Dexter EZ Lube axles: lube how often?

[rblack22]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

Do you jack it up before every trip to grease it? Just curious. I'd love to feel comfortable greasing it via EZ Lube without jacking it and spinning the wheels. But I'm a rule-follower generally speaking.

No I don't jack it up. Apparently I over grease and the wheels don't stop in the same spot each time I grease.

[Charles Allen]

Originally Posted by rblack22

Tractor Supply Store?

Yes, get the red grease

[rblack22]

Side question, I noticed the people at Tire Kingdom jacked up individual axles to change tires, during my recent debacle it's a 4014 triple axle and that frame sure is high off the ground. Was that a bad thing, and why? Please educate me. It did appear that only the tire being changed came off the ground.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

Do you jack it up before every trip to grease it? Just curious. I'd love to feel comfortable greasing it via EZ Lube without jacking it and spinning the wheels. But I'm a rule-follower generally speaking.

He's using Bearing Buddies. Different system and I don't think they require turning the wheels.

If lubing prior to each trip then I'm curious where all that grease is going.

[rblack22]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

He's using Bearing Buddies. Different system and I don't think they require turning the wheels.



If lubing prior to each trip then I'm curious where all that grease is going.

Me too

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by rblack22

Me too

On the E-Z Lube axles it's just coming back out around the fitting.

[King Ranch 53]

How much grease should go into the EZ Lube Axle bearings? I watched the video and read the Dexter owners manual and no mention of how much? I have a 2015 38FB2. Bought it new but I know that it sat in the dealers lot for at least a year, maybe 1 1/2 years. I lifted up the door side first, pulled the chrome hub caps and removed the rubber caps. Looked in and seen red colored grease in the bearing housing. I picked up 4 tubes of a "marine rated" grease from a local Dexter distributor. Pumped in about 20 pumps in each assembly but did not see any grease being displace. I stopped there for now, not wishing to pop the rear seals. Any help on this would be appreciated!

[TitanMike]

The very first time you lube it may take a few extra pumps in order to fill the void in the hub between front and rear bearings. After that, as the manual says, add grease slowly until you see fresh (clean) grease being pushed out around the fitting.

If you are pushing it in slow, you won't push the rear seal out. Go online and read all the posts from those who had a bear of a time removing the seal so they could "Hand Pack" the bearings.


Note: if you DO ever replace a seal, again from the manual, they state the new seal should be installed with some Permatex sealer which will essentially glue the seal in, in addition to the fact the seal has to be driven into the hub with some fair amount of force.

[Tiggerdad]

Everyone has an opinion and does what they think is best. What you do not know is the condition of the bearings and brakes unless they are visibly checked.

I have already posted on this topic-see post 34-and found bad bearings on 2 axles and a broken part of the brake on another axle. Only one axle growled when raised and turned. The broken part allowed the brake magnet to drop down and there was NO braking on that side. That drum made NO noise when turned.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Tiggerdad

Everyone has an opinion and does what they think is best. What you do not know is the condition of the bearings and brakes unless they are visibly checked.

I have already posted on this topic-see post 34-and found bad bearings on 2 axles and a broken part of the brake on another axle. Only one axle growled when raised and turned. The broken part allowed the brake magnet to drop down and there was NO braking on that side. That drum made NO noise when turned.

Removing hubs and inspecting is a good idea whenever miles and use has piled up. The manual (that thing everyone ignores) wants the owner to do this every 12,000 miles or annually (like before your travel season starts). Pull the hubs, remove old seal, wipe down old bearings and inspect, wipe out race and inspect (paper towels work fine) re-assemble, and grease per instructions. Pay close attention on how to adjust the bearings properly. Torque first to the spec'd value, back off, then align nut so it can be properly locked. All in the manual or online.

The major disagreement seems to be over whether to hand pack the bearings or just use the E-Z Lube feature which as I stated earlier works exactly like a bearing packing tool used in shops all over the world. Since you are supposed to replace the seal anyway, and if you do it properly the seal will not be pushed out. The reason shops use bearing packers is to insure grease is pushed into the entire bearing, not just smeared over the outside like hand packing.

If the E-Z Lube system was so bad, as many try to convince the world, Dexter would have discontinued it long ago. The lawsuits would have convinced them to do so. What IS a major problem is that many people don't read the instructions that came with their new Dexter axles or they figure they know a better way.

I remember when sealed suspension parts (ball joints, tie rods, u-joints, etc) first appeared in the industry. Some customers would insist the mechanic's drill holes and install Zerk fittings so they could grease the joints the old way.

But hey, they are your axles, grease 'em any way you want.

[babock]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

The major disagreement seems to be over whether to hand pack the bearings or just use the E-Z Lube feature which as I stated earlier works exactly like a bearing packing tool used in shops all over the world.

I prefer to pack using one of these:
https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-34550...bearing+packer
You can at least visually see if the bearing got packed around the whole bearing. We had a bearing failure once where a shop failed to pack the bearing correctly. The bearing lasted around 200 miles before it gave itself up. Not going to experience that one again.

BTW, those cone bearing packers suck. I never get grease flowing perfectly through the whole bearing and actually go back and pack with my hand afterwards. This Lisle one does not have the same issue.

[King Ranch 53]

I have pumped in 1&1/2 tube(s) of a lithium complex "marine" grease between all four axles. I slowly pumped in the grease while rotating the wheels following the directions from the Dexter manual that came with the coach. The grease that was in the bearings was not displaced to the point that it came out of the housing. I will put some miles on the coach and then re-check after our road trip to Florida this Fall. I carry a hand held infra-red thermometer that I will use to check hub temps on rest stops. Thank you all for your help!

King ranch 53

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by King Ranch 53

I have pumped in 1&1/2 tube(s) of a lithium complex "marine" grease between all four axles. I slowly pumped in the grease while rotating the wheels following the directions from the Dexter manual that came with the coach. The grease that was in the bearings was not displaced to the point that it came out of the housing. I will put some miles on the coach and then re-check after our road trip to Florida this Fall. I carry a hand held infra-red thermometer that I will use to check hub temps on rest stops. Thank you all for your help!

King ranch 53

Best of luck, I think you have pumped more than twice what you would have needed had the axles been completely dry.

[lbrjet]

My hubs took a half tube each when it was new.

[spidey1972]

Originally Posted by Ripley711

Save yourself the trouble and don't use the zerks at the end of the axle. The grease tends to blow out the grease seal and fill the drum. Do yourself a favor and pull the drum, inspect the brakes and grease the bearings the old way, handpacking each race. You will be happy you did. You will need new grease seals and they can be bought at etrailer.com. Safe travels.

Then whats the point of having this option, when you just have to do it the old pain in the ass way. Isnt that why they were created.

I have a different make of trailer (keystone) and I do them every two years, using the zerks like they were intended.

I used to do it the old way, when I had to in older trailers, but why know when this wonderful feature is added

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

Ok, guys (or girls!) ... how often do you grease your Dexter EZ Lube axles? I have a 2016 Rockwood Mini Lite 2506S that I've had for about 1 year. We camp mostly local so probably has less than 3000 miles on it. The Dexter manual says to Lube it yearly, I think. So I called my camper dealer about whether they could do it and the mechanic said to save my money because most people overlube their axles and that my camper is pretty new and shouldn't need it.
So... I want to ask "the experts!" :-).
Thanks!!

FWIW, my Roo is a 2012 and I bought it new. I recently had the dealer pull the wheels, check brakes and re-pack wheel bearings. They said the brakes were good and the bearing were fine, no signs of wear - a repack was all that was required. I've probably towed the trailer 6,000 miles in the last 5 years.

My dealer told me that they should be inspected annually as well. Based on my recent work, I'm not sure I agree.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Dave Lyon

FWIW, my Roo is a 2012 and I bought it new. I recently had the dealer pull the wheels, check brakes and re-pack wheel bearings. They said the brakes were good and the bearing were fine, no signs of wear - a repack was all that was required. I've probably towed the trailer 6,000 miles in the last 5 years.

My dealer told me that they should be inspected annually as well. Based on my recent work, I'm not sure I agree.

And they aer not offering those inspections for free, are they................and therein lies their motive

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by spidey1972

Then whats the point of having this option, when you just have to do it the old pain in the ass way. Isnt that why they were created.

I have a different make of trailer (keystone) and I do them every two years, using the zerks like they were intended.

I used to do it the old way, when I had to in older trailers, but why know when this wonderful feature is added

As I have told people many times on here, GOOD LUCK...............May it only take one ruined set of brakes or one spun bearing race to understand why I do not recommend using the zerks.........

As always, it is YOUR camper and my opinion is worth what you paid for it..
Happy travels!

[LLMRPh]

Originally Posted by Dave Lyon

FWIW, my Roo is a 2012 and I bought it new. I recently had the dealer pull the wheels, check brakes and re-pack wheel bearings. They said the brakes were good and the bearing were fine, no signs of wear - a repack was all that was required. I've probably towed the trailer 6,000 miles in the last 5 years.



My dealer told me that they should be inspected annually as well. Based on my recent work, I'm not sure I agree.

Did your Roo have the EZ Lube axles? Maybe they weren't available then?

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

Did your Roo have the EZ Lube axles? Maybe they weren't available then?

My previous camper, a 2001 Cougar had them. They have been available for a LONG time