This is a slippery topic.

tyler811 · 03-13-2019, 08:28 AM

We have a 2018 FR Salem River Lite 201 BHXL. About 8000-9000 miles on the bearings. I can't find the axle manual [emoji24] so I was wondering how often to grease the bearings. The pop-up we had I did every year. The Extreme lite 16ft I also did every year though we only had a year.

upflying · 03-13-2019, 08:42 AM

I don't think there is a manual, all the wheel bearing maintenance is pretty much the same. Once a year, remove dust cap, remove cotterpin, remove axle nut and pull drum off while catching the outer bearing. Inspect and re-pack bearings with the messy palm squeeze method and reverse assembly.

Chief T · 03-13-2019, 08:47 AM

Try the Forest River website: Forest River RV Online Owners Manuals

There might be an app for your phone as well.

Safe and happy travels.

Chuck_S · 03-13-2019, 08:49 AM

12 months or 12,000 miles has been the standard for trailer bearings for decades. No significant changes in bearing design justify any longer period.

Note trailer bearings are notoriously indifferently greased at the factory and a few are shipped nearly dry so don't skip that first one.

Tools are cheap and the procedure is satisfyingly messy. Seals are one-time use.

-- Chuck

woo10-210 · 03-13-2019, 09:32 AM

Why is it trailer axle bearings require such frequent service yet the non-drive axles on our vehicles almost never need service. I'm sure there are millions of cars and trucks out there with a couple hundred thousand miles on them with bearings that have never seen the light of day.

NMWildcat · 03-13-2019, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woo10-210

Why is it trailer axle bearings require such frequent service yet the non-drive axles on our vehicles almost never need service. I'm sure there are millions of cars and trucks out there with a couple hundred thousand miles on them with bearings that have never seen the light of day.

Read more threads on this. Bearings used in vehicles are sealed bearings, trailer bearings are not. Completely different animal.

5picker · 03-13-2019, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woo10-210

Why is it trailer axle bearings require such frequent service yet the non-drive axles on our vehicles almost never need service. I'm sure there are millions of cars and trucks out there with a couple hundred thousand miles on them with bearings that have never seen the light of day.

Different animals.
Non-drive axles on most automobiles since about the 80's have sealed bearings designed to never need greasing.

Back in the day when automobiles used tapered roller bearings (just like our trailers use today) and vehicles had drum brakes on all 4 wheels, the recommended repack was every 25k-30k miles.

When disc brakes came along and the rotor/hub areas became hotter from the the added friction of disc brakes (and before the advent of better hi-temp greases) the recommended intervals went to around 15k miles. Today you'll be hard pressed to find tapered roller bearings for any automotive wheel bearings.

My rule for my trailers is 10k miles or every two years.
Hand pack - no EZ Lube.

PapaBill · 03-13-2019, 12:18 PM

For what its worth I have no problem doing it every year when I take the Trailer out of storage. To me that is the time that I look over everything, do any maintenance I need to do, and just generally get my Rig ready for some Fun filled Camping.
Things can happen so just take them in stride and do preventive maintenance and hope for the best.

Happy Camping and maybe we will see you down the road.
Bill

adarklake · 03-13-2019, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5picker

Hand pack - no EZ Lube.

I've always been curious as to why EZ Lube exists if nobody wants to use it. And while I'm certain it's been answered 1000x over, I have your attention here, so I'm going to ask why you go through a ton of extra labor in order to hand pack.

5picker · 03-13-2019, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adarklake

I've always been curious as to why EZ Lube exists if nobody wants to use it. And while I'm certain it's been answered 1000x over, I have your attention here, so I'm going to ask why you go through a ton of extra labor in order to hand pack.

Peace of mind.

EZ Lube can work.... BUT... there is an 'IF' to that process.

IF the grease happens to push past the rear seal instead of flowing through the hub/spindle cavity, the grease will get onto things where you don't want it to be.

Because none of us humans have X-Ray vision and are able to see inside the drum/hub/spindle, there is no way to fully know for sure where that grease is going as you are pumping it into the zerk fitting on the end of the spindle.

You can hope, you can guess, you can suppose, you can reckon, you can surmise, etc. but that is all a conjecture. Nothing more than an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.

When you repack by hand, during the process, you take all those components apart and you have first hand knowledge where the grease is, how well it impregnated the bearings and that the brake shoes and backing plates are dry and grease free. It also allows you to properly pre-load the bearings during reassembly.

So... the EZ Lube process is a big 'IF' I don't plan to chance.

Gm Mike · 03-13-2019, 02:40 PM

While I totally agree with 5picker post #10, I have used the EZ lube method for about 6 years now and all is good. Lift the trailer, spin the wheels while applying grease and check brakes for adjustment.

5picker · 03-13-2019, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gm Mike

While I totally agree with 5picker post #10, I have used the EZ lube method for about 6 years now and all is good. Lift the trailer, spin the wheels while applying grease and check brakes for adjustment.

Yep... the EZ Lube method can and does work.
You just have no way of knowing... for sure.

You are more of a gambler than I and I have no problem with that.

Seadog1272 · 03-13-2019, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gm Mike

While I totally agree with 5picker post #10, I have used the EZ lube method for about 6 years now and all is good. Lift the trailer, spin the wheels while applying grease and check brakes for adjustment.

I used the EZ lube method and found that I had to replace my brakes on one of my axles because the grease had found it way into the drum. I only hand pack now.

DouglasReid · 03-14-2019, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woo10-210

Why is it trailer axle bearings require such frequent service yet the non-drive axles on our vehicles almost never need service. I'm sure there are millions of cars and trucks out there with a couple hundred thousand miles on them with bearings that have never seen the light of day.

Todays cars have sealed bearings which do not require or allow themselves to be greased.

Back in the day the front wheel bearings on cars and trucks did need to be greased, same as trailer bearings today.

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