I did all four wheels and I can't believe how much grease each one took. I used a 14oz tube, pumping each wheel until the old grease came out. I mean if each wheel took a quarter of a tube, I'm surprised the bearings didn't burn out on one of our camping trips. Where's the QC when they packed the bearings?
The bearings are individually packed and installed. The Ultra-Lube passageways do not have grease in them when they are delivered to Forest River from Dexter. Forest River just bolts them to the frame on the assembly line.
The first time you flush the axle, it will take a lot of grease to push the dirty grease from the inner bearing out through the hub exit point.
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Interesting. Thank you for the explanation. I was surprised it took about 20 minutes at each wheel. I thought I was doing something wrong until I saw the old grease, which almost looked like the new grease since I only have about 800 miles on it. Thanks again.
Oh yea, it took me a tube and 1/2 when mine was new Herk a member clued me in. On top of all that the grease Lippert puts in is like chocolate milk, you can rest easy now. So now once a season just keep it top offed, 2 squirts max. Have a good trip
Interesting. Thank you for the explanation. I was surprised it took about 20 minutes at each wheel. I thought I was doing something wrong until I saw the old grease, which almost looked like the new grease since I only have about 800 miles on it. Thanks again.
Couple of rules:
NEVER use a compressed air grease gun. You will blow out the rear lip seal and ruin your brakes. Hand pump only!
NEVER use a "Zerk Cleaner" if the Zerk won't take grease easily. Remove the Zerk fitting and clean or replace it if it won't take grease. Trying to "blow out" a Zerk will push grease past your rear lip seal.
If it is really cold out; use a hair dryer to warm up the hubs so the grease will flow more freely. This is especially important if you need to use a lot of force to get grease to move through the ports in the axle.
Most folks will jack up the frame and spin the wheel while adding grease. This will keep the lip seal lubricated and evenly distribute the grease on the bearings. I do this every other time or so.
I like Lucas Oil's "Red N Tacky #2"
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Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
Great information. Since I'm new to RVing, I really appreciate all the help. And I used Lucas Red and Tacky #2. It was 90 here today the grease flowed like wine...I mean flowed like grease...warm grease. Thanks everyone.
I’m just finishing the axles on our “new to us” 5er. All new Timken bearings and races, Dexter double lip seals and new self-adjusting brake assemblies (two of the old brakes were full of grease).
I got 3 done with one tube of grease. Lucas Red ‘n Tacky.
I feel better now.
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2017 Rockwood 2703WS - Sold
2015 Keystone Sprinter 333FWFLS
2017 F250, 6.2 Gas, 3.73 Axle, 2902 lb Payload
If women don't find you handsome, at least they should find you handy!
I pulled the hubs off just enough to see the back of the seal after filling with grease. No grease got past the seals.
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2017 Rockwood 2703WS - Sold
2015 Keystone Sprinter 333FWFLS
2017 F250, 6.2 Gas, 3.73 Axle, 2902 lb Payload
If women don't find you handsome, at least they should find you handy!
I just used Ez Lube on my Heartland. Same procedure except the original load was nice and red good quality grease. Did two Rockwoods prior to the Bighorn and no issues at all.
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B and B
2022 Venture RV SportTrek STT 302 VRB Travel Trailer
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Louisville 5th Wheel
2015 Heartland Bighorn 5th Wheel
2013 FR Rockwood 8289WS 5th Wheel
2012 FR Rockwood 2703 SS Travel Trailer
I just used Ez Lube on my Heartland. Same procedure except the original load was nice and red good quality grease. Did two Rockwoods prior to the Bighorn and no issues at all.
You did it right, even though there are these complaints, i would say they are few compared to the # that are out there. I also used it for 7 years and never pushed grease past the rear seal and never had a problem with bearings. ,X' s 2 b&b.
Don't like these easy lube axles. I blew out a seal and didn't know it until I was trying to adjust the brakes and saw grease. It's far safer to just remove the wheel hub and lube them the old fashion way. If you are going to use the easy lube system I suggest you use some locking compound on the seal to hub surface when the seal is installed.
Many people and some professionals blow out the grease seal... axle manf even advise not to use pneumatic or auto feed grease guns... A friend that owns a brake shop said shops do. (They hand pack every bearing job they do.) Even a hand pump not pumped slowly and wheel turned can blow out a seal. Hand guns can push grease out at over 30K to 45,000 lbs... if the thick grease isn't allowed to slowly ooze through the bearings, under this pressure goes to the weakest point, the rubber seal. That's why you pump twice and keep turning... wait a second and repeat. It takes awhile to hand pump all the old grease out through EZ Lube hubs. Almost as quick and same mess EZ Lube as removal and hand pack, replacing seals each time. Hand pack no chance of over lube.
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2018 Forest River Rockwood Roo
24WS
2019 Ford SD F-350 SRW Lariat
Tow & Gooseneck Prep
FX4 Off Road (4X4)
Yes the zerk could well be bad. I had to change a couple on my new 5th wheel the first time that I tried to lubricate the running gear. I would try changing the zerk and see if the replacement works any better for you.
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Chuck & Sandra
Engineer/Teacher
2010 F350 CC 6.4
2015 Prime Time Sanibel 3601
Getting ready to lube my dexter axles on 2018 rockwood. Yesterday I picked up a small hand held grease gun at napa auto. It came with 3 small tubes of grease. Name of grease is stay lube it's a moly- graph gease . Can I use this type?
The small grease gun will tire your hand quickly and three small tubes won't be enough if you are using the zerk fittings. With Zerk fittings you keep slowly turning the wheel as you slowly pump in the grease. I don't know how many pumps but, it's allot. You pump until old grease starts coming back out at you. Pump to hard or to fast and it doesn't give the new grease to ooze in between all bearing surfaces and all that pressure will find a way out, usually through the grease seal and then it will get all over the brakes on the back side... bad.
When you have continually wiped the old grease coming back out your side and see new grease pushing out you are done... with one wheel. You will use one big tube on one to two wheels. The pneumatic grease guns are never recommended because their pressure can be to much or too fast and cause seal leakage.
If the axle bearings are three years old or you had it since new and lubed every year, then maybe 5 years... if when you jack up each wheel you can't rock tire on bearings and there aren't any bearing sounds when turned. You will usually always hear a slight sound as the brake shoes are just a couple of millimeters away from engaging and sometimes touch as tire rotates.
If you haven't changed bearings before let someone who does bearings handle it or have them there to walk you through the first time. Not difficult, but easy to screw yourself and sometimes not know it till 1000 miles down the road.
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2018 Forest River Rockwood Roo
24WS
2019 Ford SD F-350 SRW Lariat
Tow & Gooseneck Prep
FX4 Off Road (4X4)
The small grease gun will tire your hand quickly and three small tubes won't be enough if you are using the zerk fittings. With Zerk fittings you keep slowly turning the wheel as you slowly pump in the grease. I don't know how many pumps but, it's allot. You pump until old grease starts coming back out at you. Pump to hard or to fast and it doesn't give the new grease to ooze in between all bearing surfaces and all that pressure will find a way out, usually through the grease seal and then it will get all over the brakes on the back side... bad.
When you have continually wiped the old grease coming back out your side and see new grease pushing out you are done... with one wheel. You will use one big tube on one to two wheels. The pneumatic grease guns are never recommended because their pressure can be to much or too fast and cause seal leakage.
If the axle bearings are three years old or you had it since new and lubed every year, then maybe 5 years... if when you jack up each wheel you can't rock tire on bearings and there aren't any bearing sounds when turned. You will usually always hear a slight sound as the brake shoes are just a couple of millimeters away from engaging and sometimes touch as tire rotates.
If you haven't changed bearings before let someone who does bearings handle it or have them there to walk you through the first time. Not difficult, but easy to screw yourself and sometimes not know it till 1000 miles down the road.
Yes , thank you . I also have a bigger grease gun. And I dont think the gease that came with this small gun is all that good.