Wheel Bearings?

roo crew · 08-06-2010, 10:11 PM

We purchased a 2011 Rockwood Roo 233S in Mid July. Our first trip was to Moab UT and the Grand Canyon. Fantastic Trip!!! Our Dealer asked us to check the bearings and grease them at 1500 and 3000 miles. When we arrived at Utah and set up I pulled the rubber cover on the right front bearing to find that the space was fullof grease and the grease fitting was laying in the rubber cover. I screwed the fitting back in and greased it. I then pulled the right rear to find the fitting still in but loose and grease was leaking around the fitting. I tightened it and greased it. The left front fitting was loose but no grease was leaking. I tightened and greased. The left rear was tight and clean. I checked them periodically on the return trip to Indiana but did not have any further issues and I did not notice any excessive heat at the bearings. Could the bearings be damaged? Any recommendations?

LadyWindrider · 08-06-2010, 10:32 PM

Doubtful you have any bearing damage. As long as you found grease, and you said you checked them periodically on they way home. Glad you repaired a potential problem before damage was done.

revrnd · 08-06-2010, 10:35 PM

Has anyone experience the grease fittings loosening? I never had any issues when I checked the grease on my Jayco the past 5 years.

MightyMike · 08-07-2010, 05:21 AM

Got a Raptor and had the same problem. 2 out of six fittings were laying in the grease inside the cap, 2 others were loose. Found one that was blocked up, too.

usteel · 08-07-2010, 05:34 AM

My 2010 Flagstaff 8526RLS started showing grease on the aluminum wheel. Pulled the bearing buddy cap and found fitting was in the cap. Checked the others and one more fitting was laying in the cap and the two remaining fittings were loose. That is very disturbing that none of the fittings were tight enough to stay in place. Anyway, took the opportunity to re-grease all of them and now I watch it closely.

roo crew · 08-07-2010, 06:42 AM

Thanks everyone for the info. I will continue to watch them.

**Herk7769** · 08-07-2010, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usteel

My 2010 Flagstaff 8526RLS started showing grease on the aluminum wheel. Pulled the bearing buddy cap and found fitting was in the cap. Checked the others and one more fitting was laying in the cap and the two remaining fittings were loose. That is very disturbing that none of the fittings were tight enough to stay in place. Anyway, took the opportunity to re-grease all of them and now I watch it closely.

TIMES TWO!

Same guy must have done mine.

Hardly any grease at all. Two fittings in cap.

The only lube apparently was from the initial packing in the bearing. The spindle reservoir was dry.

Put 1/2 tube of high temp wheel bearing grease in all 4 hubs. No leakage anywhere.

What worries me is I drove to FLA and back this year on those bearings.

Iggy · 08-07-2010, 08:24 AM

I have a new rig and I now will definitely check all my zerk fittings in mine. I'm going to shake the tires also to see if the wheel are loose on the hubs.
Thanks for the info.

revrnd · 08-07-2010, 06:30 PM

Well I just finished checking mine & found 1 of the fittings had fallen out. The other 3 were OK. I added grease until it showed (as per Al-Ko instructions). Maybe a sticky could be posted for purchasers of new RVs should make sure the dealer greases the fittings as part of the walk thru?

There was grease inside the axle end. The grease caps looked very weather checked. Will try to pick up some new ones on Monday.

Also, one of the cotter pin ends was rubbing on the inside of the grease cap. You could see rubber dust on the cotter pin & a groove on the inside of the grease cap.

SaskCampers · 08-08-2010, 08:11 PM

Just checked ours this afternoon and all are OK.

revrnd · 08-09-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by revrnd

The grease caps looked very weather checked. Will try to pick up some new ones on Monday.

I picked up a Cerka Ind' rubber plug for the EZ-Lube dust cap. It looks like the proper part. I won't be home until later this week. I'll check to make sure it fits snugly.

Is there a reason why the caps would be in bad shape (I'll post pics next week)? I had the Jayco w/ the EZ-Lube hubs & the caps didn't look anything like this & they were 5 years old. This trailer is only 2 years old.

MrT · 08-10-2010, 07:40 PM

All four of mine are okay as well. Thanks for the heads up, as I may not have looked at them for a while. Torqued the lug nuts to spec while I was at it.

revrnd · 08-10-2010, 09:20 PM

I hadn't looked @ mine because It picked it up new last Sept'. Two short trips this summer & a big 1 (to Indy later this month) I was going to look @ them before that departure. I wasn't expecting to find the grease fitting laying beside the axle end.

revrnd · 08-10-2010, 11:19 PM

I was tryig to find the animation milzat posted on the 'net tonight. I didn't find it, but did find this info:

E-Z Lube Axle

TF-Kevin · 08-11-2010, 01:35 AM

Hey all, since we are on the topic of wheel bearings, how can you tell what kind of bearing you have on your trailer, I have a 19 ft shamrock hydbird with a dry weight around 3700 lbs, i found a piece of paper of the AL-KO Ultrulube so i am wondering if that is what i have or something else, because when i picked up my trailer for the first time from the dealer half the stuff was missing and the saleman and i went to other trailers got the stuff.
Thanks Kevin

SaskCampers · 08-11-2010, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by revrnd

I picked up a Cerka Ind' rubber plug for the EZ-Lube dust cap. It looks like the proper part. I won't be home until later this week. I'll check to make sure it fits snugly.

Is there a reason why the caps would be in bad shape (I'll post pics next week)? I had the Jayco w/ the EZ-Lube hubs & the caps didn't look anything like this & they were 5 years old. This trailer is only 2 years old.

It doesn't make any sense that they were in that kind of shape assuming that they were new stock when the trailer was made and not something that had been laying around for awhile. I am not sure if FR uses the just in time supply system in their manufacturing process or not. If they don't that could explain it as those axles could have been sitting in the supply chain for some time.

revrnd · 08-11-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSasks

I am not sure if FR uses the just in time supply system in their manufacturing process or not. If they don't that could explain it as those axles could have been sitting in the supply chain for some time.

They don't have any contacts thru their website. No followup survey about customer satisfaction. And you wonder if they use JIT?

I'm just joshing you.

From what I'm experiencing w/ this purchase is that it would be advantageous for them to implement some QC programs. Then maybe all these chicken%^&* little issues wouldn't be so prevalent.

Looking @ the hub end, is this a supplied item or do the OEM axle makers make their own?

My Jayco popup had a Dexter axle w/ a hub that had a rubber plug on the dust cap like the Ultrulube, but the internal plate where the grease fitting was installed looked more like a Bearing Buddy.

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