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04-07-2016, 07:44 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Gotta be a better way???
My 2016 Wildcat MAXX has a center cap that has a lip that fits behind the wheel to hold it on. This cap needs to be removed before I can put grease in the "bearing buddies". The only way to currently grease the "bearing buddies" is to jack up the trailer, unscrew the lug nuts, pull the wheel/tire/center cap off the trailer axle, grease the zerk, and reverse the process. Needless to say, this is a time consuming process to add a small amount of grease to the wheel bearings on 4 wheels. I know I can leave the center caps OFF ,but I'm wondering if there's a replacement cap that;
1) attaches in a more user friendly manner, like on the outside if the wheel
2) has a removable metal end or a large rubber plug
3) ???????
My unit has the "casted wheels" that are black and "silver" with X pattern bars. Any suggestions are appreciated.
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 10:30 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Wilmington, De
Posts: 239
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I don't know about size, but the bearing buddy caps on my boat have a rubber center that can be removed for greasing, just a thought.
I also believe that bearing buddies come in different diameters
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04-07-2016, 12:19 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Brookstone,
Thanks for the reply. I probably didn't do a good job of describing the configuration of the metal center caps (cones) that are covering the axel and Bearing Buddy's. My Bearing Buddy's also have a rubber cover on the end. My issue is I have to take the wheel off which allows the removing of the center cap (cone), then I can remove the rubber cap on the end of the Bearing Buddy. It's removing the tires to get at the Bearing Buddy's that's my issue.
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 03:10 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Wilmington, De
Posts: 239
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Maybe try a mag wheel shop for a different center cap?
I don't know what the wheels are on my 5th wheel, but center of my chrome cap pops off for access.
I will check when I get home tonight
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04-07-2016, 03:21 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Johnston, IA
Posts: 41
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Maybe find a rubber plug of a suitable size and then drill a hole in the end of your current center cap that the plug would fit?
__________________
Matt Smith
2016 Coachmen Prism 2150LE
Johnston, Iowa
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04-07-2016, 05:26 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Quote:
Originally Posted by capav8r
Maybe find a rubber plug of a suitable size and then drill a hole in the end of your current center cap that the plug would fit?
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As they say-----Great minds!! Thanks for your suggestion, it's what i've been considering but wanted to see if there was an "easier solution". I'm thinking the hole would need to be pretty good size as I would need to be able to get my fingers, or a pair of long nosed pliers into the hole to remove/replace the rubber cap on the Buddy Bearing during the lub process.
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 06:00 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 303
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FYI, "Buddy Bearings" DO NOT get grease to the inner bearing. Learned the hard way and got to see the evidence first hand as my wheel fell off the trailer.
If you have the Dexter axles with "EX-lube" grease fitting, that is a different story. Are you sure you have "Buddy Bearings"?
__________________
2013 F150, EBoost,4x4,CC, MaxTow
2015 Surveyor 245BHS
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04-07-2016, 06:13 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Excellent question. I'll need to do a bit of research to see which lub system FR uses on the 2016 28RKX Wildcat MAXX.
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 06:29 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 1,075
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My center cap has a little removable center to get to the rubber plug. I still pack the bearings by hand.
__________________
Lee and Anne
2016 F250 2WD CC SB XLT 6.2 3,295 lb payload cap.
2014 Salem Hemisphere 282RK 8k lbs loaded, Equal-i-zer WDH, TST 507 TPMS
2021: 35 nights already booked so far
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04-07-2016, 06:51 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Wilmington, De
Posts: 239
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The center part of cap is removable
Entire center cap piece can only be removed by taking off wheel
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04-07-2016, 07:17 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brookstone345sa
The center part of cap is removable
Attachment 104212
Entire center cap piece can only be removed by taking off wheel
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Thanks for taking time to check your center cap, I appreciate it. Guess I'll be looking for a center cap with a removable end section.
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 07:25 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1,413
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tragusa3
FYI, "Buddy Bearings" DO NOT get grease to the inner bearing. Learned the hard way and got to see the evidence first hand as my wheel fell off the trailer.
If you have the Dexter axles with "EX-lube" grease fitting, that is a different story. Are you sure you have "Buddy Bearings"?
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I have the EX-lub system and I've have found stainless steel center caps that have the removable end on e-trailer for $11 each! Thanks to all.
I'll be ordering these soon!!!
__________________
Days camping (2016)----181 days
Days camping (2017) --- 82 days
2016 Wildcat MAXX 28RKX (33' TT), 2007 13' Scamp
2015 Ram Laramie Hemi, w/air suspension
30 years RV'ing
11 different RV's
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04-07-2016, 07:38 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 303
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Great! There are some good youtube videos showing exactly how they work. I went to my local trailer shop and they had a demo axle for me to see. Looked like it should work well.
Some guys on another forum say to still be very careful not to blow out the rear seals by pumping too hard. It's not good to get grease in your brakes. They say they would still hand pack, which I'm considering doing too.
__________________
2013 F150, EBoost,4x4,CC, MaxTow
2015 Surveyor 245BHS
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04-08-2016, 12:54 PM
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#14
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Some guy in back...
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 218
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tragusa3
Great! There are some good youtube videos showing exactly how they work. I went to my local trailer shop and they had a demo axle for me to see. Looked like it should work well.
Some guys on another forum say to still be very careful not to blow out the rear seals by pumping too hard. It's not good to get grease in your brakes. They say they would still hand pack, which I'm considering doing too.
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I bet those same guys only drive manual transmission vehicles, don't use cruise control and would NEVER touch a microwave oven!
__________________
ChateauV10
St. Charles, MO
Ex-SF Bay Area
'99 Ford E350 V10
'16 Rockwood 8329SS
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04-08-2016, 01:03 PM
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#15
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Who Dares, Wins
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Chester County, PA
Posts: 7,063
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Do you think they use the heat in the winter or add a layer of clothes ?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
__________________
Pat, Jen, Heather & Sapphire, the head mouser.
2015 Chevy HD D-Max
2022 Impression 315MB
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04-08-2016, 02:37 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Pleasant Gap, PA
Posts: 458
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How often are you adding grease to the bearings? They are the same tapered roller bearings used in a car. The bearings on a car usually go 50,000 miles plus before needing to be cleaned and re-greased. If they are properly packed with grease during service there is no need to regularly add more grease.
__________________
2015 Solaire 201SS
2015 GMC 2500HD Duramax
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04-08-2016, 03:24 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Wisconsin/Florida
Posts: 1,905
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We installed wheel caps with removable centers on our cargo trailer. Purchased at E-Trailer. They work very well.
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04-08-2016, 04:52 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 303
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How often? The trailer we had a failure on was a brand new trailer. Beware of the factory grease job. Our inner bearings were dry as a bone.
__________________
2013 F150, EBoost,4x4,CC, MaxTow
2015 Surveyor 245BHS
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04-09-2016, 10:39 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 263
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChateauV10
I bet those same guys only drive manual transmission vehicles, don't use cruise control and would NEVER touch a microwave oven!
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i see you never found a bad bearing on your first manual repack and grease leaking on your brakes. Yeah, that never happens on these axles.
You can be cute all you want with you opinion, but I've been there done that and will hand pack now.
__________________
-2017 Ram Cummins, Aisin DRW 3.73, 4x4
-2015 Wildcat 317RL
-B&W Companion , MorRyde pinbox
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04-09-2016, 11:32 AM
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#20
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Canadian Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Eastern GTA, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,233
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I have the bearings repacked by hand every one or two years depending on mileage towed. I use the grease zerks in between manual repacks.
__________________
2023 Rockwood Signature 8262RBS
2016 Ford F-250 XLT SuperCrew, 6.2L, 4x4, 6'9" bed
2019 Rockwood Signature 8290BS (2019 - 2022)
2011 Rockwood Signature 8293SS (2015 - 2018)
2010 Rockwood Roo 23SS (2012 - 2014)
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