same ball.

1996 and 2001 Suburban (yes I like and drive older vehicles). Doors start to make screeching and popping noise when opening and closing. Some careful application of white grease at the hinges and limiter and the noise is gone.

1977 Bronco, with doors you have to use your thumb to push button in to open the door. I have no problem with it but the wife and kids struggle to open the door. I disassembled the door latch, cleaned it up and white greased it making sure to not get grease anywhere that would transfer to the latch pin. 8 years later the door is still easy for women with small hands to open.

1996 Suburban, I pull the hood release lever and nothing happens. I have to have a kid pull and hold the lever while I lift the hood. This gets old after a while. So rather than spending $30 on a new latch I clean the old one and apply some white grease. Hood latch was still working 5 years later when I sold the truck.

I do have to agree with you on the greasy pants from the greasy ball though. That is annoying, but you learn pretty quickly how to avoid it. I also do like Gdetrailer and use a plastic grocery store bag to tie over the hitch at camp and the problem is solved.

What is it about using grease on moving parts that you are opposed to?

Nothing when done properly. Not a lot of that based on the comments lately.

[opnspaces]

Gotta say Klutchdust you missed on this one.

I don't grease the ball on my popup, never have. One night I saw the lights flicker when I hit bumps in the road. Turns out the ground wire in the 4 pin was broken. Fixed the ground wire and the flickering was gone. So I will agree with you on no grease on he ball on a lightweight trailer. But disagree with grounding the trailer through the ball.

Hooked up my brand new TT at the dealer with my brand new WD hitch and brand new ball with no grease. Towed trailer 30 miles home. When I unhitched the ball was galled. I added grease and 17 years later I have not had any more galling and I'm still using the same ball.

1996 and 2001 Suburban (yes I like and drive older vehicles). Doors start to make screeching and popping noise when opening and closing. Some careful application of white grease at the hinges and limiter and the noise is gone.

1977 Bronco, with doors you have to use your thumb to push button in to open the door. I have no problem with it but the wife and kids struggle to open the door. I disassembled the door latch, cleaned it up and white greased it making sure to not get grease anywhere that would transfer to the latch pin. 8 years later the door is still easy for women with small hands to open.

1996 Suburban, I pull the hood release lever and nothing happens. I have to have a kid pull and hold the lever while I lift the hood. This gets old after a while. So rather than spending $30 on a new latch I clean the old one and apply some white grease. Hood latch was still working 5 years later when I sold the truck.

I do have to agree with you on the greasy pants from the greasy ball though. That is annoying, but you learn pretty quickly how to avoid it. I also do like Gdetrailer and use a plastic grocery store bag to tie over the hitch at camp and the problem is solved.

What is it about using grease on moving parts that you are opposed to?

[Gdetrailer]

klutchdust wrote:
And my favorite, the one that lubes the ball before he drops his trailer coupler on it.
ahhh, the "peace of mind" thinker with lights flickering as he loses ground between his vehicles..

While I can't argue about the rest of your rant, this part is off the charts incorrect.

The ground is established via 4 pin, 6 pin or 7 pin connector from tow vehicle to trailer, not through the ball.

Any lights "flickering" most likely is a poor ground connection on the lights end, often manufactures take short cuts and ground the lights near by to any metal they can find..

Bad electrical contacts in the plug, socket or wires can cause flickering also..

But ball, no, good design calls for using a ground pin on the plug and socket.

As far as greasing the ball, yes, I do since it cuts down on friction to the ball and the hitch parts and makes hitching and unhitching a breeze.. I never leave the hitch in the vehicle receiver, as those are rich targets for thieves and hitch parts are not cheap to replace. I remove it, use a free plastic bag from any store and wrap it around the ball.. So, no, I don't get grease on my legs or clothing..

When I go to use the hitch again, remove the plastic bag and discard in the trash..

[mosseater]

JRscooby wrote:

klutchdust wrote:

mosseater wrote:
EZ Lube is a waste of grease. If you've ever taken one apart that had been used to the mfg'er directions you would see why. Hand pack and move on with your life. Spend the extra time and money on beer and travel.

EZ lube components are for those that probably should not have a grease gun in their hand anyway. The man that pumps grease in his tie rod ends until the seals pop, the over luber on his u joints with grease smears under his truck. And my favorite, the one that lubes the ball before he drops his trailer coupler on it.
ahhh, the "peace of mind" thinker with lights flickering as he loses ground between his vehicles, the pants trasher after he brushes up against his ball grease. The rim smearer from all the grease he pumped into those hubs, the leaky seal guy with a mess underneath. The hood latch with the white grease on it, the door jamb greaser and slide luber, collecting dirt and grinding things to a halt. That guy....
the trailer stabilizers with the oil all over the screws, the front jack that resembles an oil derrick, yeah that guy, the EZ lube guy.

Just asked neighbor that even though I appreciate the afternoon iced coffee's she may want to hold off for awhile. Feeling good today as my trailer gets to come to the front of the property tomorrow, the first since March after knee surgery, and the trout stream calls....

One line makes the whole post nonsense to me. If you thing trailer lights should flicker because of lube on the ball, I question your opinion on vehicle care.
Back when I was 9-10 YO I was told to grease the disk before taking it to work. I pumped until I saw grease on every 1 of the bearings. I was told "grease is the cheapest part you can buy" Pump grease until you see clean grease. Part of the idea is get the dirt out.
My trucks, working local the drive line was greased twice a week. Bed hinges and ends of hoist, every night. I owned/worked trucks from 1971 until 2011. Sometimes as many as 8. In all that time, I broke many U-joints, bent tie-roads, but never had any wear out.
As far as lube on door hinges, latches and such. If you only keep snot for a few years, it will likely be the next owner will be the 1s to deal with doors that sag enough to beat the latches to make doors rattle.

As for the EZ Lube hubs; I can't see any way to clean all the dirty grease out of bearings.

I can agree with most of this. I've been lubricating things that move for a very long time, trailer bearings not the least of it. Like most things, there is a way to do it correctly and a way not to. The whole subject strikes me as a valuable learning experience, but it's an uphill battle when a huge corporation has people convinced this is right up there with sliced bread. EZ lube and sliced bread are not even distant cousins IMO.

[JRscooby]

klutchdust wrote:

mosseater wrote:
EZ Lube is a waste of grease. If you've ever taken one apart that had been used to the mfg'er directions you would see why. Hand pack and move on with your life. Spend the extra time and money on beer and travel.

EZ lube components are for those that probably should not have a grease gun in their hand anyway. The man that pumps grease in his tie rod ends until the seals pop, the over luber on his u joints with grease smears under his truck. And my favorite, the one that lubes the ball before he drops his trailer coupler on it.
ahhh, the "peace of mind" thinker with lights flickering as he loses ground between his vehicles, the pants trasher after he brushes up against his ball grease. The rim smearer from all the grease he pumped into those hubs, the leaky seal guy with a mess underneath. The hood latch with the white grease on it, the door jamb greaser and slide luber, collecting dirt and grinding things to a halt. That guy....
the trailer stabilizers with the oil all over the screws, the front jack that resembles an oil derrick, yeah that guy, the EZ lube guy.

Just asked neighbor that even though I appreciate the afternoon iced coffee's she may want to hold off for awhile. Feeling good today as my trailer gets to come to the front of the property tomorrow, the first since March after knee surgery, and the trout stream calls....

One line makes the whole post nonsense to me. If you thing trailer lights should flicker because of lube on the ball, I question your opinion on vehicle care.
Back when I was 9-10 YO I was told to grease the disk before taking it to work. I pumped until I saw grease on every 1 of the bearings. I was told "grease is the cheapest part you can buy" Pump grease until you see clean grease. Part of the idea is get the dirt out.
My trucks, working local the drive line was greased twice a week. Bed hinges and ends of hoist, every night. I owned/worked trucks from 1971 until 2011. Sometimes as many as 8. In all that time, I broke many U-joints, bent tie-roads, but never had any wear out.
As far as lube on door hinges, latches and such. If you only keep snot for a few years, it will likely be the next owner will be the 1s to deal with doors that sag enough to beat the latches to make doors rattle.

As for the EZ Lube hubs; I can't see any way to clean all the dirty grease out of bearings.

[klutchdust]

mosseater wrote:
EZ Lube is a waste of grease. If you've ever taken one apart that had been used to the mfg'er directions you would see why. Hand pack and move on with your life. Spend the extra time and money on beer and travel.

EZ lube components are for those that probably should not have a grease gun in their hand anyway.

[Grit_dog]

JRscooby wrote:


Actually no. Twice, the same NTC engine, needed bearings in the spring after mostly setting for winter. Oil sample the 3rd spring warned of contamination. My pickup rarely runs 1000 miles 2 months in a row. I have changed the oil when it had been in there 3 months, but used less than 500 miles.

Huh?

[opnspaces]

klutchdust wrote:

opnspaces wrote:
I would go on vacation and not give it a second thought. A repack every year is way overkill. I think I have repacked mine every 5 years possibly more.

And when you did, how did they look?
my guess is, they looked pretty good, but since I have the wheel off......

Honestly they looked like they didn't need to be touched at all. But then again my trailer is a weekender. It's a good year if it sees 800-1,000 miles. When life gets in the way that number drops to around 40 miles.

[Grit_dog]

mosseater wrote:
EZ Lube is a waste of grease. If you've ever taken one apart that had been used to the mfg'er directions you would see why. Hand pack and move on with your life. Spend the extra time and money on beer and travel.

Do you track your grease budget or something?
EZ lubes work great. Are you saying that you end up with more grease than absolutely necessary in the hub, or something even less significant than that?

Or is it just the typical geezer.net "them new fangled contraptions like EeeZeeeLoob are nothin but a mess. Back in my day, we disassembled the Model A hubs every other fortnight and cleaned the grease out with our tongues before hand applying Sinclair bearing lube with a wooden spoon." type comments.

[mosseater]

EZ Lube is a waste of grease. If you've ever taken one apart that had been used to the mfg'er directions you would see why. Hand pack and move on with your life. Spend the extra time and money on beer and travel.

[PButler96]

I'll take an Advil cocktail with a Tylenol chaser.

I'd like to solve Pat.