Check Your Bearings on a New Trailer

[campers302]

Originally Posted by mrfikser

I would be more inclined to believe that the majority of the bearing failures is not a grease issue but more likely either a inferior bearing or a underrated bearing problem... grease these days is really so much better than even 10 years ago that I seriously doubt it is causing bearing failures.

Makes perfectly good sense to me.

[keithinpa]

I watched so many Youtube videos on this that I started to have a nervous breakdown. Not really. What I can say is I packed my first bearings by hand and then used the zerk fitting while spinning the wheel to fill up until the grease came out the castle nut. Then after thinking about it I decided to call Lippert Components and talked to an axel tech. He told me not to use the zerk fitting because the cavity is not be filled with grease as it can get hot and the possibility of the inner seal being blown out. I didn't even think to ask him why have them on there. So I took the wheel and drum off and cleaned the excess grease out of it. I then went on to replace and repack all the bearings and races on the axels except for one where the bearing looked good, no sign of overheating. Took a 2,000 mile trip and all is good.

[babock]

Originally Posted by keithinpa

I watched so many Youtube videos on this that I started to have a nervous breakdown. Not really. What I can say is I packed my first bearings by hand and then used the zerk fitting while spinning the wheel to fill up until the grease came out the castle nut. Then after thinking about it I decided to call Lippert Components and talked to an axel tech. He told me not to use the zerk fitting because the cavity is not be filled with grease as it can get hot and the possibility of the inner seal being blown out. I didn't even think to ask him why have them on there. So I took the wheel and drum off and cleaned the excess grease out of it. I then went on to replace and repack all the bearings and races on the axels except for one where the bearing looked good, no sign of overheating. Took a 2,000 mile trip and all is good.

The cavity being full of grease is not really an issue. Of course, its just a waste of grease doing absolutely nothing for you.

[Iwannacamp]

Here are Timken’s instructions


https://www.timken.com/wp-content/up...eplacement.pdf

[babock]

Originally Posted by Iwannacamp

Here are Timken’s instructions


https://www.timken.com/wp-content/up...eplacement.pdf

Attachment 237134

Definitely may make a difference having the hub full of grease when the hub is spinning at high RPMS like on a conveyor belt. These tapered roller bearings can be used at really high RPMs. A trailer hub is actually rolling very slowly.

[Thomas ho]

They are not liberal on grease. You did it right. If you get a chanch to pull them do it. I pack my hub full ,put grease on shaft , push grease in rear bearing with finger, do the palm method on front . pump 3/4, turn 1/4, turn,, repeat.

[Batjac]

I need to do this as well but my question is a little different and I do not want to hijack this debate but to pull the wheel to repack how and where are you jacking the unit up to pull the wheel? I had saw something the other day that said you should not jack the unit up by the axel but by the frame so the tube would not get bent, personally I would think right under where the it bolts to the leaf springs would be good but I have never jacked up a travel trailer before and then what size jacks are you using. My units dry weight is supposed to be #6500 pounds and yes I know you are only lifting one wheel. I do have one of the drive on ramp jacks where you drive the one wheel up on it and it is supposed to lift the other but have never tried it.

[Barbasper]

Hi -- I have a question for you, if you don't mind.

We just bought our third fifth wheel, a toy hauler. On our last fifth wheel, we took it in to have the wheel bearings checked twice. Both times we were told they were fine, we we weren't too concerned with the new unit.

To start with, we aren't mechanics, but can do some basic work on our vehicles. So, We had a problem on one of our wheels, and had to call service. When the service tech replaced the wheel, he said the wheel bearings all needed greased, since this one wheel hardly any grease, so we plan to do this before our next foray.

My question is this: can we check and grease these ourselves? I know we'd have to remove the tire, but if we can jack it up, are the zerks visible, or should it be done by an expert? If we can, should we squirt it in until grease starts coming out? Do we need any special tools, beside jacks and grease gun?

Thanks for any advice.

[Thomas ho]

You dont have to remove tire to grease axle. pump, spin repeat

[babock]

Originally Posted by Batjac

personally I would think right under where the it bolts to the leaf springs would be good

That is fine. You won't bend the axle that way.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by babock

The cavity being full of grease is not really an issue. Of course, its just a waste of grease doing absolutely nothing for you.

On the EZ-Lube setup the cavity in the hub has been greatly reduced from what it used to be on standard hubs. Two different part numbers for EZ-Lube and Standard hubs/drums and only difference is inside the hub. Both use the same bearings.

Yes, the grease in the hub doesn't do anything other than bleed some oil into the rest of the grease as it shears. Doesn't hurt anything either.

[boydn1]

Originally Posted by 14apex

Yes -- wholeheartedly agree. Our new to us (relatively) dual axle Apex has very few miles on it -- tires truly look like new. About to head out of our first trip of this season and in addition to new tires (for safety's sake), I thought about just using the E-Z-Lube until I get a "rountoit" to disassemble & re-pack for first time since new. I went so far as to pump practically a full tube in the first hub (turning while pumping!) before being sure to get nothing but new, clean grease. Then, unable to stand the unknown (and "guilt" for not doing what I knew I should), I decided to pull each wheel/hub and do it the "hard" (right) way. I found that two of the four seals had failed, even though I'm sure neither the factory nor the previous owner had added any grease. Too, and this was a bit of a revelation to me, there was still a significant amount of the old, dirty grease in the first hub even though I had pumped LONG after seeing nothing but new, clean grease. Knowing now that the bearings are good, are properly packed with fresh new grease and hubs are all clean I "might" use the E-Z-Lube next year...or maybe not .

The seals didn't fail, you blew them out by emptying a tube of grease into it.

[01tundra]

Our 2020 Rockwood has 3,300 miles on it, decided to install all new Timken bearings, seals and grease after reading about a serious failure on a trailer with less miles on our FB group.

What I found was surprising, one seal was shot and the grease that whoever put in them had the consistency of honey, it would slowly pour out of the hub if turned up. I never have and never will use the EZ lube system personally.

[Comanchecreek]

Originally Posted by pgandw

I don't know if sealed bearings are available with drum brakes. If they are, can you pull the bearings without messing up the seals to access and maintain the brakes?

Of course, going to disk brakes instead of drums would fix that problem. Don't know the price, but don't see any technical drawbacks.

Fred W

Some trailers, (I know of Cameo) used a sealed bearing setup. They had to be pressed in and out to be replaced, and were totally unserviceable on the side of the road. You never knew when they'd fail, and you could drop a huge amount of money when they did, (if you could find someone to service them).

Don't kid yourself on the disk brake setup. The bearing and seal setup is the same as drums. It's the failure of the rear seal where the grease gets thrown around the outside instead of being contained inside the drum. Grease can still contaminate the braking surfaces. It is usually just more obvious that you've had a failure.

EZ lubes are not a replacement for regular pack and inspection. They are only for "in between" the service interval. My experience with new trailers is that the seals can and do leak from the beginning. Don't know if they use cheaper seals from the factory, but I have had way less failures with after market seals, than new ones. My recommendation is for you to immediately disassemble, pack and replace rear seals upon getting your brand new trailer home. Do it when you replace the "China Bomb" tires your rig came with. Also a good time to readjust the brakes as all to often they aren't adjusted properly from the beginning. Do not make the assumption that your new trailer is ship shape, and serviced. The dealers do enough to get them down the road. They have an "outa sight warranty". Anything that happens afterward is "your fault".

[Diver Dan]

Grease quality is also important. I like Kendall blue high speed Wheel bearing grease.

[Irene D]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

The EZ Lube manual states that is how the system is supposed to work.

Here is a video from Dexter on how to grease their axles. https://www.dexteraxle.com/resources...-z-lube-system

[babock]

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

Don't kid yourself on the disk brake setup. The bearing and seal setup is the same as drums. It's the failure of the rear seal where the grease gets thrown around the outside instead of being contained inside the drum. Grease can still contaminate the braking surfaces. It is usually just more obvious that you've had a failure.

I put disk brakes on my boat trailer. What is nice is you can see the seal. If the seal does happen to leak grease, the grease is no where close to the disk. With drums, you have no idea until you pull the drum and judging from the people who blindly use EZ-Lube, that isn't going to happen.

Originally Posted by Comanchecreek

EZ lubes are not a replacement for regular pack and inspection. They are only for "in between" the service interval. My experience with new trailers is that the seals can and do leak from the beginning. Don't know if they use cheaper seals from the factory, but I have had way less failures with after market seals, than new ones. My recommendation is for you to immediately disassemble, pack and replace rear seals upon getting your brand new trailer home. Do it when you replace the "China Bomb" tires your rig came with. Also a good time to readjust the brakes as all to often they aren't adjusted properly from the beginning. Do not make the assumption that your new trailer is ship shape, and serviced. The dealers do enough to get them down the road. They have an "outa sight warranty". Anything that happens afterward is "your fault".

Totally agree.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Diver Dan

Grease quality is also important. I like Kendall blue high speed Wheel bearing grease.

As long as the grease used meets the spec's published by Dexter for their hub/bearings just about any brand grease will provide good lubrication.

"Marketing" has a way of making the SAME product sound so much better when in reality very few trailer bearings are ever used to the maximum capabilities of the grease used.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Diver Dan

Grease quality is also important. I like Kendall blue high speed Wheel bearing grease.

It's not bad. Doesn't have as high a temp drop point as Mobil 1 synthetic but it is a lot cheaper.

[RobinDella]

Every spring I pull each hub and inspect brakes and bearings and use a hand press to grease bearings.
Being cheap not worth roadside repair