Learned my lesson the expensive way

[TimVWulp]

You need to be careful which type of grease you mix together. Dexter recommends that you use a lithium based complex grease. If you mix other types with lithium grease they may or will react with each other and cause the grease to fail. Many of the grease manufactures produce a lithium based grease you just need to make sure it's lithium based. If you can't find lithium based grease check with your local auto store.

I have attached a link from the site library at the top of this page. You will need to download the link and then open it. On page 52 you will find what Dexter recommends to use.

Google mixing greases you will learn what the grease manufactures have to say about doing this.

I pulled my brake drum off to repack the bearings for the first time this fall and found that 3 of the grease seals had failed and let grease into the breaks. I foolishly did add grease with the grease zerk to the bearings. It was only 2 or 3 pumps of grease two different times. There was already way to much grease in the bearings this just made it worse. I will just clean and repack the bearings every 2 year or 12,000 miles by hand and never use the zerk again.

Forest River Forums - Downloads - Axles and Brakes - Dexter Axles

Hope this is helpful Tim

[myxkp]

So, rear seal failed?

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by myxkp

So, rear seal failed?

Yes but I clearly used WAYYYYYY to much grease. It's a miracle only 2 failed.

[myxkp]

Thank you again for sharing this lesson

[No-Fish]

Sorry to hear you had a problem w/ your EZ lube, I saw the pic, what a mess. I've either had EZ lube fittings, or I myself installed buddy bearings on all my trailers, Ive had 3 bass boats , A TT, 5th wheel, and several other open trailers. w/ and w/o brakes. Over the 30+ yrs of pulling the boats all over the country, (tournament fishing, and running a little above hwy spd) and using the RV trailers, inculding a tow dolly I've never had a seal blow, I use either a manual or air grease gun, I use high temp, water proof grease..I use the same type and mfg grease. If I had one to that, it;s Amazon time to replace the brake, I wouldn;t even try to rebuild, Clean the mag, with brake clean, and take and clean the flat area that rides on the hub w/ wet/dry sand paper. I would replace your hub grease seal w/ a good quiality seal. Happy Travels

[PhoneDude 8289]

I have always packed wheel bearings by hand until we bought our 2014 Rockwood. After following directions and greasing through the zerk the first time I thought man this is great. I pulled one of the wheels and hubs just to have a look. The assembly had globs of grease oozing down the back plate, three of the four wheels were that way. Cleaned it all up, cleaned and repacked bearings old school and replaced all the seals. This past year I broke the wheels down and replaced all bearings races and seals. Hand pack, put back together and all good for a few more years. Didn't have any failures, OE bearings looked good but thought it time to get those nameless bearings replaced. Timken bearings are what we are rolling on now and I expect trouble free for awhile.

[No-Fish]

Timken the best bearing/race you can use..x2

you can and Ive done it a couple of times, repack tthe bearing using the EZ lube, just have to take it slow..pump the new grease in, will force the old grease out, pump until you see new grease. Now Ive had grease streak the outside side of the wheel, lol

[timfromma]

I didn't even try salvaging the brake.

[andymil]

What I don’t like about the EZ lube is that the only way to make sure you didn’t push grease past the seal or push the seal out is to pull the hub off. Might as well clean them and pack them by hand if you’re gonna pull the hub off.

I’ve used them once or twice, but you’re never really sure until you look inside.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by timfromma

I've watched several YouTube videos about how to grease bearings with these EZ lube axles. The videos said to put your grease gun on the fitting at the end and pump in grease while spinning the tire until grease comes out the end. Well, I did this last year thinking all was well. Today, I took one of my tires off to inspect the brakes only to discover the ENTIRE brake assembly absolutely saturated with grease to the point where I just ended up installing a entire new brake assembly. I haven't even looked at the other 3 wheels yet but I see no reason to think they will be any better.

Take my advice and hand pack your bearings the old fashioned way. These EZlube axles aren't what they are cracked up to be.

I have been saying the same for years.

There are those on the forum that will disagree. I think it is because the either (A) don't know how to do it correctly and don't want to pay someone to do it correctly, or (B) don't want to spend the time to do it correctly.

Doing it incorrectly DOES NOT save money in the long run, you learned that.

Grease is not consumed in use, sooner or later every one who pumps a couple pumps into their wheels will experience what you just did.

[Mad Cow]

I can see the EZ lube thing being something worthwhile in regards to marine trailers, but for TT's, dump Trailers, etc... not so much. I prefer to take the hub off, clean up, repack and put on new seals. Rally not a big task, and one can inspect everything, make sure that there is ample grease in all of the bearing and race, etc. One could have a bearing going out or seal ready to blow and never know it if they just use the EZ Lube method. Some folks will spend and great deal of time cleaning, waxing, and buffing a trailer but want to take short cuts with those things that can have a substantial impact.

[chaps2018]

Originally Posted by asquared

I never heard the warm temps. Makes sense though. Thanks

X2

Also on our previous rig I was skeptical that EZ lube would result in fresh grease throughout the hub. So I did an experiment.

I hand repacked with dark black grease. Put a couple hundred miles on. Then I used ezlube method with red grease. Then disassembled and was amazed to see only red grease remaining in the bearings and hubs. It was a nice hot Texas summer so the seal integrity was good before disassembly/inspection. ;-)

It did take a long time to push out all the old grease. My hands and arms were sore from pumping and spinning the wheel.

In retrospect my experiment convinced me the EZ Lube method worked but decided it's more efficient in time and grease to pull it apart and hand repack.

Also x2 in the Timkins bearings and race. Much cheaper than the axle damage a failed bearing causes. Don't ask how I know.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Mad Cow

I can see the EZ lube thing being something worthwhile in regards to marine trailers, but for TT's, dump Trailers, etc... not so much. I prefer to take the hub off, clean up, repack and put on new seals. Rally not a big task, and one can inspect everything, make sure that there is ample grease in all of the bearing and race, etc. One could have a bearing going out or seal ready to blow and never know it if they just use the EZ Lube method. Some folks will spend and great deal of time cleaning, waxing, and buffing a trailer but want to take short cuts with those things that can have a substantial impact.

Or even worse, when I did mine after purchasing the camper used I found the outer race in the LF hub spinning in the hub. If left unattended to the end result would have ultimately been the entire wheel and tire departing the camper, most likely at the worst possible moment.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by bjlakatos

X2

Also on our previous rig I was skeptical that EZ lube would result in fresh grease throughout the hub. So I did an experiment.

I hand repacked with dark black grease. Put a couple hundred miles on. Then I used ezlube method with red grease. Then disassembled and was amazed to see only red grease remaining in the bearings and hubs. It was a nice hot Texas summer so the seal integrity was good before disassembly/inspection. ;-)

It did take a long time to push out all the old grease. My hands and arms were sore from pumping and spinning the wheel.

In retrospect my experiment convinced me the EZ Lube method worked but decided it's more efficient in time and grease to pull it apart and hand repack.

Also x2 in the Timkins bearings and race. Much cheaper than the axle damage a failed bearing causes. Don't ask how I know.

You should never mix different types of grease. Doing so can cause reactions between the different kinds. I've seen it done in a large shaker bearing. The grease turned into a rubber like substance in 36 hours and would bounce 6 foot off the concrete floor.

[Jim Mercier]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Back in the 1960s (before there was brake cleaner and before we knew the dangers of dipping our hands in gasoline containing tetraethyl lead), we would soak contaminated brake shoes in gasoline for a while and then remove them from the liquid and light them afire. This seemed to work. The brakes stopped the car and didn't grab.



BUT I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROCEDURE!!



Larry

Lmao. Ok good point!

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Back in the 1960s (before there was brake cleaner and before we knew the dangers of dipping our hands in gasoline containing tetraethyl lead), we would soak contaminated brake shoes in gasoline for a while and then remove them from the liquid and light them afire. This seemed to work. The brakes stopped the car and didn't grab.

BUT I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROCEDURE!!

Larry

I don't know how I missed this one. But I have to ask if this is anything like putting ball bearings inside a muffler or a spark plug on the tailpipe?

[myxkp]

Gospel truth, some wheel bearings have a grease zerk fitting. Problem is the only way to know if the rear seal failed during the procedure is to pull the whole bearing assembly anyway.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

I don't know how I missed this one. But I have to ask if this is anything like putting ball bearings inside a muffler or a spark plug on the tailpipe?

That wasn't a joke. In the 60s it wasn't unusual to clean bearings or other greasy parts with gasoline. And we really did clean contaminated brake shoes that way--and they worked fine. I have done it to my own cars in those days. Yes, we do know better now.

Those were also the days when brake shoes (for drum brakes, of course) contained asbestos and the neighborhood auto parts stores would "arc" them to match the curvature of your freshly machined brake drum. And the machinist had no face mask on--and might have been smoking. Nowadays the shoes are asbestos-free and you can't even find anyone that has the machine to do it. You just install the shoes and wait for them to wear to match the drum.

Larry

[LegacyFB38]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

... In the 60s it wasn't unusual to clean bearings or other greasy parts with gasoline. ...
Larry

It worked great cleaning my bicycle chain!

Please...don't even ask what I did with the used gasoline.

[johnbryanpeters]

I used to degrease motorcycle parts with methyl ethyl ketone - damn did that stuff hurt my hands...