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Old 10-27-2018, 02:31 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by NMWildcat View Post
Auto wheel bearings are sealed. RV trailers bearings are not. HUGE difference.
For over 100 years auto wheel bearings have not been sealed. It depends on car/truck mfr and model.

In recent years trailer axles have been introduced with sealed bearings.

Blanket statements-------
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Old 10-27-2018, 02:43 PM   #22
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For over 100 years auto wheel bearings have not been sealed. It depends on car/truck mfr and model.

In recent years trailer axles have been introduced with sealed bearings.

Blanket statements-------
Then I guess we disagree on what sealed bearings are. Auto manufacturers have only used sealed non-serviceable wheel bearings for the last 25 years, most rear wheel drive vehicles since the 90s.

I have yet to see any RV trailers with sealed non-serviceable wheel bearings. So if they are out there, it's pretty rare.
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Old 10-27-2018, 05:34 PM   #23
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I have never heard of them stock, but I've heard if them for aftermarket.
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Old 10-27-2018, 05:51 PM   #24
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I have never heard of them stock, but I've heard if them for aftermarket.
Eventually you will. Dexter now has Never Lube Hub's available for retrofit.

FWIW, who ever heard of EZ-Lube as OE equipment in years past.

Dexter actually publishes that there is no service interval for their sealed Never Lube axle bearings. Just like auto bearings, no noise, slop, or roughness, when checked (usually with tire/brake service) and they're good to go.

Last car I traded in had sealed bearings on the front (FWD) and 146k on the spedo. Never had to do a thing to the front bearings. For that matter the rear bearings were standard cone/roller/cup bearings and they got serviced about every 40-50K. Still original when I traded it.
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Old 10-27-2018, 08:11 PM   #25
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The huge difference is MODERN autos use bearing ASSEMBLIES that are sealed. Prior to the switch to front wheel drive, cars typjcally had cup and cone front wheel bearings that are exactly like our trailer bearings.
And no, drum brakes are not known for overheating grease. When cars were switching to disc brakes in the early 70s the grease manufacturers had to develop higher temp grease appropriate for disc brakes.
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Old 10-27-2018, 08:32 PM   #26
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Back in th 70s Sears had a special that they ran time to time. They would repack the front wheel bearings in your car fr $.88. It was to get you in the door to sell brake jobs! Jay
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Old 10-27-2018, 11:13 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by NMWildcat View Post
Auto wheel bearings are sealed. RV trailers bearings are not. HUGE difference.
Yes.... totally agree. There hasn't been a vehicle that you have to pack bearing s in over a decade or two.
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Old 10-27-2018, 11:13 PM   #28
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Then I guess we disagree on what sealed bearings are. Auto manufacturers have only used sealed non-serviceable wheel bearings for the last 25 years, most rear wheel drive vehicles since the 90s.

I have yet to see any RV trailers with sealed non-serviceable wheel bearings. So if they are out there, it's pretty rare.
Just the Dexter Vault bearings.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:25 PM   #29
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Auto wheel bearings are sealed. RV trailers bearings are not. HUGE difference.
Perhaps so. Meanwhile, I had to repack wheel bearings on all older cars equipped with drum brakes often. Heat is the enemy of grease in bearings. As with RVs, I had to regularly repack the wheel bearings on everything I owned, beginning with a 55 Pontiac and a 49 Ford pickup...until I finally could afford a car with front disc brakes.

If you are saying that seals on auto wheel bearings prevent grease from leaving (and grit from penetrating) the bearings when they heat up, so be it. But a primary issue with drum brakes is heat, and heat transfer to the bearings and hubs from easily-overheated drums is a much bigger problem than with disc brakes. Failure to seal the bearings just exacerbates the problem.

One might question why the bearings aren't sealed.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:38 PM   #30
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These threads often get riddled with misinformation and this one is no different.

I wish the best of luck to those trying to learn with such absurd notions being thrown rampantly.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:43 PM   #31
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Some info on overheated drum brakes.
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Old 10-28-2018, 12:44 PM   #32
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These threads often get riddled with misinformation and this one is no different.

I wish the best of luck to those trying to learn with such absurd notions being thrown rampantly.
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Old 10-28-2018, 03:40 PM   #33
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Agree.... how a thread on RV trailer brakes and bearings winds up about old cars is beyond me.

I urge all new RVers to have their trailer bearings and brakes checked early when new. Within the 1st year or few thousand miles.
After you know they are properly greased and the brakes look good and wires are out of trouble- you can go a couple years or more, maybe much more depending on how far you go in a year.

Happy Trails!
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Old 10-28-2018, 04:20 PM   #34
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I urge all new RVers to have their trailer bearings and brakes checked early when new. Within the 1st year or few thousand miles.

After you know they are properly greased and the brakes look good and wires are out of trouble- you can go a couple years or more, maybe much more depending on how far you go in a year.
However, one thing to keep in mind.

Many RV extended warranties REQUIRE a yearly wheel bearing repack, whether it needs it or not, in order to cover any kind of wheel bearing issues, even if you only drove it 10 miles to your side yard and parked if for two years, then towed it down the road one mile and have a wheel bearing burnout.

Read the fine print...

I found out the hard way.
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Old 10-28-2018, 08:18 PM   #35
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I repack mine myself every year. I replace the seals and use Lucas Red-N-Tacky.

Grease is cheap and my time is free. Annual repacking of bearings gives me peace of mind.
Ditto RednTacky and for peace of mind, I DO MOST THINGS MYSELF.

And when I don't do it myself, like mounting, repairing and balancing Tires, I stand there and watch live a hawk. More than once, I've stopped tire guys from lifting with the jack on the axle tube a foot in board from the wheel. I prefer a block of wood under the spring and u bolts.
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Old 10-28-2018, 08:30 PM   #36
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FR does NOT pack them! The axles come to FR with the drums already mounted on the axles from the manufacturer.

FR just mounts them to the frame and hangs the wheels.

The axle manufacturers DO make mistakes too. Don't ask how I know.
I got a good tour of Our FR factory in Rialto CA where our TH was built and it looks like frame and axles come in all prebuilt from Lippert with Lippert axles (although they look to be part by part interchangeable with Dexter). Looks like our Forrest River assembly plant is pretty much just assembling parts from the parent company

My point, God only knows how long those axles laid in the weather before your trailer was built on them and no one knows how well they were packed during assembly.
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Old 10-29-2018, 06:57 AM   #37
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So what is typical interval on bearings? 10-12k miles? What is typical life expectancy on brake pads?
Bearings are on an as needed basis. That said it is a good idea to check them by removing the brakes and hubs, clean the old grease out, repack the bearings and replace the rear seal at the same time.

When I was doing this on my current camper I found the inner race of the outer wheel bearing spinning in the hub. Had I not found this it could have been a DISASTER with the entire hub, wheel and tire coming off the spindle while towing it.

This would have then resulted int he remaining tire being grossly overloaded and blowing out in short order; leaving me stranded who knows where with no tires on one side of my camper.

All that said, once properly greased and new seal should last around 25000 like they did on all the cars on the road when I was younger.

Clean and repack more often if you desire but it is not necessary. It certainly does no harm though.
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Old 11-01-2018, 07:24 PM   #38
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A few things come to mind reading up to this point.

It is 100% impossible to over grease a wheel bearing, though using too much can end up contaminating brake linings.

A tapered roller bearing really isn’t all that different in function than a “sealed bearing”. Use good seals and quality grease on/in your hubs and a tapered bearing will outlast the rest of your trailer.

Don’t trust that the factory did the job right. A few months ago I was adjusting the bearings on the side of the freeway on my toyhauler because the factory didn’t do it right. Only about 1200 miles of use on it at the time.

If you get the hubs hot enough for all the grease to ooze out, your brakes are gonna be toast anyway, so yeah, you’re gonna need to repack them when you change the drums and shoes.
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Old 11-01-2018, 08:27 PM   #39
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Correct seals and bearing parts

I may be missing something but is there an easy way to determine what the correct bearings and seals are before disassembly? The Dexter manual lists four different bearing sizes apparently depending on I guess, the width of the brake and two sizes for the seals!
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Old 11-01-2018, 08:43 PM   #40
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Wheel Bearings and Brakes Maintenance

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...is there an easy way to determine what the correct bearings and seals are before disassembly?...

Dexter stamps the Serial number on the axle about the middle. If you contact them with a SN the will give you the build list. Seals, bearings, race, brakes. Absolutely amazing service.

After that it’s on to etrailer to get the parts.
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