Grease gun dexter ez lube axle

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

The key to successfully greasing EZ Lube axles without blowing the seals is to use a manual grease gun, and pump the grease in S-L-O-W-L-Y. If you pump fast, pressure builds between the seal and the inside bearing, and with the seal being the weakest link, it gets hydraulically pushed out of the hub, or the seal lip lifts and allows the grease to escape. You have to pump slowly and give the grease time to pass through the inside (and outside, once the hub is filled with grease) bearings without building too much pressure and pushing the seal out.


I also have to admit, that I've NEVER jacked up an axle to spin the wheel while adding grease... I just don't see where that is necessary, and haven't had any bearing problems on any of my trailers whatsoever.



I've got 4 trailers now with the camper with EZ Lube axles, for a total of 7 EZ Lube axles, and haven't had a seal blow out yet in over 10 years since I got the first trailer with the EZ Lube axles.

I just finished greasing my bearings at the One Year Old mark. I did jack up the wheels because I wanted to see if the bearings were loose and if brakes were properly adjusted.

I used a hand "Pistol Grip" type grease gun and rotated the wheels while applying grease slowly. Don't know if it helped or not but I figured that the wheels were up anyway so why not. The total amount of lube used from the brand new tube of grease, for four bearings, was just under half. I just greased until I saw old grease showing around the retaining washer. I figured that since the grease was on the approved list from Dexter there was no reason to try and force all the old grease out. Maybe next time and a few thousand more miles. I will say that it does take a fair amount of time with a hand grease gun when only applying enough pressure to make the grease go in, no more. DO NOT use an air powered grease gun. Too much, too fast, and you will have leakage around the seal lip.

Over the years I've found that more people damage wheel bearings and seals by packing them themselves when they don't really know the right way.

Old seals are punched out with various tools not designed for the job and gouges are left in the hub's mating surface. The new seal is then pounded in with a claw hammer, etc, rather than a seal driver that installs the seal straight with little or no chance of damaging the critical seal lip.

Then there's the adjustment. What is the proper adjustment? Best way to learn is the manual provided by Dexter. I've seen bearings adjusted so tight the races are burned blue in just a few miles. I've also seen them so loose that the hub actually rattles on the spindle when lifted off the ground and shaken by hand.

Unlike the old ball bearings used back in the 50's, tapered roller bearings can do quite well with zero to 10-12 Inch Pounds of preload.

Best advice is to follow Dexter's instructions rather than what you hear from "Cousin Bill" or "Grandpa Bob".

[Palinduff]

I have the Lippert EZ Lube axles and when I did mine I used a full tube on all four. 1/4 tube for each. The existing grease was green, so I used red so that I could see the new grease coming around. There was a lot more grease in there when I was finished than was in there before. I also took each wheel off before I started, it was easier access than through the hub cover. You Tube helped a lot.

[Big Bill]

I have these on mine , I only pump in 10 while rotating , the inside bearing carries most of the load , filling the cavaty isn’t nessary actually the drums should b pulled and the brakes checked IMO I do it once a year after having trouble with brakes

[mmgolfmiester]

I've also used in Dexter EZ Lube system for the past 10 years never had a problem just pump it in slow and turn the wheels never had a seal blowout check the bearings a couple times while using this system they've always been full of grease and look brand new still , had buddy bearings on my boat trailer and my utility trailer also use them the same way never had an issue

[MR.M]

[QUOTE=timfromma;1926673]Don't do it. You have been warned.


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ay-156264.htmlthe stock seals are not as good as Aftermarket ones . once a year i pull and pack by hand . then on my flip trip 3000 mile i use the ez lube . so about every 6000 miles i'm either pulling and packing by hand that includes a new rear seal . then in between i will give it a shot through the easy lube . never had problems with grease pushing past the rear seals . it can be all in the way it's done and or if you have never replaced the rear seals . JMHO

[kayo]

I had the same problem but once I got the gun on the zerk, could not remove it. I bought a "LocknLube" grease coupler from Amazon. works great. It eliminates pressure locks and can easily remove the gun without yanking and perhaps pulling out the zerk fitting

[raytwntrvlr]

TitanMike makes great sense to me.
Most guys who aren't skilled wrench turners can and will screw up the simple job of repacking bearings. BTW... Simple does not always mean EASY.
Only been at this for 6 years or so and two different TTs both having the EZ lube axles. I follow the manufactures suggestions.
Many, Many miles no bearing issues.
I use a big boy grease gun and it takes one tube to do the job.

[BriaBeck]

Are you guys pumping in a tube of grease EVERY time? Or just initially to get the hub filled?

[Cujo7240]

On my grease guns I loosen the front tip by un screwing it a few turns and after placing it on the zerk fitting I retighten the tip and grease away. When done slightly unscrew the tip again and the grease gun comes off easily.

I too have not had an issue greasing Dexter EZ-Lube axles using Dexter's procedure. You need to jack up the tire and wheel so it's off the ground and spin the tire as you manually add grease by hand. It takes most of the tube to completely fill the cavities the first time and it will take just as much the next time to totally flush out the old grease.
I think a lot of the displaced rear seals on Dexter ezlube axles come from people doing the job incorrectly by not jacking up the wheel and turning it while manually greasing them or they decided to use a pneumatic grease gun and put the grease in too fast.

[dieselguy]

Loyal users of EZ lube ... I do agree the invention will work ... I just don't like the low percentages of successful use. But ... you do realize from the very first time you use it, by design ... the outer bearing will always get a mix of used grease out of the rear bearing and new grease from the gun. Even if there was 100% no blown rear seals ... that's the part of this whole thing that I just can't justify the bother of jacking, spinning, and S L O W L Y pumping. I guess it's like the ownership of Ford, Chevy, Dodge thing ... users choice.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Loyal users of EZ lube ... I do agree the invention will work ... I just don't like the low percentages of successful use. But ... you do realize from the very first time you use it, by design ... the outer bearing will always get a mix of used grease out of the rear bearing and new grease from the gun. Even if there was 100% no blown rear seals ... that's the part of this whole thing that I just can't justify the bother of jacking, spinning, and S L O W L Y pumping. I guess it's like the ownership of Ford, Chevy, Dodge thing ... users choice.

Agree you will get nothing but old grease in the outer bearing . and use tubes of grease and wear yourself out pumping waiting for the new grease to appear from the bearing . that's why it's important to once a year or so depending on use pull the hub hand pack bearings and clean out old grease . after that using the EZ-lube between full packs is fine as the grease won't be all old and dirt and a few pumps will have you going till the next full pack . At least it works for me

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Loyal users of EZ lube ... I do agree the invention will work ... I just don't like the low percentages of successful use. But ... you do realize from the very first time you use it, by design ... the outer bearing will always get a mix of used grease out of the rear bearing and new grease from the gun. Even if there was 100% no blown rear seals ... that's the part of this whole thing that I just can't justify the bother of jacking, spinning, and S L O W L Y pumping. I guess it's like the ownership of Ford, Chevy, Dodge thing ... users choice.

Can I offer an alternate theory?


If you fill the hub with grease when the axle is new, or after servicing the bearings and replacing the seal, all that grease in between the inner bearing and the outer bearing is brand new fresh grease. It is NOT used grease. It is brand new fresh grease, still in a sealed, albeit rotating, container. It will not go bad. Keep this in mind.



Now, each year or every 10K miles or whatever your chosen service interval, it only takes about 5 or 6 or so pumps to put new fresh grease into both the inner and outer bearing. Doing it this way, by the time you pump enough grease into the hub to push the used grease from the inner bearing all the way out to the outer bearing, the magnets in the brake are probably going to need replacement, brake shoes will need to be replaced, etc... it will be time to pull the hub for some kind of service, and then you can clean out all the used grease, and begin the cycle again.


If you stop and think about it, there is no need to waste all that grease every year or however often you grease your bearings. 5 or 6 pumps is all you need, maybe a few more if you have the bigger 8 lug hubs. As soon as you see new fresh grease coming out of the bearing, stop pumping. That's all you need.


You guys can certainly do what you want to do, but I think a lot of grease is being needlessly wasted by some of these methods posted on here.


Flak Jacket Installed

[babock]

Or you take 20 to 30 minutes per wheel, repack and actually inspect your bearings. Imagine that!

[BriaBeck]

Originally Posted by babock

Or you take 20 to 30 minutes per wheel, repack and actually inspect your bearings. Imagine that!

I know... right?


Grab the wheel, rock it back and forth, side to side to make sure the bearings are tight, give it a spin to see if the bearings are smooth or not if you are ambitious enough to get out the jack, pump a few strokes of grease in, and good to go. 2 minutes per wheel, tops. Unless you get the jack. Then 5-7 minutes per.


I always check the hub temps after each tow, if they are running cool, I don't worry too much about a rough bearing. And that being said, I've never had a bearing go bad on any of my 14 EZ Lube style hubs in 10+ years. Maybe I'm doing something wrong

[raytwntrvlr]

Originally Posted by babock

Or you take 20 to 30 minutes per wheel, repack and actually inspect your bearings. Imagine that!

20 to 30 minutes?? You must be a mechanic. That's pretty fast.

Please post a video sometime. I would love to see your technique.

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by raytwntrvlr

20 to 30 minutes?? You must be a mechanic. That's pretty fast.

Please post a video sometime. I would love to see your technique.

X2,
Waiting for the video.

Geoff

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I just finished greasing my bearings at the One Year Old mark. I did jack up the wheels because I wanted to see if the bearings were loose and if brakes were properly adjusted.

I used a hand "Pistol Grip" type grease gun and rotated the wheels while applying grease slowly. Don't know if it helped or not but I figured that the wheels were up anyway so why not. The total amount of lube used from the brand new tube of grease, for four bearings, was just under half. I just greased until I saw old grease showing around the retaining washer. I figured that since the grease was on the approved list from Dexter there was no reason to try and force all the old grease out. Maybe next time and a few thousand more miles. I will say that it does take a fair amount of time with a hand grease gun when only applying enough pressure to make the grease go in, no more. DO NOT use an air powered grease gun. Too much, too fast, and you will have leakage around the seal lip.

Over the years I've found that more people damage wheel bearings and seals by packing them themselves when they don't really know the right way.

Old seals are punched out with various tools not designed for the job and gouges are left in the hub's mating surface. The new seal is then pounded in with a claw hammer, etc, rather than a seal driver that installs the seal straight with little or no chance of damaging the critical seal lip.

Then there's the adjustment. What is the proper adjustment? Best way to learn is the manual provided by Dexter. I've seen bearings adjusted so tight the races are burned blue in just a few miles. I've also seen them so loose that the hub actually rattles on the spindle when lifted off the ground and shaken by hand.

Unlike the old ball bearings used back in the 50's, tapered roller bearings can do quite well with zero to 10-12 Inch Pounds of preload.

Best advice is to follow Dexter's instructions rather than what you hear from "Cousin Bill" or "Grandpa Bob".

Mike,
I always enjoy your posts, you seem to be one of the more reasonable people on here who tends to know his stuff.
Keep it up.

Geoff
.

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

Can I offer an alternate theory?


If you fill the hub with grease when the axle is new, or after servicing the bearings and replacing the seal, all that grease in between the inner bearing and the outer bearing is brand new fresh grease. It is NOT used grease. It is brand new fresh grease, still in a sealed, albeit rotating, container. It will not go bad. Keep this in mind.



Now, each year or every 10K miles or whatever your chosen service interval, it only takes about 5 or 6 or so pumps to put new fresh grease into both the inner and outer bearing. Doing it this way, by the time you pump enough grease into the hub to push the used grease from the inner bearing all the way out to the outer bearing, the magnets in the brake are probably going to need replacement, brake shoes will need to be replaced, etc... it will be time to pull the hub for some kind of service, and then you can clean out all the used grease, and begin the cycle again.


If you stop and think about it, there is no need to waste all that grease every year or however often you grease your bearings. 5 or 6 pumps is all you need, maybe a few more if you have the bigger 8 lug hubs. As soon as you see new fresh grease coming out of the bearing, stop pumping. That's all you need.


You guys can certainly do what you want to do, but I think a lot of grease is being needlessly wasted by some of these methods posted on here.


Flak Jacket Installed

Brian/Becky,
Absolutely, this is how I've done it too, and it works.
My TT hasn't had a brake service yet but when it does then there will be a bearing repack at that time.

Good post.

Geoff
.

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by BriaBeck

I don't think I can agree with saying a full hub of grease will cause overheating either... I'd like to see some documented evidence on that claim. You are correct that a fully packed bearing *may* overheat, but it won't be because there is too much grease... unless the bearing is running at extremely high speeds-- like 10,000+rpm. That is an entirely different situation than what we have with wheel bearings on any street legal road vehicle, and under those conditions, NLGI 1 or 2 lithium grease likely would not be the specified lubricant.



In your example of adding more grease to a hot bearing, I would speculate that the bearing probably was hot in the first place because (1.) it was adjusted/set too tight; or (2.) it was about to fail (for numerous possible reasons).



I've been around too much machinery that uses fully grease packed bearings/spindles to agree with your argument, sorry.

X2

Geoff

[wabakami]

Ok, the OP sounds possibly like he/she is a nube. You "pull the hubs and pack the bearings" types make it sound so easy and clean. They are asking you for guidance.

Hmmm
If it was this easy and fun, I've been doing something wrong on machinery and vehicles for 40 years then.

Ammazingly only two posters, MR.M and TitanMike, are the only ones who mention the seals. Mike even goes so far as to describe how probably the seal replacement actually goes. I will lay odds that a vast number of "bearing packers" reuse the old seals, probably time and time again.

Dieselguy; show us at least 10 people you talk about who are not so happy. Did they read the manual first or did they take their trusty cordless Ryobi grease gun and blow the shite out of the seals. Almost everyone on these forums "knows" someone who has supposedly known someone who has had an issue with XYZ product or item, rarely is it first hand knowledge.

Ever think that the majority of users never have a problem with the Ez-Lube system so we don't hear about it, we usually don't talk about things that work but stuff that doesn't.

A commenter stated "greasy brakes", I am sure more greasy brakes are from poorly packed bearings than Dexter axle seal fails. Especially damaged or worn seals when said repack was done.

Again, you "pull the hubs and pack the bearings" types claim it is sooo freaking quick and easy to annually or more often repack your bearings; lets go through the steps:

After blocking TT or fiver on level ground (if not already done so) you need your jack to lift coach wheels off of the ground. (these steps required for either way of doing bearings).

1. Jack-up wheel, spin to feel bearings, wiggle to check for looseness. (optional step)
2. Lower jack, loosen lug nuts, jack-up again (skip this step if you have an impact wrench)
3. Remove lug nuts, remove wheel.
4. Remove grease/dust cap/cover, pull split pin, remove castellated nut, remove outer bearing
5. Back off brake star wheel if brakes are wearing into drum making drum removal difficult
6. Carefully wiggle drum/hub off axle stub
7. Blow off brake components and inside of drum, (do not inhale dust)
8. Remove grease seal from hub, lift out bearing.
9. Degrease bearings, hub, nuts, axle spindle, any residual oil film on brake back plate, etc. Blow dry all items.
10. Repack bearings, insert inner bearing into hub, install NEW seal with hammer and block.
11. Wash grease off of hands before proceeding so as no to contaminate drum surface or shoes
12. Carefully manoeuvre hub back over spindle WITHOUT damaging the seal, insert outer bearing, washer (if required) and nut.
13. Mount wheel, snug lug nuts
14. While spinning wheel, snug down axle nut following manufacturers recommendations, (many different requirements by manufacturer), feel for smoothness of bearing
15. Install new split pin, install dust cap
16. Adjust brakes
17. Lower jack

I am sure some of you are going to argue about unnecessary steps, fine, but the bulk of it applies.
Most repackers claim how quick and easy this is, some of us are waiting for a video of them completing this in 20 to 30 minutes per wheel, I would say 45 to 60 minutes per wheel. Don't forget the clean-up and disposal of materials, putting tools away, I guess you could combine the purchase of seals and split pins (cotter pins) with the purchase of the grease.

Now the Ez-Lube way:
1. Jack-up wheel, spin to feel bearings, wiggle to check for looseness.
2. Remove cap over zerk
3. While spinning wheel slowly pump in grease until it starts to come out axle end, first time may take 1/4 to 1/2 a tube of grease, thereafter a pump or two.
4. Spin wheel, feel for smoothness of bearing again
5. Adjust brakes as required
6. Lower jack.

Err, what maybe 15 to 20 minutes per wheel with very minimum tools and clean-up.


Additional item:
7. Sit back, crack something cold and wave to your neighbour who isn't finished wheel #2 yet!

OK, let the fur fly!

Geoff
.